Lightroom: Using Masking To Control Exposure, Highlight Subjects and Color Grade Photos

In this week's session I fully process a photo utilizing Lightroom masking to control exposure, color and contrast. I bring out the photos subject with intersecting masks and color grading using linear gradients. Finally I close out the session by showing how to use a radial gradient to make a fully customizable vignette.
#lightroom #masking #colorgrading #colorgradingtutorial #intersectingmasks #intersecting

[@paulmerhaba1969]

Learnt more in 30 minutes with you than I have watching hours of other videos. Thanks.

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Great to hear! Glad I could help out.

[@nancyturek1121]

For those of us who are not natural born artists and struggle with the art of seeing where to apply light, shadows and color this video was wonderful. Without overwhelming me you’ve given me some very good examples and ideas for developing images. Thank you!

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Thanks for sharing!! I am glad I could help you out. I still struggle with light and color at times. But you just have to keep on processing and develop the skills to a higher level. Good luck! Let me know if I can help with anything further.

[@tonyb2760]

I know making these videos take a lot of time and effort and I completely understand that the intent of this video was to demonstrate "editing" and not image selection and I appreciate that. Thanks for sharing

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

I appreciate that. At least everyone who watches my channel and comments has something good to say along with any constructive criticism. Can't ask for much more than that! Thanks so much for your comments. It is greatly appreciated!

[@glyndavies6592]

Thanks Micky, very informative and helpful. It would be great if you can use a previously created mask to intersect with a new one. For example, the bird mask took a fair amount of work to create and it had to be done all over again when intersecting with the linear mask. Any ideas on this?

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Good question. It just so happens another of my subscribers figured it out for us. @skelchris gave me a great solution. You would (1) create another duplicate bird mask; (2) invert that mask; (3) then intersect that inverted bird mask with a linear gradient. That works just as well. Thanks for the question!

[@glyndavies6592]

Thanks for the solution, much easier :) @@easternshorephotoinstruction

[@gregscarcella519]

Your videos are excellent. I would suggest at the end of editing a photo, put both original and edited side-by-side on screen for 15-20 seconds to let the dramatic changes sink in to your viewer.

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Great Idea. I will do more of that in future videos.

[@christopherault]

Enjoyed the tutorial. I do have an alternative for the part where you are subracting the bird from the foreground linear gradient. My preference would be to duplicate your original bird mask, invert it then intersect with linear gradient.

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

That's a great idea! Thanks for pointing that out for me. I think I just got in a rush and didn't think it all out. I must admit I was complaining to myself that I shouldn't have to create another bird mask.....but I never investigated it further. Your solution was right on point. Thanks so much for your help!

[@jacksonteague876]

Thank you for the tutorial.

[@jaysigal9353]

Nice edit. However, I have more of a question than a comment ... what are your thoughts, or reasons for not doing the exact same edit, but over the entire image as you began the training, and then after all that is in place ... execute the crop & straighten? This is more of a curiosity of technique on my part, than a criticism of the way you actually did the edit. BTW ... the choice of the image for this demonstration, I thought, was a good one. Not for its inherent SOOTC beauty, or lack of thereof ... but for the demonstration that pointed towards a way that we can take an otherwise "likely culled" image, and instead, make it useful. Thanks for the video ESPI.

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

It is more of a preference thing. For some reason my mind can't get past a photo that doesn't have a horizon straight. When my eyes see a crooked horizon my mind seems to want to disregard everything till it is fixed !??! I know it's crazy. But honestly you could do it either way. Many of my friends do it last. Mainly because they are really sure what size they are going to print or display. Actually gives you more options if you wait to do it last. Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate it!

[@djcruse]

Is there ever a situation when you *wouldn't* want chromatic aberration removed?

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

HAHAHHA....nope. I don't think there is. Unless you are going for some modernistic chroma look!?! Thanks for the comment!

[@colinhutchison7834]

It would help if you were editing a good photo!

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Yep...have had plenty of comments on that subject. I was going for the idea of taking a crap shot and kind of making something good from it. I think I went a little too heavy on the crap side !?! Thanks for the comment. I do appreciate it!

[@AdamBitner80]

I think he picked a good photo. It was not a good photo to begin with, but thoughtful editing made it look pretty darn nice in the end.

[@edwardkurek5355]

I like your videos but the picture you picked for this isn’t to my taste.

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Sorry the photo didn’t work for you. I struggled with this photo selection. I was trying to find a not so good shot to build from. Probably should have look a bit longer for a suitable shot. Thanks for your input and comments.

[@owenpeller6471]

nice demo. crappy photo

[@easternshorephotoinstruction]

Yeah, I kind of meant to grab a crappy one to show how you can make a decent photo out of very little. Maybe I took it too far. I probably could have chosen a better photo to start from. Thanks for your input. Every little bit helps.