Luminar 4: The Power of Luminosity Masks

[@garysmith5838]

Luminosity masks are much easier to work with in Luminar than Photoshop. Thank you!

[@WanderFeetChronicles]

That’s simply because you don’t know best to utilise them within Photoshop. I use both of them, and they’re both great. But photoshop definitely has more power to edit than Luminar for masks. By far.

[@davefrancis2581]

My thoughts exactly.

[@JimNix]

Yes they are easy, and Luminar does all the work for you, but as Scouse indicates, PS does give you more control over them. Personally they work great for me in Luminar and I never use (or like) Photoshop, but I cannot dispute how powerful it is. Thanks for watching!

[@davefrancis2581]

@@JimNix I purchased Raya pro and really got to grips with it. This will do me.

[@JimNix]

@@davefrancis2581 I have heard good things about Raya Pro

[@Ilene1020]

I am using luminosity masks now thanks to your terrific videos of this technique. Thanks, Jim!

[@JimNix]

glad the videos help Ilene and thanks for watching!

[@4score]

You know Jim....you really make this FUN!

[@JimNix]

awesome, I am glad to hear that and that is definitely my goal - it should be fun!

[@stephenwoodburn2970]

Great video, Jim. I have been using luminosity masks all the time now and am really liking the results.

[@JimNix]

thanks bud and yep they are pretty awesome!

[@robertmeyerson1618]

More luminosity masking videos would be a great help. Thanks !!

[@JimNix]

ok thanks for the feedback Robert (and for watching)!

[@remcovansanten8204]

Fascinating video (again) thanks Jim. Interesting how Luminar has made the masks applicable only to each layer whereas Photoshop (PS) by default applies them to all layers but with the option (shift insert) to limit them, as Luminar does to the one layer. It sort of makes sense though one has to copy masks between layers. Another difference is that PS applies the adjustment where the mask is light/not applied, whereas Luminar does the opposite, applying where the mask is darkest red (which is not what the masks I was used to when using silver halide films/papers). Always a pleasure to give a thumbs up.

[@JimNix]

thanks much for watching and yes it is different than PS for sure - you can do so much in PS but I have never liked it, bc it seems difficult to me, hence my love of Luminar - Luminar just makes things easier and more fun - thank you for watching!

[@phlotographer]

I was awaiting the top/bottom adjustment as I found the bright sky did not match with the deeper image on the water of the sunset which after t/b it was much better.

[@JimNix]

thanks much and yes I think that helped too

[@davefrancis2581]

Excellent Jim luminosity mask made simple. I've always shied away from these before. And I have the exact photo that fits this brief. Time to have fun

[@JimNix]

thanks for watching Dave and they are quite easy yet powerful in Luminar - have fun editing!

[@AffordablePhotography]

Hi Jim! Another GREAT video on Luminar 4. Seems like most of your videos use landscapes for examples. Lots of us shoot macro and flowers. I'd like to ask you to consider covering these types of subject in future video tutorials. Thanks

[@JimNix]

thanks David and yes I shoot a lot of cityscapes and landscapes, so that is what my videos often cover - I really don't have a lot of macro or floral shots, but if I get some good ones I will be happy to make a video about editing them - thanks!

[@berniemoskowitz1438]

A question if I may for the knowledge. So it seems on every adjustment layer you are using some of the same tools, then decrease them by using the Luminosity mask. Why is this way better then just making the total adjustments on the original layer?

[@JimNix]

Due to the luminosity mask on each layer, the intensity and distribution of the effect varies, so it's not the same as just using the original layer. And it's just an idea to experiment with vs a recommendation to always follow. Try it and see how it works on your photos. Thanks.

[@berniemoskowitz1438]

@@JimNix Will do, thank you

[@steveschneider6150]

Jim - Great use of a single tool As I watched the last couple of videos, I realized that you have brought us a long way over the last few months. I think an advanced deep dive into Looks would be helpful at this point as you apparently use them as a finishing touch. Going back to the early tutorials I have envisioned Looks as a quick edit - but you are using them in a more sophisticated way. In addition, you could cover what edits get included in a new look you create. If my understanding is correct the new look you create picks up all edits - so you would not want to include brush masks, erasing , etc as they would be applied in the wrong locations if saved to a look and applied to a different photo.

[@JimNix]

thanks Steve and yes I use Looks both as starting points and/or finishing touches - it does depend on the photo, but that could be a good topic for a future video (so, thank you for suggesting it) - a Mask does not carry over with a Look, as you mentioned it would not be in the right place each time - thanks much!

[@dennishegdahl8616]

Good stuff again... I think I'm starting to get my head around these masks...Cheers.

[@JimNix]

thanks Dennis and glad this is hleping!

[@MrMoonpie001]

Jim, thanks for doing this and thanks for all the extra goodies/tips/tricks!!! This was by far the best Luminosity video I have seen to date! You really covered the subject well and I like your reasoning process as you work along. No wonder I love your videos!!! Moonpie

[@JimNix]

thanks so much for watching and glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@Scubabuddy9958]

This video is great for me as I have a lot of photos that fall into this category. I prefer to apply the mask first so I can see the results directly - I do not have you ability to project what the change might look like after the mask is applied. Based on your recent videos, I am starting to use the luminosity mask more. I particularly like doing one layer with the mask and a second with an inverted mask. This allows me to better target my changes. I am still a novice, but learning a lot.

[@JimNix]

thanks Mark and I just tend to do the edits first and then add the luminosity mask, but the end result is the same - just a personal preference in other words, nothing more - I appreciate you watching!

[@jamesgerboc]

Thanks for asking that Mark. I really want to understand this tool much better. I too have a big need. But. it made no sense to me that you would do adjustments first. To be clear, are you creating the adjustment layer, then adding the luminosity mask, then making adjustments?

[@jamesgerboc]

A followup please. It seems then you have to make a luminosity mask for every adjustment layer? Is there not a way to create one luminosity mask and make multiple adjustments, ie color, shadows, sharpness? Im going watch Jim's video a couple more times.

[@andrewmckinney3053]

Extremely useful, Jim. We get amazing winter sunrises/sets on the coast where I live, so I'm keen to rework some of my recent processing with LM's so see the difference. Thanks!! Hope you stay healthy ... Texas is hitting our news this morning (29th).

[@JimNix]

thanks much Andrew and hope the shots work out well, and yes unfortunately Texas is making the news a bit, hopefully not for much longer :-)

[@vincepalmer9518]

Jim is there a reason you did not use a luminosity mask in the light tool after you added the first adjustment layer? Why use the luminosity mask from the layers tool? Does it make a difference?

[@JimNix]

Hey Vince and yes I was using a luminosity mask on each layer which means all filters on that layer will be applied via the mask. So it's quicker to do it that way if you know you are using the same luminosity mask for more than one filter. Hope that helps and thanks!

[@BarryNeedle911]

Nicely done, Jim. I think Luminosity Masking is a wonderful technique...very often underutilized. Just curious ... have you used Serif Affinity Photo? Quite powerful like Photoshop,. Currently, for me, it has a singlular advantage over Luminar 4 ... it works well on my iPadPro. I hope Skylum releases a Luminar application for the iPad soon. BTW: I do use Luminar 4 on my iMac 5K too.

[@JimNix]

thanks much Barry, glad you liked it and no I have never used Affinity but I hear good things about it - and yes lots of people have asked Skylum about an iPad app, but I do not know if they are working on that or not - thanks much!

[@davidbloom2968]

well done! Thanx.

[@JimNix]

thanks so much!

[@guy3206]

THANKS Jim. question : what's the point to leave the city shape so dark (even if I understand it's +/- in the evening) ;-)

[@JimNix]

thanks Guy and I left it sort of dark simply bc I liked how it looked - plus with the brighter sky I thought the contrast worked well in the image - thanks!

[@jandaub4471]

Thanks for those tips Jim. Any special tips for using luminosity masks on B&W images. p.s. your cameras are multiplying like rabbits.

[@JimNix]

thanks Jan and I have been exploring that exact topic, which I am planning to make a video about soon - thanks for asking and yes my vintage camera collection has grown a bit (and there are quite a few more lying around here!)

[@jer3006]

Like Mark Samblanet's comment below, I wonder about the sequence of edit then mask, or mask then edit. First, I think it takes practice to eyeball your edits only where you know the eventual mask will be effective. Second, what about this techie point? If you edit first, you are changing the lighting characteristics of the image and then the mask will actually be calculated by Luminar differently than if you had masked first, right? It may be subtle but your adjustments are subtle as well since you slowly build them up on various layers. Two "subtles" makes an unsubtle, I think. My head is spinning right now with this, but I'm thinking you will end up with two different interpretations if you do version 1 where all your edits are done before you apply each mask and a version 2 where you create your mask then do your adjustments. Once again, being a Libra becomes a big disadvantage. 🤣 Regardless, Jim, thanks for these videos, learning a lot (or else how could I even argue about it)? 🙃

[@JimNix]

Thanks much Jer and I get your point. It makes total sense that my edits could affect how the mask is applied. I do sort of visualize what it will do. For example, I added color here for the brighter parts of the photo, knowing the luminosity mask would mostly affect those sections (sky and water). That is the great thing about Luminar - there is so much you can do, and usually more than 1 way to do it. Thanks for watching!