Photo Editing Tutorials for Photoshop & Lightroom
Learn to make any photo better: light and exposure, contrast and clarity, shadows and highlights, cropping and composition, and full start-to-finish edits of portraits, landscapes, weddings, food, and travel photos. Free and PRO video tutorials from Aaron Nace, with new lessons every week.
What You’ll Learn
Photo editing is the bridge between the picture you took and the picture you saw. These tutorials cover the whole edit: getting light, exposure, and contrast right, shaping the image with crop and composition, and finishing complete edits of every kind of photo. Pick the problem in front of you and start there.
- Light and exposure. Fixing over- and underexposed photos, recovering blown highlights and muddy shadows, and finding the detail hiding in a RAW file.
- Contrast, clarity, and haze. Curves, Levels, Clarity, Dehaze, and Texture, and when each one adds punch instead of crunch.
- Dodge and burn for depth. Shaping light by hand to guide the eye and give a flat photo dimension.
- HDR and blended exposures. Merging brackets in Lightroom and Camera Raw, manual blends, and luminosity masks for high-contrast scenes.
- Crop and composition. Composition guides, cropping for impact, and using light and color to direct attention.
- Complete edits, start to finish. Portraits, landscapes, weddings, food, travel, and family photos, taken from RAW file to final image.
Where to Start
If you are new to editing, start with 30 Days of Photoshop, which teaches the tools in the order they build on each other. Then try How to Correct Exposure in Photoshop and How to Use Contrast and Clarity in Photoshop, the two adjustments almost every photo needs. Lightroom-first editors should begin with the Lightroom Learning Path, and photographers who shoot as well as edit with the Photography & Photo Editing Learning Path. For complete edits, the PRO courses Advanced Portrait Editing and Advanced Landscape Editing take one photo from RAW file to finished image.
Free and PRO Tutorials
Free tutorials are complete lessons, not previews. PRO tutorials go deeper and longer, and they include the sample images, RAW files, actions, and presets used in the lesson so you can follow along on the exact same file. For the complete edits here, that means the original RAW file, so you can compare your result to Aaron’s. A PHLEARN PRO membership unlocks every PRO tutorial on the site, including all of the ones in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I edit in Photoshop or Lightroom?
Both, for different jobs. Lightroom is faster for global adjustments across many photos: exposure, white balance, and a consistent look for a whole shoot. Photoshop is for the work that needs layers and precision: dodging and burning, blending exposures, removing objects, and retouching. Most professionals cull and correct in Lightroom, then send the images that need more into Photoshop.
Should I shoot and edit in RAW?
Yes, whenever you can. A RAW file keeps far more highlight and shadow detail than a JPEG, so exposure and white balance corrections hold up without banding or noise. Open RAW files in Lightroom or Camera Raw first, then move into Photoshop for detailed work.
What version of Photoshop do these tutorials use?
The newest tutorials are recorded in Photoshop 2026. The core techniques, layers, masks, Curves, and Camera Raw, work the same way in every recent version, so older tutorials still apply. When a tool has changed, the tutorial says so.
Do I need to know the basics before starting?
For most of these, yes: you should be comfortable with layers and layer masks. If you are not, Tools & Techniques and 30 Days of Photoshop will get you there in a couple of weeks.
Where to Go Next
Once a photo is corrected, the next steps are specialized. Color & Tone is the fastest way to develop a recognizable style. Retouching covers skin, hair, and portrait work in depth, and Object Removal & Cleanup handles distractions. Photo Effects adds light, glow, and film looks, and Compositing is where editing turns into image-making.
New to Editing?
Start with 30 Days of Photoshop. It teaches every tool these tutorials assume you already know, one short lesson a day.
On This Page
PHLEARN PRO
Every PRO tutorial in this category, with sample and RAW files, plus the full PRO library.
Create epic landscape photos using Lightroom and Photoshop! Learn how to replace a sky, fix exposure, create HDR and panorama images, and more!
Lightroom, Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 3 hours
22 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action
Day 29 of 30 Days of Photoshop! Recover beautiful details in clouds and trees as we edit a landscape image with Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop.
Sample Image Included
In Day 22 of 30 Days of Photoshop, we show you how to fix the exposure of any photo, recovering the details in dark shadows or blown-out highlights.
Sample Image Included
In Day 17 of 30 Days of Photoshop, we show you how to dodge and burn in Photoshop, recovering details and adding beautiful shape and dimension to your photos.
Sample Image Included
Make your landscapes more impactful with the tools and techniques in Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop. Fix exposure, correct color, add lighting effects, and more!
Sample RAW Image Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample RAW File | 1 PDF Guide
Aaron sits down with wilderness landscape photographer Josh Cripps as he shares 10 tips to help us improve our landscape photos!
Guest Interview
Photo Editing | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 PDF Guide
Subject underexposed? Background blown out? Photoshop to the rescue! Learn how to correct exposure using Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop and rescue what would be an otherwise beautiful portrait.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 1.25 hours
1 RAW Sample Image | 1 Photoshop Action
Create picture-perfect landscape images with manual HDR! Learn how to blend multiple exposures, process RAW images, and remove common objects and distractions.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 1.5 hours
3 RAW Sample Images | 1 Channels Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 Photoshop Action
Get the most out of your Wacom Tablet in Photoshop! Learn how to apply a subtle dodge and burn effect using the features of a pressure-sensitive tablet.
Sample Image & Custom Brush Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Photoshop Brush | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to create beautiful product images for e-commerce! Master the tools and techniques professionals use to change backgrounds, retouch products, and export multiple formats for the web, banners, and ads.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 5 hours
28 RAW Sample Images | 2 Sample PSDs | 2 Photoshop Actions
Learn how to recover details and add definition to any landscape using the power of dodge and burn in Photoshop!
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to help a subject stand out in any photo! Enhance colors, adjust exposure, and add sharpening to help guide the eyes of the viewer.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
In this tutorial, we walk you through how to manually blend exposures using the power and flexibility of Luminosity Masks. You will learn to create selections based on light levels and then use those selections to paint detail back into your photos.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Advanced | 3.5 hours
11 Sample Images | 2 Photoshop Actions
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to brighten a dark photo, bring up shadows, restore lost details, and rescue the original color in an image. Follow along with the free sample image!
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Get familiar with three of the fundamental rules for creating strong composition in a photo. And while creative rules are made to be broken, we’re confident that by using these techniques you’ll see a huge improvement in your own images.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
4 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Don’t give up on underexposed images! In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through some techniques to brighten a portrait and, to show you how easy it can be, we’ll do it in only two minutes!
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Take advantage of the power of shooting in RAW. Apply local and global edits, correct exposure and white balance, and learn the workflow for sending images over to Photoshop for more in-depth post-processing.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Workflow & Productivity | Easy | 1.25 hours
213 Sample Images
What makes a great photo? In this comprehensive series, we take you from beginner to post-processing professional. Learn to make quick, subtle, and basic edits then level-up to making an all-out fully retouched composite.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 20.75 hours
139 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action | 1 Photoshop Brush
A masterclass in high-end photo editing. See how the pros remove blemishes, clean up wardrobe and environments, dodge and burn, and then combine it all while completing a detailed composite image.
Photoshop, Lightroom | Photo Editing | Advanced | 7.5 hours
23 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action | 1 Photoshop Brush
If you’re familiar with the fundamentals of photo editing but want to brush up on skills or step up your game, this tutorial is for you! Learn how to color correct and color grade, change composition, dodge and burn, subtle compositing, and see the photography process unfold!
Lightroom, Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 9.75 hours
46 Sample Images
Jump into the world of photo editing! Learn professional workflow and best-practices for editing within Lightroom and Photoshop.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Workflow & Productivity | Easy | 4 hours
70 Sample Images
Join Aaron as he jumps into Lightroom to process Raw format athletic photos to gritty Black and White images.
Sample Images Included
Lightroom | Color & Tone | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
2 RAW Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Adobe recently added the Dehaze filter, for an easy way to reduce haze. In this episode, you will learn how to remove haze in Lightroom and Photoshop!
Sample Images Included
Lightroom, Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Recreate that classic pinup look with the magic of Photoshop. Learn to retouch and shape the body, match highlights and shadows, dodge and burn, color correct, and add background textures.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 2.25 hours
6 Sample Images | 2 Photoshop Brushes
Learn the fundamentals of Photoshop and transform that knowledge into professional skill and mastery. Learn every tool, every adjustment layer, the importance of layers, masking, and groups, how to cut objects out, and a professional workflow.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 20.5 hours
22 Sample Images | 5 RAW Images | 1 Photoshop Action
Learn how to create multiple versions of the same image and combine them together to form an HDR Photo in Lightroom!
Use the Shadow/Highlights options adjust and correct dark shadows or highlights in your images. This is a very precise tool that also allows you to introduce color into the shadows or highlights as well.
Learn How to Create an HDR Image in Lightroom in today’s episode! Say goodbye to under and overexposed images, and say hello to easy HDR editing!
Join us in today’s episode as we discuss color theory, give you some inside tips and tricks, and put them to use in Photoshop!
In How to Make Beer Look Amazing in Photoshop (Part 2) we show you how to take a normal photo of a Guinness and make it really stand out.
You will learn how to cut the beer out from the Background, how to create Highlights on the glass, how to give the beer a proper “head”.