Photographer Dana Scruggs shares how staying obsessed with excellence can help you break through.

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“Lightroom and Photoshop make me so much more productive. I can export from Lightroom into Photoshop instead of having to save the file and put it back into Photoshop. It saves a lot of time.”
In Lightroom, open the photo Dana provided or use your own. Then use the Edit panel to adjust the lighting and color to add depth and enhance the color. Mimic Dana’s settings or play with the sliders to create your own look.
When you’re done editing in Lightroom, click the ellipsis (three-dot) menu icon on the right and choose Edit in Photoshop.
In Photoshop, duplicate the Background layer and rename it. Select the Object Selection tool and click the image in the Model layer to create a selection. Then click the Mask button from the Layers panel to hide the background on the Model layer.
Pro tip: The mask separates the subject from the background so you can edit the model or the background without affecting the other. This comes in handy when you want to add noise to your background.
Select the Spot Healing Brush tool from the toolbar. Then click or paint over small spots you want to remove. Press the [ ] keys on your keyboard to adjust the brush size as you work. The Spot Healing Brush analyzes the pixels around the area to match the color and texture.
Pro tip: If the area you need to retouch is a lot larger than a spot, use the Clone tool or lightly paint over the area with a soft brush that’s set to a similar color.
With a few adjustments, you can bring out the best in your photos using the retouching tools best suited for the job in Lightroom and Photoshop.

