Lightroom has some powerful masking tools that you pay to take advantage of. This great video tutorial will show you how to use some of those capabilities.
Coming to you from Christian Möhrle – The Phlog Photography, this informative video explains how to use Lightroom flow masks to enhance your images. It starts with basic adjustments to lay the right foundation. Brightening the foreground and adjusting exposure are essential first steps. By increasing exposure, shadows, and blacks, you make the image clearer and more detailed.
The video then moves on to more complex adjustments using a luminance range mask. These masks allow you to target specific areas of an image based on their brightness. For example, Möhrle shows how to darken distant mountains to add contrast, helping to make the foreground stand out.
Gradient masking is another powerful feature highlighted in the video. By targeting specific tones, you can enhance or tone down certain areas. Möhrle shows how to use these masks to brighten sunlit areas and add warmth to a photo, creating a more dynamic and visually interesting photo. This method is similar to dodge and burn in Photoshop but done more seamlessly in Lightroom.
Next, Möhrle discusses the importance of fine-tuning your mask. Adjusting the scope and softness of the mask ensures that only the desired areas are affected. This precision is what makes multifaceted masking so effective. For example, excluding the sky from a luminosity range mask targeting mountains will help maintain the overall balance and focus of the image.
One of the takeaways from the video is the importance of patience and experimentation. Range masks can be difficult to master at first, but with practice, they will become an invaluable part of your editing toolkit. Watch the video above for the full rundown of Möhrle.
And if you really want to dig deeper into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial,”Photographing the World: Japan with Elia Locardi!”
