Apply Masking for local adjustments

Touching up specific parts of a photo is now possible with just a few selections. The Masking panel in Lightroom lets you work on any portion of an image to make intricate and precise adjustments using masks like Brush, Background, People, and more, topped by editing controls. You can access manual masks as well as masks powered by artificial intelligence. Try out the masking functionalities mentioned in the article and share your thoughts in the Lightroom community. 

The Masking tools

The following local adjustment tools are available when you select Masking from the right-hand toolbar:

 Brush

Select and drag the Brush tool over the areas you want to edit. You can specify the following: 

• Size Specifies the diameter of the brush tip in pixels.
• Feather Creates a soft-edged transition between the brushed area and surrounding pixels. In the Brush cursor, the distance between the inner and outer circle is the Feather amount.
• Flow Controls the rate of application of the adjustment.
• Density Controls the amount of transparency in the stroke.

You can also select Auto Mask to confine the Brush strokes to areas of similar color. 

Linear Gradient

Select and drag the tool into the area you want to edit. This is useful for adjusting a large portion of the photo with a gradually fading pattern that creates soft transitions.

Radial Gradient

Select and drag the tool into the area you want to edit. This tool helps you make local adjustments inside or outside an oval shape. Use the Feather slider to determine how soft you want the adjustments to be.

Color Range

Use this tool to accurately select a color in your photo that you want to edit:

• Select + drag an area around the colors in the photo that you want to adjust.
• Shift + select to add multiple color samples. You can add up to five color samples by holding Shift while clicking on the image. To remove a color sample, press Option (macOS)/Alt (Windows) and select the sample.
• Adjust the Refine slider to narrow or broaden the range of selected colors.
  
• To remove a Color Range mask, select the mask and then select Delete.

Luminance Range

Select a point or area in the photo using this tool. All areas with the selected range of brightness will become a mask. This way, you can precisely adjust specific brightness levels in a photo. To select a luminance range, do any of the following:

• Adjust the Select Luminance slider to define the endpoints of the selected luminance range.
• Select + drag an area on the photo you want to adjust. Selecting a small area to narrow down to a specific luminance range is recommended.
  

Select Show Luminance Map to view the luminance information of the photo in black and white representation. The part in red color shows the masked area, which is an intersection of luminance and local adjustment applied. 

Depth Range

Use this tool to select areas based on their distance from the camera. This tool is enabled only for photos containing depth information. To select a depth range to adjust, do any of the following:

• Adjust the Select Depth slider to define the endpoints of the selected depth range.
• Select + drag an area on the photo you want to adjust. It's recommended to choose a smaller area to narrow down to a specific depth range. 
  

Select Show Depth Map to view the depth of the image in black and white representation. The part of the photo in white represents the foreground, while the part of the photo in black represents the background. The red color shows the masked area, which is an intersection of depth and local adjustment applied.

To know about Select Subject, Select Sky, Select People, and Select Object, see:

• Automatically select a subject in your photo
• Automatically select a sky in your photo
• Automatically select people in your photo
• Automatically select objects in your photo

Get Started: Create a mask

Automatically select the subject in a photo

Automatically select a sky

Automatically select the background in your photo

Automatically select objects

Automatically select people

Apply Subject and Sky masks via batch paste

Backed by Artificial Intelligence, the Select Subject and Select Sky masks can be applied to multiple photos with just a click. This works for copy and paste settings.

Add to mask

Once you have created a mask, you can add masking tools to it to further refine your selection.

Subtract from mask

Once you have created a mask, you can remove areas of the selection using the masking tools.

Rename a mask

Invert a selection

To select everything else except the initial selection you made, use the Invert feature.

Invert a Mask

If you wish to invert all the masks in a group, follow the steps below:

Intersect with a Mask

To intersect an existing mask with a new mask, do the following:

Change the overlay color

You can easily change the default red overlay color to a custom color or choose from a range of preset options:

Local adjustment sliders

Use the following sliders to make the desired local adjustments to your selection:

Sets the overall image brightness. Applying an Exposure local correction can achieve results similar to traditional dodging and burning.

Adjusts image contrast, mainly affecting midtones

Recovers detail in overexposed highlight areas of an image

Recovers detail in underexposed shadow areas of an image

Adjusts the white points in a photo

Adjusts the black points in a photo

Curves give greater control over tonal range and contrast in a photo. 

Adjusts the color temperature of an area of the image, making it warmer or cooler. A graduated filter temperature effect can improve images captured in mixed-lighting conditions.

Compensates for a green or magenta color cast

Adjusts the hue in a photo. Select Use Fine Adjustment for precise adjustments.

Adjusts the vividness of the color

Applies a tint to the area. Select the hue by using the Color swatch. The effect is preserved if you convert the photo to black and white.

Smoothens or accentuates textured details in your photo. Move the slider to the left to smoothen details; move it to the right to accentuate details. When you adjust the Texture slider, the color or tonality does not change.

Adds depth to an image by increasing local contrast

Reduces or increases existing haze in a photo

Add grain (film) to your images.

Enhances edge definition to bring out details in the photo. A negative value blurs details.

Reduces luminance noise, which can become apparent when shadow areas are opened.

Removes moiré artifacts, or color aliasing

Removes fringe colors along edges