The Power of Subtract When Masking in Lightroom or Photoshop

Find out more about Wildlife Editing Secrets: mattk.com/wildlife

[@texannabelle]

Thanks for reminding us that we don't need to be perfect. Makes editing more fun and relaxing.

[@alanm.6096]

Well done Matt. It is so true that you have to think outside of the box. It really shows that can't have enough Start-2-Finish examples to drive a point home.

[@davidrussell7183]

Matt, your videos are always flipping amazing. I love finding out how to use LRC better than what I have previously known.

[@Paul197A]

G’day, Matt. I’ve been following you off and on for what must be over 10 years. I’m loving you’re latest videos. They’re realistic. So often you see someone should a technique, try it, and only to find that it doesn’t work on your photo. Because they’ve used the perfect photo to show off the technique. But you’re showing real world examples. As a wildlife, mainly birds (osprey) and landscape photographers I’ve really appreciating your videos. Thank you.

[@MattKloskowski]

Thanks Bill. That's the world of KZbin unfortunately. I appreciate your comment though and I do try to find real world photos with real world use.

[@edkight6447]

Matt, another great video. "Put down that brush !" I needed this. I want to compliment your bird photography, another level ! Just started shooting birds this year and it's a lot harder than it looks !

[@andrewlamberson539]

That was brilliant! We are all guilty of trying to do the “correct thing” and don't take the time to explore the “what ifs” and find a process that actually works better! Well done.

[@VABrowneMDPhD]

Excellent teaching, Matt! The techniques you taught are extremely helpful!

[@sergedaleiden5597]

Matt, simply brilliant! Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@jimbass2127]

Excellent. I've been editing with these tools for a long time and never thought of what you just demonstrated. Thank you.

[@stebobrown2893]

Great presentation. I dove into bird photography a year ago and these methods of masking will save a lot of time. I appreciate you sharing your expertise.

[@zacletus]

Thank you! You are always a helping hand!

[@jimwlouavl]

This is the second video where watching you use the feathered edge of the brush taught me and reinforced a new technique.

[@petermarshall5450]

Very well done, Matt. Thank you.

[@michealpociecha8351]

Thanks Matt great ideas and great video. I will definitely be using theses tools more.

[@jimsmith556]

Great demo and advice Matt. I agree with not trying to be perfect since it would be so hard to achieve, and may look edited. Feathering is my friend.

[@Daddy4rime]

Fantastic. Just what I needed to clear up my confusion. Thanks Matt!

[@kapilbhallafoto]

Very useful Matt, keep them coming

[@KeithChilds]

Your tutorials are awesome! Always something new to learn and very well explained. A big thank you.

[@leniehulse1621]

Awesome tutorial! Learnt some new ways in masking! ❤

[@ChrisLivingston33]

Really excellent video Matt! You just 💥 my mind. There are always more ways to skin the cat. Thanks!

[@ChristianRouLund]

Thanks for sharing these great tips🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@TC_Conner]

This is a really good tutorial. I never thought about using the Subtract from mask feature like this! Thanks Matt! (Enjoying your “Inside the Composition” course a lot, almost done!)

[@MattKloskowski]

Glad it was helpful!

[@swebsurf]

Good video! The color range mask is awesome!

[@rgarlinyc]

Thanks Matt, very clearly explained as always!

[@RobertLitschauer]

Thanks for this lesson! This is great!

[@JohnBerthoty]

The gradient trick is awesome!

[@jackieboshoff2013]

Wow, this is a neat way of doing it. Being South African I naturally shoot wildlife 🐆🦁🦓🦏🐘🦅🦉very regularly. I've always just used the brush on my wildlife photos which can become very tedious. Using the select sky or select background or color range looks like a much faster way of doing it Thanks Matt

[@kimdunphy2009]

always great information Matt

[@ScottRitchie-bw9ls]

Just cleaned up the bleed between the wingtips of flying ducks using subtract sky. IT WORKED!!!!!!! Those BIF shots are going to be rescued. Thanks Matt.

[@yodawok]

Love it! Thank you. "work smarter NOT harder".

[@DavePruett]

Another excellent video. Also great philosophy: it doesn't have to be perfect! I hate to think how many hours (days? months?) I've spent trying to mask something perfectly that, in the end, was not needed.

[@paulchearman6261]

really interesting Matt, thank you made think differently about the mask tool

[@valdemarcaballero5298]

GREAT INFO!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!🙏🙏🙏

[@avibongo]

Great tutorial - super helpful- thanks!

[@RogerJones-mountfield]

Thank you so very much, the wing tips of Red Kites have been driving me crazy, I was attempting, badly, to use the brush 😂 now using background and/or Sky it’s fixed, life saver, or sanity saver 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Cheers Matt 👍🏼

[@jen3960]

Thanks Matt! I needed these ideas to subtract!

[@MattKloskowski]

Happy to help!

[@adventure9606]

Wow, great video !!!!! So many great ideas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@FranHoganPanama]

thank you! excellent information and attitude! ♥

[@peterlambert6072]

Amazing. This was brilliantMuch needed necessary skills well presented and easily understood. Thank you.

[@santoshmahalik]

Quite thoughtful.. Thanks for a great video

[@irvinggreines822]

Excellent, helpful video. Thanks.

[@johanfjellstrom1913]

Thanks for an informative video!

[@Hsukhaybir]

Perfect I like to see more workarounds .. just like intersect which is missing in Lightroom, for example use sky mask and subtract with linear gradient then invert that would fix it

[@minihooptrickshots]

GENIOUS!!! Solved my problem!!!!

[@dr.sandipmehta973]

Gr8 as always

[@ranjankmsphotography]

Excellent 👌

[@arbsfoundation4510]

This is a great video tip

[@spielman20]

Thanks Matt for the linear gradient subtract tip! Really helpful in my landscapes. And when were you in Ridgway...based on that quick pic in PS of chimney rock and court house :) 😃 👌

[@mikeeckhardt4945]

Thanks..

[@guitarman70]

Thanks so much Matt. I was editing a similar image of an Osprey and had the same issue with the wing tips. Choosing "subtract" worked a treat. BTW what would you do with the other wing tip in your example as there is did not work so well there probably due to the green foliage there?

[@gwine9087]

Thank you, very much.

[@MattKloskowski]

You are welcome!

[@RogerZoul]

Very useful ideas! Question: with all of the new masking options in LR, where is the line on when one is better off going to Photoshop? Thanks.

[@joraphpictures]

Thanks.... What's your system specification

[@clochardruelle]

it must be a new feature but you can select clothes now

[@jimavery3211]

can you use masks from lightroom/acr in photoshop for eg. compositions?

[@19Photographer76]

Well Matt, you must deal with those fairly new to editing (LR/PS), at least with KZbin. It must get a little exhausing, how do you stay challenged? Maintain cutting edge work?

[@musasoyyo]

"Good enough" is actually be "great": I think "perfection" when masking is actually not the way to go, because if you try to perfectly mask you will get "hard" edges and probably a fake look since it will look like a cutout. When masking I often try to feather en let the images have natural edge "blending" so that it feels real or natural.

[@danielvoulkos8274]

Thanks Matt. I've got to ask, is that LR the latest version? What with the way the masking tools work. I think I am one iteration back and it won't run on Mac OS running Catalina.

[@MattKloskowski]

Hi. This is the version released in October of 2022. Thanks.

[@eddiegutierrezjr6226]

Couldn’t you also select auto mask with the brush when subtracting? It would help with the edges.

[@MattKloskowski]

Sure. Give it a try.

[@grega9220]

I think the subject selection tools could go to an entirely new level if radius or feather was avail.

[@MattKloskowski]

I'm sure it will. Give it time. It's barely 18 months old, so I'm sure we have a long way to go.

[@timefilming]

All these fancy auto selections in many cases are still weaker than the classic channel pulling, IMHO. In the last example ALL the grass could be easily selected via the channels. 😉

[@MattKloskowski]

Not even close, but if it works for you, great. But there is no way channels are better with today's modern tools. (And that's coming from a fan of channel selections way back)

[@timefilming]

@@MattKloskowski channels and the Pen tool are my best friends for masking, though I assume the development of the technology, on the 2nd image it did a good job

[@timelliott5927]

Thank you Matt! Great methods on masking problem areas in Lightroom.