Hello my friend,

In the last edition, I promised that today I would take you inside The Art of Shaping Light. I also shared a two page before-and-after breakdown showing how I shaped the light in a single photograph. More than 6,300 of you downloaded it. That response confirmed just how many photographers want to create greater depth and direction without making their edits feel artificial.

If you missed it, you can still see the four decisions behind that edit here.

That challenge is at the heart of The Art of Shaping Light, my new Lightroom editing course. This isn’t about inventing light or following a recipe of adjustments. It’s about recognizing the light already captured and making intentional decisions that create depth, guide the viewer’s eye, and strengthen the atmosphere of the photograph.

Before the course officially launches, you’ll be able to watch the introduction and two complete chapters for free beginning October 6. Until then, here’s your first look inside.

INSIDE THE ART OF SHAPING LIGHT

The course breaks this approach down into eight core chapters:

I created this course for photographers who understand the editing tools but aren’t always sure where or why to use them. If your photographs sometimes feel flat, visually confusing, or overworked, The Art of Shaping Light will give you a more intentional way to approach every edit.

The Art of Shaping Light will retail for $155 on its own.

But when it launches through 5DayDeal on October 8, it will be part of something much larger. I can’t share the full details just yet, but when I do, you’ll understand why I’ve been calling this my biggest sale of the year.

TWO DATES TO REMEMBER

October 6 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern: The free course preview opens.

October 8 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern: The complete course launches.

I’ll send you the direct link and everything you need when each one opens. For now, I simply wanted you to see what’s coming.

As always, thanks for being here.

Mark

📺 MY NEW VIDEOS

The Most Addictive Photography Advice I Wish I'd Ignored

Manual mode is one of the first camera settings photographers are told they must master, and for years, I believed using anything else was taking a shortcut. In this video, I explain how that advice became a habit and why Manual mode isn’t always the best choice. I’ll walk through when I use Manual mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Auto ISO, along with how I decide which option will keep the camera out of my way. Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to control every setting. It’s to spend less time watching the meter and turning dials and more time focusing on the light, composition, and photograph.

Adobe Is Finally Listening to Us

I’ve wanted Adobe to add something like this for years. Having used the Orton effect for a long time, I was curious to see how the new Glow tool in Adobe Camera Raw would compare to my usual approach. After a couple of weeks of testing, there’s a lot I like and a few things I wish Adobe had done differently. On some photographs, it adds a beautiful, soft, atmospheric look. On others, it can quickly become too much. In this video, I’ll show you which photographs it works best on, where I’d leave it alone, and how I’ve been using it on my own images. You’ll see both the results I like and the problems I ran into, so you can decide whether it’s something you’d use.

🔓 VAULT FAVORITES

This Composition Tool Eats the Rule of Thirds for Breakfast!

I think by this point we're all familiar with the more popular composition techniques for creating powerful landscape photos. We know to use leading lines to draw the viewer into our photos, we know to use layers to create depth in our images and we frame our photographs using the rule of thirds, but are these really the best approaches? Now as far as the first two points go, I'm a big fan of both, but I'm not 100% sold on the rule of thirds as a long term solution for composition. ​​

📖 GOOD READS Embrace the Journey: Four Essential Lessons for Landscape Photographers In the world of landscape photography, there's often a spotlight on the giants, the Ansel Adamses, Michael Kennas, and Clyde Butchers whose images grace the covers of magazines and amaze viewers worldwide. But amidst this reverence for greatness, there's a quieter narrative, one that speaks to the journey of continual improvement and the pursuit of personal excellence. Although, I personally may never be one of the “great landscape photographers” I find solace in the fact that I’m better today than I was yesterday. In this article, I’ll share the four things that have had the greatest impact on me throughout my journey from beginner to professional photographer, in hopes that some of what I discovered can help you as well. #1 Experimentation Without the Fear of Failure Landscape photography is like exploring a new world, both outside and within yourself. It's easy to get stuck doing things the same way, for instance always using wide-angle lenses focusing on the grand landscape was my crutch. But the real magic happens when you step out of your comfort zone and begin experimenting. Whether it's trying different focal lengths, getting up close with macro photography, post processing in black & white, or taking to the skies with aerial photography, every experiment and subsequent mistake teaches you something new. Embrace the unknown because that's where you'll find your unique style. #2 Unrelenting Focus on Post Processing Editing photos is artistry in a digital workshop. It's where you turn flat and dull photographs into jaw-dropping pieces of story-telling art. Many see photo editing as a boring task; think of it as a chance to let your creativity shine. Dive into all the cool tools available, from simple adjustments to fancy blending techniques. >> Read More​