Advanced masking in Lightroom gives you precise control over your edits, letting you target specific areas in your photos. Knowing how to combine different masking tools effectively helps you achieve professional results and enhances your creativity.
Coming to you from Aaron Nace with Phlearn, this detailed video teaches advanced masking techniques beyond the basics.
Starting with straightforward adjustments, like brightening backgrounds or shifting colors slightly, Nace quickly moves into more complex edits. You'll learn how to isolate your subject and fine-tune the sky independently, pulling out rich detail and making your main element stand out. The tutorial demonstrates how selective edits bring depth and clarity without over-processing your images.
The true strength of advanced masking comes from combining masks. Nace guides you step-by-step through creating nuanced effects, such as adding soft glows behind subjects or strategically illuminating facial features. He shows how using radial gradients to produce a gentle, painterly glow behind your subject adds depth, and then how subtracting your subject from this mask keeps the effect natural. He emphasizes that subtlety is key—small adjustments to exposure, shadows, and color temperature can transform a good shot into a striking image.
You'll also see how luminance ranges and selective subtraction can refine your mask even further, enhancing highlights without touching shadows, or vice versa. Nace demonstrates a practical example of using a radial gradient specifically to brighten the subject's face, mimicking the effect of softbox lighting. By creatively combining tools like radial gradients, luminance masks, and linear gradients, he shows how you can target precise image areas effortlessly. This targeted approach helps your subject draw attention naturally, without relying on heavy-handed editing.
Throughout the demonstration, you’ll get practical insights into managing and refining masks, such as quickly toggling masks on and off to review their cumulative effects. Additionally, Nace shares tips on ensuring smooth transitions between edited and unedited areas, maintaining a professional and clean finish to your photo.Check out the video above for the full rundown from Nace.
