Lightroom has some powerful masking tools it pays to take advantage of. This fantastic video tutorial will walk you through using some of those capabilities.
Coming to you from Christian Möhrle - The Phlog Photography, this informative video explains how to use Lightroom range masks to improve your images. It starts with basic adjustments to set the foundation right. Brightening the foreground and adjusting the exposure are essential first steps. By increasing the exposure, shadows, and blacks, you make the image clearer and more detailed.
The video then transitions into more complex adjustments using luminance range masks. These masks allow you to target specific areas of your image based on their brightness. For instance, Möhrle demonstrates how to darken distant mountains to add contrast, which helps in making the foreground pop.
Color range masks are another powerful feature highlighted in the video. By targeting specific color tones, you can enhance or diminish certain areas. Möhrle shows how to use these masks to brighten sunlit areas and add warmth to the image, creating a more dynamic and visually interesting photo. This method is akin to dodging and burning in Photoshop but is done more seamlessly within Lightroom.
Next, Möhrle discusses the importance of refining your masks. Adjusting the mask’s range and softness ensures that only the desired areas are affected. This precision is what makes range masks so effective. For instance, excluding the sky from a luminance range mask targeting the mountains helps maintain the overall balance and focus of the image.
One of the key takeaways from the video is the importance of patience and experimentation. Range masks can be tricky to master initially, but with practice, they become an invaluable part of your editing toolkit. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Möhrle.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!"
Thanks for this excellent demonstration of how to use the luminance masking feature. I had tried to use it unsuccessfully and will go back to try again.
But I have one question. I have found that using masks, specially multiple masks, creates a great deal of noise since we are adding or subtracting intensity and color from the image pixels. How do you deal with that? I use Neat Image to reduce noise but the quality is never as good as the original pre-edited image.
Alan Kolnik
alankolnikphotography.com