Lightroom Masking: INTERSECT Tutorial (What, How, & Why)

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Since posting my Lightroom masking overview video, I've received several requests to specifically explain the Intersect tool that was also introduced as part of last week's #AdobeMax update. I'll admit that it can be a little hard to grasp in the beginning, but I hope that this deep dive tutorial will give you everything you need to know about how to use this SUPER powerful tool. It's also important to know that even though Intersect is not explicitly listed in the menus for Lightroom CC or Lightroom Mobile, you can absolutely get the EXACT SAME functionality and I'm going to show you how.
As always, if you're new here or you've been enjoying the videos on my channel, I'd love it if you subscribed.
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 - Introduction
01:05 - What does Intersect mean with Lightroom masking?
02:05 - Differences between Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, and Lightroom Mobile
03:11 - Image 01: Using Intersect with Lightroom Classic
09:02 - Image 02: Using Intersect with Lightroom Classic
10:58 - Simulating Intersect with Lightroom CC
13:14 - Simulating Intersect with Lightroom Mobile
17:22 - Continue your video watching journey
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What to Watch Next:
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Learn all about the new Lightroom Masking tools: • NEW Adobe Lightroom MA...
#lightroom #lightroomtutorial #phototips

[@BubblesPothowari]

Wonderful. Two Words, 1 Decide "Where" 2. Intersect with "What" !! Thanks you for the lesson, clarity, brevity.

[@brianmatiash]

You are most welcome!

[@annajison3690]

Brian, an oldie and a non-techie me, you presented is so clearly and simply that it is like: Wow, I got that! Subscribing! Thank you.

[@brianmatiash]

Woohoo! What a wonderful compliment! Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the rest of the videos on the channel.

[@georgemoreno7792]

I appreciate the way you explained your process and also "how to" on the other platforms ( Lr, Lr Mobile). Thank you.

[@futureexperience]

Awesome video! This really makes sense and appreciate you focusing in on one area and the different applications of Lightroom too!

[@tmpart1]

This is the best demonstration and explanation of the intersect functions I've seen yet. Thank you

[@brianmatiash]

Thanks so much, Tom! I really appreciate that!

[@gregstevenson7401]

Such a well put together video. Great tools well presented. Good job.

[@billsbenz9065]

Really good job of explaining all of this. I was able to take what I learned and make some nice adjustments to photos I took of my grandson's homecoming photos. Thank you.

[@misha4422]

THANK YOU!!! I have been trying understand Intersect Mask With and your initial explanation was an "I get it, now" moment for me. Your examples cemented my understanding. Now to go try it. Merci beaucoup.

[@brianmatiash]

You are most welcome, Mike! The "I get it now" moment is the best result I can hope for by sharing these videos. It's such a pleasure to know that they helped you gain a better understanding of the Intersect tool.

[@nickshepherd8377]

Many thanks indeed for this great explanation. The best I have seen!👍👏👏👏

[@Dirtmedic1]

Thank you for explaining that for the new Lightroom. Awesome video!

[@donaldnewton4947]

Brian, you really did an excellent job of explaining this, better than any I've seen. Great job!

[@adrian_div_photography]

Great video. I can see myself saving a lot of time with this tool! Thankyou

[@cii1072]

Great discussion and teaching. Thank you.

[@malcolmhay6668]

you explained it better than the others. Good on you.

[@johnlm1950]

Excellent, clear and precise. Bravo

[@mustangshelby2740]

Brian, I m sold = subscribed , your vid is so straight that i am so impressed . Thanks

[@norbertalexy8803]

Hi Brian, I've appreciated your tutorials for quite a while. Increasingly, so that I keep coming back. This is the best explanation of INTERSECT that I found so far. And I have not found many clear ones. Now I can apply it, because I understood it. Thank you!

[@vladepast4936]

I agree, you are probably the only person that explains how to do this kind of image manipulation with the new Lightroom. Thank you!

[@ChristianoOliveiraLopes]

Thanks for this great info. I was confusing about how to use the "intersect" tool, now you showed me the way. Thanks a lot!

[@tammymartin621]

I really like how you teach.straight to point.thank you..new lightroom and these new changes are alot this mth.

[@BayouJosh]

Great tutorial Brian. Easy to follow and very useful.

[@brianmatiash]

Thank you, Josh!

[@stephenelderphoto]

I sat and played with this function on my iPad last week and it is really useful. This video would have been really handy at the time 😃. This was a great overview of the intersect function on each platform and your examples were well chosen. Thanks Brian - I’m looking forward to your upcoming videos.

[@ScotTheGr8]

Super helpful video. Would have taken me forever to figure all of that out. Thanks Brian!

[@philkemp8178]

An excellent video with some very well explained real life applications of this amazing new capability. Now I've found you I'm a subscriber! Thank you Brian.

[@amv7m]

Thanks for the tutorial. Very helpful.

[@CumulusSkies]

Thanks Brian! I really like the content and pace at which you explained this.

[@brianmatiash]

You’re very welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the vid!

[@GPYCROFT]

You make things so clear with no confusion. Thanks

[@brianmatiash]

Why thank you, Garry! That's exactly my aim with these videos!

[@AlfredoAlegrett]

Thank you so much Brian for this video, it makes it much easier to understand intercept.

[@brianmatiash]

My pleasure, Alfredo! I'm very happy that it helped!

[@paulwarren1156]

I don't normally comment, but I'll make an exception for this video. Fantastic video!! First video I've seen where this very useful tool is explained. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us

[@brianmatiash]

I sincerely appreciate you making an exception to comment on this video, Paul! 😁 In all seriousness, it does mean a lot to me and I'm very thankful to know that you found the video helpful.

[@jettysplash]

Thank you Brian. Much appreciated!

[@foisonurlubu4303]

You have a new subscriber! Very well explained, thank you so much

[@seandee]

That was a very cool and detailed explanation. Plus-and more importantly-you didn't ignore Lightroom Mobile.

[@edwardbarbieri5283]

Excellent description of LR intersect. Just what I needed. 👍👌🙏

[@brianmatiash]

Wonderful! I'm glad the video was helpful!

[@SmartphonePhotographyTraining]

Brilliant explanation. That is so much more powerful - Mike

[@brianmatiash]

Thanks so much, Mike! Glad you’re here!

[@DavidQuillman]

Excellent explanation on how to use Intersect. The intersect makes the new masking even better. Thanks

[@brianmatiash]

You’re most welcome, David! Glad you found the video helpful!

[@collevelo49er]

Hello Brian. I’m so glad to have found your channel and I’ve become an avid follower of your Lightroom tutorials! I’ve only recently got back into photo editing (after several years absence) and so much has changed in the meantime! BTW, I’m following you from the wonderful island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean! Keep up the outstanding quality of your work, guidance and inspiration! 😊

[@JerNorm]

Great video. Very informative and entertaining. I’m just learning to use Lightroom and this helped a lot. Thank you. Hitting the subscribe button now!

[@brianmatiash]

Nice! Glad to have you here, Jeremy!

[@kennethgnielsen]

This is good and very helpful. Thank You Brian, good job of explaining.

[@brianmatiash]

Thank you, Kenneth!

[@richcutrone1221]

This was excellent, clear and concise. Thank you.

[@brianmatiash]

You're very welcome!

[@joekriss9318]

Good afternoon Brian. Thank you so much for this excellent overview! I would like to totally agree with the dozens of other commenters who are praising how awesome this video is.

[@brianmatiash]

Rock on, Joe! Thanks for adding to the kind words. I'll be the first to admit that it's always nice to know that people enjoy my videos. I truly do love producing them because photography is my passion, as it is for so many others here. But, the positive response to this video (and the previous one on the new LR masking tool overview) have blown me away. So, thank you so much for the compliment and, more importantly, for enjoying the video!

[@rongeffin5323]

What a great explanation!!! thanks

[@rosariofama5199]

Extremely helpful, thank you!

[@DavidJones-iq8hp]

Got to say this has been the best vid on the subject of intersect. I have watched several others that have kinda explained this amazing tool. Or some completely ignored or said something to the effect of really not something that you would use all that much or why would you even use it. But these vids have come up way short, leaving me confused as to the best way to make it work or why would I use .(they may not themselves know how to use it) Thinking that it would not work on iPad or my phone. Brian Thank you for a deep dive into this tool. and the how's and why's and the ability to use across different platforms. Thanks again, your efforts are appreciated :)

[@brianmatiash]

It’s comments like yours, David, that truly make the effort 100% worthwhile. Most of the time, I produce these videos to teach myself the topic… especially when it’s something that’s kind of obscure, such as Intersect. And to know that it has helped you out as well makes me feel wonderful! Thank you for the kind words. ☺️

[@hansjurgenzobel6984]

Hello Brain, very well explained how intersect is used in Lightroom. Thank you very much for that.

[@brianmatiash]

You are very welcome!

[@jessicaannes]

This is an EXCELLENT tutorial on intersect!!

[@brianmatiash]

Thanks, Jessica!

[@racker9999]

Excellent. Thank you, sir!

[@hani7up]

Thank you Brian, great tutorial!

[@cherylnancarrow1570]

Excellent explanation of intersect. Big thanks.

[@brianmatiash]

You’re most welcome, Cheryl!

[@matthewbailey7734]

Great Info on a capability that I missed! I will definitely start watching more. For some reason you fell off my radar when No Name Photo Show started to taper. Glad you popped back in here, always well thought out content.

[@brianmatiash]

Ahhh yes, No Name Photo Show. That was fun while it lasted, but it started to feel too robotic towards the end. I guess that's why I let it die on the vine. But, I love making photography videos, so I'm glad you're here!

[@robgianelli]

After searching for almost a week, you were the only one who took the time to cover this function for mobile devices. I use an iPad exclusively for editing and can’t tell you how much I appreciate your video. It was also the first time I’ve seen anyone explain the “subtract+invert” technique. You have a new subscriber.

[@brianmatiash]

I'm so glad you brought this up, Rob. Well... first, let me thank you for the very kind words and sub. But, you bring up such an important point. I really do feel for the LR mobile and new Lightroom Desktop users because you are such an underserved demographic. And, if I'm being honest, I am guilty about this to a degree because I use the new Lightroom almost exclusively (I sync about 5.5 Tb of RAW files), but I create almost every tutorial in Lightroom Classic because that's what the vast majority of my audience uses. Still, I keep debating whether I should do some more LR Mobile videos. Thanks for bringing this up. Definitely something to think more about.

[@funkam0nkey]

Excellent and informative video.

[@SteveyJ03]

Very nice demonstration. Very helpful.

[@brianmatiash]

Thank you!

[@scott5x5]

Top-shelf tutorial, really great.

[@brianmatiash]

Thank you, Scott!

[@MikeMV]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing

[@crisalida2008]

Thanks a lot for your video, it has been so useful. Greetings from Catalonia!

[@brianmatiash]

You’re most welcome, Marc!

[@Isabella-zd1nn]

Great video! I finally understand

[@mariangelscheflin434]

Thank you so much for this!

[@mariangelscheflin434]

Great video and I really like that you demonstrated for mobile, I use my IPad and it’s been hard to find a video this specific. Thank you!

[@brianmatiash]

My pleasure!

[@D.radventures2021]

Thanks Brian for such a crisp and clear explanation on how to apply the intersect. You have no idea how much I admire people like you for taking the time to make videos to help people like me. 😂 Could you do a video on portrait photography editing and how to smooth skin using the new Lrc updated tools. Thanks again and keep up the great work.

[@michaelredbourn]

Really great! Thank you!

[@craigcompoliphotography1235]

Great video. Thank you!

[@thecandidframe]

I've been wondering about this since the release. Thanks.

[@brianmatiash]

My pleasure, mate! Hope you’re doing well!

[@goldfinch2283]

Great tutorial! Thanks!! Just subscribed to your channel.

[@edgardomanuel7524]

Thank you. Very useful indeed.

[@minkymott]

Thank you so much for explaining this ina way I can understand. Too often people who make videos like this assume the viewer knows all about the software. Thanks. Great video. Now I can do what I couldn't figure out how to do and gave up. :)

[@brianmatiash]

It's my pleasure! I admit that I sometimes fall into that trap of over-assuming what my audience knows, so this is a good reminder. I am glad that you found it helpful!

[@minkymott]

@@brianmatiash I did. And thank you so very much for taking the time to reply.

[@krane15]

Very good. I'm new to LR, but I got 80% of how it works on the first go-round. I'll watch it again as I go through the motions with my own photos to put it more permanently into long-term memory.

[@GlenB]

This is an excellent explanation of the intersect tool. I've used it before but not often. I'll use it more now. I would subscribe but I use a PC while your video's are primarily for Apple users. The different platform just adds extra confusion that other presenters don't make me deal with.

[@newjersey1029]

You are the best. Big thanks

[@juansol1499]

Thanks, Brian. I'm new here in your KZbin "space", but I like the way you explain yourself. Take in account there are people listening you that their native language is not English. But the way you talk, slowly, without talking too fast, with excellent pronunciation (at least IMHO), makes you a great teacher. Besides, the general subject (Lightroom brand new local adjustments) is pretty well explained by you, so congratulations! Thanks again. Greetings from Madrid, Spain.

[@brianmatiash]

Thank you so much, Juan. I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to speak faster when I’m excited about the topic that I’m discussing, so I often have to remind myself to slow things down. 😅 Still, I’m very grateful to have you here and am thrilled that you enjoy the video!

[@melissahall7009]

Great teaching! Thanks. 🙂

[@stevenphelps8625]

Wow! Thanks for the info

[@dipanjanmukherjeephotography]

Amazing video and thanks for sharing this. After watching this I really have a nice idea about this masking tool. Thanks 👍. I also did subscribe to your channel as well. Hope in future will get more useful videos like this. 👍👍

[@brianmatiash]

Thanks so much for subscribing! I'm thrilled to have you here and am very glad that you found the video helpful!

[@jonathanhumphries2643]

What, where? Such a great and clear video, including lightroom mobile, which really pleased me (most vids focus on LRC). Thanks very much. 😎

[@brianmatiash]

You’re most welcome, Jonathan. And it makes me happy to hear that you enjoy the mobile side of things. If I’m being honest, I struggle with deciding to produce content more centered on the new LR and LR mobile. Check out the recent community poll post I made re: which version my audience primarily uses. It’s not even close… but should that stop me…?

[@VickyStephens]

Way to "dehaze" the Intersect tool. Strong work, thank you!

[@brianmatiash]

You’re very welcome, Vicky!

[@fernandopicaro7716]

Très clairement expliqué et montré, bravo, je suis surpris de m'apercevoir que "intersection = soustraire + inverser" Bravo.

[@billsteen7563]

After having tried to make sense out of the intersect masks in the different lightroom versions and mobile devices you finally made it all make sense. Brilliant and thanks many times over. Which leads me to asking if you might do one more video on using the intersect masks with the classic sky meeting the foreground to avoid the halo that often happens. That would be so welcome.

[@brianmatiash]

Thanks so much for watching, Bill! And thank you for the video suggestion. That's a great idea - let me work on a few examples to see if I can illustrate the use case clearly.

[@elsiepoynton9576]

Thanks so much great work more please

[@hhkk876]

Excellent!!

[@clifford_wakeman]

Brilliant, thank you mate

[@MsFelixKatz]

Excellent...Thank you.

[@philsimpson2854]

Amazing video

[@ww3ok]

Great tip, Brian. Not obvious on iOS so you helped a lot.

[@HaroldDelk]

Thank you; you have just opened my eyes to some of the new wonders of Lightroom. So much easier for me to finally understand these tools. You make it so simple with such clear explanations. Next ... can you explain how to adjust the interface in CC so my aging eyes can read the options. Teeny gray on black is very difficult. Same problem exists in On1 Raw.

[@Johnthetripper]

One year on and I see this has been fully added to Lightroom (CC). I agree with others, so many Lightroom videos are Classic focused. You really drill down on the usage of LR. Thanks very much.

[@brianmatiash]

Thank you, John! Yup, my goal is to serve all the Lightroom (Desktop and Mobile) users out there by focusing my content on that ecosystem. I have absolutely nothing against Lightroom Classic, but there are thousands of photographers creating content for that, while hardly anyone is helping the “new” LR crowd. That’s why I’m building an entirely new course focused exclusively on teaching photographers how to use Lightroom everywhere. bit.ly/le-order

[@scomart]

Subtract and invert. Genius! Good to know!

[@brianmatiash]

Yup! That’s all Intersect does. 👍🏼

[@chrissious]

That was awesome! Thanks.

[@brianmatiash]

You’re welcome!

[@cameraman2157]

Very informative video

[@ajitkamath7238]

great videou . thanks a ton

[@maartenroes-francken7996]

What. Where. Got it! Thanks Brian. Excellent video. I now know how to do it. I've done it and it worked for me perfectly. Cheers😎

[@brianmatiash]

Excellent, and thrilled that the video helped!

[@MichaelWDietrich]

The "option" key on Masking was new to me, as well as I hab not thought about intersect being "subtract + invert" which made me think about what "add + invert" might give me as a functionality which is in none of the lightroom (CR) Versions ;-). Thank you. Al that was worth watching your show.

[@jeffpuckett8467]

Thanks!

[@malcolmyates7087]

Thanks for that Brian don't use lightroom but that was well explained and helped me with camera raw in Photoshop 👌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@brianmatiash]

My pleasure, Malcolm! Glad it helped even though you don’t use LR 👍🏼

[@ypebanbung-michael8865]

The best explanation so far on youtube. it was worth to subscribe. Thank you so much for that video.

[@brianmatiash]

Awww thank you! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@marclabro]

super tuto !

[@jonasweiss5817]

Thank you!

[@jasonlacey5979]

Brilliant...

[@debbieshriner1308]

I think I got it Thank you!!!

[@gausselim1474]

This is brilliant!!... not to sound British. I was having the damndest time trying to use linear gradient to highlight a roll cloud along the entire length of my image which is located in the center of my sky; I want to isolate that cloud only, without using the brush. The select sky mask cannot differentiate between the top of the mountain and the sky so cannot use use it. The LG mask will not allow me to ONLY select the area between the lines, it fades to either the top of the image or bottom, ONLY. I was so frustrated until I saw this video and learned about the intersect option. What an incredibly powerful tool! Thank you so much for your time and illustrations.

[@alwaysinout]

Very useful ... thanks

[@brianmatiash]

You're welcome!

[@1964ilovebears]

Thanks Brian. It would have been cool if you had compared intersect with subtract. Sometimes I don't see the difference clear, depending on the mask to use.