Adobe Lightroom recently rolled out an update with a new masking tool, significantly altering how quickly and effectively you can edit your photos.
Coming to you from Arnulfur Hakonarson of That Icelandic Guy, this insightful video explores Lightroom's new "Landscape" masking tool—though its functionality goes far beyond what the name implies. Hakonarson highlights that while Adobe labels the feature "Landscape," it expertly identifies and separates multiple elements like vegetation, water, architecture, and artificial surfaces across various photography styles, including street and architectural scenes. He demonstrates how swiftly Lightroom analyzes an image, creating accurate masks that once required extensive manual effort. Beyond simple masking, Hakonarson points out how you can refine masks by subtracting other masks, such as sky from vegetation, significantly improving precision.
This masking tool isn't restricted to landscapes; it’s equally impressive when applied to portraits and street photography. Hakonarson showcases how easily you can isolate facial features, clothing, and even irises, allowing focused edits without manual selection. He candidly points out minor imperfections in Lightroom's initial mask selections but provides practical solutions, demonstrating how subtracting masks dramatically refines selections. The video's value lies in these real-world editing examples, clearly showing the powerful enhancements possible without extensive Photoshop edits or time-consuming manual adjustments. For photographers looking to improve their efficiency, these techniques offer substantial workflow improvements.
Hakonarson also shares additional tips on combining various masks, adding or subtracting brushwork manually, and demonstrates practical adjustments that transform ordinary images into visually appealing photographs. He shows how a few targeted tweaks can elevate image quality considerably, emphasizing Lightroom’s capacity for nuanced editing that remains approachable and intuitive. Importantly, Hakonarson compares the new masking functionality to previous editing methods, highlighting the stark contrast in speed and ease of use—especially useful if you've experienced the tedious process of manual masking. For those newer to editing, this update simplifies complex adjustments, letting you achieve professional-looking edits without excessive technical effort or deep Photoshop knowledge. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Hakonarson.
