New LIGHTROOM 2022 Masks...is PHOTOSHOP Obsolete?

[@MFP_Photography]

Oldie but goodie….thanks Sean. Hope you are doing well!

[@cmptrman]

Perfectly sums up my feelings on this as well. Where I'm finding the most benefit is that I no longer need to do virtual copies of the same image to take into Photoshop as a stack and blend together because of the lacking mask functionality in Lightroom. Now I can (usually) get the image balanced the way I want it and then take it into PS to do the finishing touches. Honestly, these new masking features in LR were EXACTLY what I never knew I needed from the software!

[@williamcollins5417]

Oh, thank you for the list of references, I have watched most of them...extremely helpful...thanks again...

[@williamcollins5417]

Always look forward to your reviews... thank you.

[@peterpage597]

Thank you Sean for the best video I've seen to date on how the masking tools in Lr an Ps compare and for the quick overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each package. You couldn't possibly cover everything, but I'd add that Ps' Healing Brush and Clone Stamp Tool are greatly superior to what is available in Lr and Ps' Patch Tool used with Content Aware Fill can quickly be used to remove distractions in an image in a way that just has no equivalent in Lr. I love the new masking functions in Lr and ACR but can't see myself managing without Ps anytime soon. Cheers.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Thanks for the good words, Peter, and thanks for pointing out the cloning and healing tools in Ps which are absolutely superior. I wish there was some way these would function with smart objects...that would take the Lr/Ps mind-meld to the highest level.

[@gordroberts53]

Thanks for this Sean. I have watched videos from several of the content creators you listed, all were excellent descriptions of what the new LrC cand do but no one covered what I think is the most important, how and where do the tools intersect and where is one better than the other. It is clips like this that have made you my go to educator for all things photoshop and photo editing in general. Take care, cheers from BC

[@SeanBagshaw]

Many thanks, Gord. Glad I had a few new nuggets I could impart.

[@dennisstanworth1718]

Wow. Impressive skills, knowledge. Thank You!

[@kenmarcou]

Fantastic video… well done

[@VanLifeTravelogue]

I’m glad you were in the boonies when the update was released, we may have never experienced this video. Thank you Sean!

[@kevinsink3799]

Great overview. Thanks!!!

[@ericwilkes1840]

Another great video Sean

[@peterorre5343]

Excellent, crisp and concise explanation of both the new LR capabilities and how to get even more out of the LR/PS duo - thank you!!

[@emilebaudot904]

Wise words Shaun….. Great comparison! And helpful too; especially as TK8 disciple …

[@edlowe352]

Thank you Sean for a very helpful comparison of the strengths, similarities, and weaknesses in both PS and LR masking toolsets .

[@erinbabnik3407]

Great video, Sean...but my jacket looks blue at 4:18!! Need a mask to make it purple! :p

[@SeanBagshaw]

Psst...someone let Erin know her jacket has been blue all along. Kidding, kidding...it's purple, really.

[@norbertalexy8803]

Compliments Sean! You provide a very clear and easy to understand explanation of what the new LR masking is now able to do and what the differences are compared to Photoshop. This was not so clear to me before. What is more: you show where LR even has advantages now compared to PS. - Thank you very much for sharing and expaining so well!

[@LarryManiccia]

Very informative Sean. Like how you gave examples of different ways to utilize the new masks and mask controls in Lr. Gave some fresh ideas that I might not have thought of off the top of my head.

[@RajivChopra]

Very cool video. I use these masks as a base for getting into PS. But, the flexibility and power of the TK8 panel make PS invaluable. Plus, the dodge and burn tools in PS are superb. And, PS has better cloning and healing!

[@J5388T]

An excellent summary which mirrors my thoughts too, thanks.

[@ghojunk]

Thanks a lot for this summary Sean.

[@chriswesselman8583]

Super helpful comparison, Sean! And thanks for sharing the other Lr tutorials, too. TK8's Color Grading is becoming a really valuable tool, leveraging the increased precision of Ps.

[@carlinschelstraete682]

Nice job covering these differences!

[@stevethompson8154]

Thanks Sean. I like your message and as a bonus I found how to get the new masking feature on Photoshop. I've been using it since day one in Lightroom.

[@jody1622]

Thanks Sean this was a good analysis of the tools.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Thanks Jody! Miss you.

[@cragfast06]

What an amazingly useful video. So many great ideas on how to use LR masks, and how/when to go into Ps. Thanks Sean, for such an excellent overview.

[@Romeome99]

Thanks Sean, very explanatory

[@MaciejMarkiewicz]

Many thanks for that approach in your video Sean!

[@SeanBagshaw]

Thanks Maciej!

[@rlfisher]

Excellent video, clearly lays out the LrC/Ps strengths.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Hi Roger! :-D

[@robertwhitemoto]

Thank you Sean !!

[@photonsonpixels]

Great tutorial Sean. Thank you! And happy Thanksgiving.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Happy Thanksgiving Jorge :-)

[@frankdamon6096]

Thanks so much Sean. Your insights and teaching are amazing. And just when you master a new technique, then BAM, along comes another new one to learn. And this is one of the many fun and challenging things about photography and technology. Have a great holiday season!

[@SeanBagshaw]

Happy holidays Frank! :-)

[@tomheim9516]

Well done Sean! You definitely covered new ground - very little overlap with the other (excellent as well) referenced KZbin videos. Even during the brief overlaps I caught glimpses of techniques I had not seen before. PS/TK/LR as a whole is now even stronger than ever before, as you so adeptly demonstrated. I'm grumbling a lot less these days about my monthly payment to Adobe :-)

[@SeanBagshaw]

Glad you found some useful nuggets in there Tom. Yeah...that Adobe subscription. They pretty much have my money for life at this point along with Netflix and Apple Music. Ha!

[@DanDill]

Super helpful perpective. Thank you.

[@PaulBeiser]

Great balanced look at this, Sean. I hope you are working on a LR Mask video, some of the examples I saw you use in this video were awesome. Best, Paul

[@SeanBagshaw]

Thanks Paul! Make sure to check out the tutorials I link to. I think they show quite a few mask examples like that.

[@PaulBeiser]

@@SeanBagshaw Thanks, Sean will do!

[@williamneill8839]

Thanks Sean!

[@UTAZCO.Overland]

Ps is also still required for "Selective Color," which I use on every single of my Fine Art Landscape photos for printing... BUT - It allows me to now do more parametrically in LrC, before taking the frame to Ps (as a smart object.)

[@SeanBagshaw]

Agree! Selective Color is one of my go to adjustment tools in Ps as well. There’s also Shadow/Highlights, color balance, blending modes and quite a few more things in Ps that I use that aren’t in Lr.

[@UTAZCO.Overland]

@@SeanBagshaw Yep. And 'Shadows/Highlights' is truly "magical" on some photographs, even after adjusting "Highlights/Whites" and "Shadows/Blacks" in LrC - the additional control the "Tone" and "Radius" sliders give just cannot be replicated in LrC. So, yes, I don't see Ps losing its usefulness for my workflow any time soon. :)

[@UTAZCO.Overland]

PS- At Alain Briot's "Fine Art Summit" in 2018, I asked Jeff Schewe if he believed Adobe would ever add 'Selective Color' and "Tone/Radius" type controls to LR(C), and he emphatically said "No"... For what it's worth :).

[@SeanBagshaw]

@@UTAZCO.Overland Interesting. I wonder if it is because these types of adjustments need to be RGB-based (selective color) and pixel-based (Shadow/Highlights)?

[@UTAZCO.Overland]

@@SeanBagshaw I think that is exactly the underlying reason. But Jeff was pretty coy about elaborating...

[@JeffStovall38]

Thanks for a great video. Unfortunately Adobe decided that the ability to Intersect masks was not needed as part of a mobile workflow (ie, on the iPad Pro). Intersecting can still be achieved by going through the mental gymnastics of Subtract+Invert, but I have no idea why they did not include Intersect as a standard option with Add and Subtract, especially since Intersect seems to be the option needed most often when combining masks.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Bummer.

[@doug.s6289]

With ACR in Ps, no need for Lr for me. Lr is a good image indexer and nominal image adjustments....but not sufficient for me at all. Ps is it for me still.

[@charlesludwig9173]

I’m only using Ps for sky replacements.

[@SeanBagshaw]

That’s definitely one of those things that Lr can’t do.

[@herbpilhofer838]

Thank you, Sean ...As all your work shows...Your video is so very helpful, informative and objective . Depending perhaps on one's level of work...PS is still needed. It does brings up the question : Do ongoing improvements and similarities of LR to PS at some point {perhaps not too far in the future} lead to a LIGHT-SHOP...PHOTO-ROOM? That may be mostly a marketing decision. Keep guiding us,Sean! Herb Pilhofer

[@SeanBagshaw]

Haha. It will be interesting to find out Herb.

[@klausschleicher523]

Thanks for your video about the new masks in LR. I agree 100% about the combination of the LR and PS features. By the way: Does select subject work on animal butts? I have heard, you have one or two such images ;-) Have a great day!

[@SeanBagshaw]

Haha! You heard right. I'm the world's worst wildlife photographer because animals seem to instinctively turn and face away from me. No butt selection yet, but I heard that Object Selection got some updates, so maybe that?

[@klausschleicher523]

@@SeanBagshaw :-)

[@davidhatton2321]

Thanks for the comparisons Sean. Lightroom made some very nice adds, but there are way too many advantages within TK8 that you did not mention (I think you were being very diplomatic) The undo arrows, focus stacking, history brush for dodging and burning, and your luminosity painting techniques are just a few of the advantages of Tony Kyper's panel that I couldn't live without. IMHO, LR is still a "baby version" of the total power of PS with the TK8 panel.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Thanks for pointing those out David. I agree, there are many more helpful features available in TK8 than just the mask tools. For time and focus in this video I chose to mainly highlight the mask elements since that is the new stuff in Lr.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

I'm a relative PS newbie and I love the new LR masks. I still will do PS for exposure blending, focus stacking, and luminosity masking via Lumenzia for dodging and burning, localized levels, etc. PS also has good filters that LR lacks, and I need PS to create Orton layers. So I will continue to use LR and PS together for my image creation.

[@SeanBagshaw]

They make a great and powerful combo 👌

[@keithpinn152]

Hi Sean: Thanks for creating and sharing this video. I really liked the way that you described the features of both applications in a balanced and informative manner. To me, I feel that the changes Adobe is making to LR, to bring it more in-line with PS allows them to morph the two products into one for the photographic community users. I think that there will be a hybrid product drawing the strengths from both existing products. Maybe Adobe will call it LR Max! To me maintaining and developing two applications seems to be an expensive proposition for Adobe. Just my thoughts. Cheers, Keith

[@draughonc]

The Select Sky and Luminosity masks in Lr are still not as PRECISE as luminosity masks in Ps. I notice halos on the Select Sky masks. Might be ok for web images, but not for large prints.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Fair. I only use them if they work...and they can be modified with the brush tool if needed. But, of course, I agree the most refind results can be achieved in Photoshop.

[@KenToney]

Got to have PS for TK’s 😎

[@SeanBagshaw]

True that 😁

[@JeffHirsch]

I would argue that you CAN do localized color grading in Lightroom. With the addition of the Hue Shift a few versions back, we now have Hue, Saturation, and Luminance adjustments we can make using the masking tools. Seems like this allows us local HSL control just like you are getting globally with the Color Grading tools.

[@SeanBagshaw]

That's fair I guess, but for me not very useful compared to the actual HSL tab or something like Selective Color or curves in Ps.

[@DB-wx1zs]

Please do a video on how to make natural selection masks(not luminosity masks) of anything with edges that look natural and not fake or sharp in photoshop . Please please please

[@SeanBagshaw]

I have a video like that kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6DYeHuhd8aIntE

[@ezequiellaprida8086]

Would you still double process raw files in PS? In which ocasión do you think it would still be a useful technic?

[@SeanBagshaw]

Probably don’t need to double process/blend raw files in Ps as much now…but it all comes down to getting the results you want. If Lr masks aren’t doing a seamless job then you can likely get better results with all of the Ps mask options. Some adjustments in Lr are only global so these still require Ps to use locally. And for me there are some workflow situations that I just like better in Ps. As always, take it on a case by case basis depending on the image.

[@graham_T]

Thank you but the subject title is PS / LR…adding TK into the mix confused the matter for me ..a non TK user . Would have preferred a direct comparison of LR / PS without TK referenced .

[@SeanBagshaw]

Thanks for the feedback. For me the only comparison worth making should include the types of masks that Photoshop can make with the help of an extension like the TK8 plugin (there are others as well). I guess the short version of this video for those who use Ps without a masking plugin is that it is probably better to use Lr to access those kinds of masks?

[@graham_T]

@@SeanBagshaw however that means that the review is actually intended for those who use TK8 . I’ve often thought about getting it but have still yet to be convinced of the time savings and improved task execution..particularly because it is such a cluttered panel with much of the clutter seeming to be ‘buttons ‘ to push for things that can otherwise be done very quickly .

[@SeanBagshaw]

@@graham_T That's accurate. Pretty much all my Photoshop videos feature TK in one form or another. It's such an integral part of my workflow that leaving it out would not be accurate to the way I actually work. For me, the buttons are much faster and more accessible than hunting through Ps menus, submenus and panels but that's another thing I think is great about Ps...there are so many ways to work with it and find the flow that best suits.

[@franzgisinphotography]

Do we need Photoshop? Yes! Why? Actions!!

[@alanm.6096]

Ultimately, if you’re Adobe and you’re trying to build your subscription business, you have to design tools that are less time consuming and easier to use…especially for hobbyists, not professionals. The end user of the images could care less about software or time required to process…they care about results. Getting the desired results in the shortest possible time is the ultimate goal. Forcing people into PS is not the answer. Adobe seems to see the light, so to speak.

[@LukaEsenko]

It seems I am the only one who is not impressed with new LR masking features. I prefer the old way because, despite being limited, it was quick and convenient. For anything advanced I used PS anyways. Now I use less LR masking than before, not only because it is less quick but also because the luminance masking seems to do a worse job than before... Anyways, excellent video, you are really smooth making these!

[@SeanBagshaw]

Hey Luka. I enjoyed our thread over on Twitter about this. I don't disagree that the Lr mask system requires a few more clicks now. I rarely used the previous luminance masks in Lr so I haven't been able to compare luminance mask quality, but I believe you on that point. Too bad Adobe doesn't provide a "legacy" mode for people in your boat.

[@babakgholamii]

👏👏👏

[@giorgio4407]

Lazy may be but good for true… don’t worry we still love you…

[@malencid]

For people like Blake Rudis and me you don't like Lightroom, you should be aware that ACR has the same functionality.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Precisely! Thanks. In this video, I did fail to mention that these days I use the words Lr (Develop module) and Camera Raw interchangeably since both provide the same functionality whichever you use.

[@davidf6326]

No mention of the awful haloing with the sky mask or am I the only one experiencing that?

[@SeanBagshaw]

The sky masks certainly are not always perfect…same as my experience with the sky masks in Ps. When the auto sky mask doesn’t do the job I know it’s time to go to Ps and build one custom. 😁

[@wojciechskorza3051]

To fakt niezaprzeczalny. Nowy Lightroom daje już dużo możliwości ale działa jakby globalnie. Natomiast aby coś zrobić bardziej subtelnie to jest potrzebny Photoshop. Na razie zakupiłem panel TK8 i muszę go jako tako opanować aby móc w nim czynić takie cuda jak autor tego video. Pozdrawiam z Polski.

[@SeanBagshaw]

Dzięki za dobrą opinię. Mam nadzieję, że nauka obsługi TK8 sprawi Ci przyjemność. Pozdrawiam!

[@wojciechskorza3051]

@@SeanBagshaw Oczywiście, że nauka sprawia mi przyjemność, jedynym mankamentem jest brak znajomości języka Angielskiego i tutaj przychodzi z pomocą Google tłumacz. A najbardziej uczę się oglądając filmu takich osób jak Ty i za to bardzo dziękuję bo wiele wnoszą w moje umiejętności fotograficzne oraz obróbkę cyfrową zdjęć. Jak zwykle pozdrawiam z Polski z pięknego miasta Twierdzy Przemyśl.