The course is absolutely WORTH IT. Even if you aren't into Lightroom or are well into masking, there are odd snippets which help clear up / provide insight / learn something new.
A superb presentation and explanation that gets down to the full explanation of how and why. Cannot recommend Chris's style of teaching enough. Look & Learn.
It's good to see someone talking about Luminosity Masks in LR. I'm still far from getting good results with LM in PS or LR. I play around with it for a bit and get discouraged because my results are always pretty muddy and actually beneficial to the image. You and so many others make it look easy, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I think I'll be giving this another watch or two to take it all in.
Hi Craig! Without looking at your photograph, my best guess would be that your mask has grey pixels (partial selections) and that is causing the muddy results. Grey pixels on a mask = a semi-transparent blend between your adjustment and original image....or in the case of pixel-based layers in Photoshop (such as blending two images together), results in a partial blend of two images. The muddiness comes from when you are blending different colors or lightness values together (for example, a frame with an overexposed sky combined with another frame of an accurately exposed sky). You're combining both together instead of choosing one over the other, which can make a mess. I talk more about this at the 18:00 mark on feathering....but it all comes down to (1) what you want to do, (2), the elements you are working with (the adjustments and/or pixel layers), and (3) creating a mask that compliments #1 and #2. Feel free to email me a screenshot of your photograph and I'd be happy point you in the right direction. I would also rcommend starting with this tutorial first in Lightroom as it will be easier to follow along with the masking process without the added complication of pixel-based layers over in Photoshop. Hope this helps!
Christopher - Thank you so much for a great instructional video. One of the best out there for luminance masks in LR! A couple questions for you: 1 - Is it possible to change the histogram numeric values to 0-255, vs 0-100%? I don't see that as an option. 2 - Regarding "Lightness Range is Based on Original Source File", if I make adjustments to the source file, THEN, make a virtual copy, then make additional luminance masks to the virtual copy - does Lightroom base the lightness range on the virtual copy, or from the original source file? Brilliant training video! Arnie...
Hi Arnie! Sorry for the late reply, I didn't see your comment. You probably found an answer elsewhere, but I'd like to reply in case someone else has the same questions: 1. If you're referring to the histogram on the Tone curve, then no. Those input/output values are 0-255. 2. A virtual copy is just a copy for you to adjust in a different fashion (or for a different purpose) without losing or overriding the image you copied from...it copies the current state and allows you to take that into a new direction without consequence. So your lightness value will still be based on your original source file as that is what the virtual copy traces back to. Now, if you were to make changes to that SOURCE file outside of Lightroom (i.e. open it up in Photoshop and make ACR changes), then you would have the OPTION to import those external source file changes into the Lightroom catalog. Those changes still won't change which pixels are picked up by the luminance range selection though....that's still based on the original data for the image. Hope that helps!
Excellent tutorial. Just a curiosity (and stupid, I’m afraid) question: how did you add the color wheel? Are those 2 distinct files blend in one photo? Sorry for not catching the issue and again tx a lot
Thanks, happy you liked it! This is something I put together for the video, it's a generic color wheel and scale added to the canvas of my image. However, you can create your own color wheel from a photo and extract the palette here: color.adobe.com/create/image It's a great tool for balancing and will give you suggestions based on your current hues.
36:44 Regarding 'Lightness Range is Based on Original Source File', could you work around this by saving your adjusted image as a separate DNG file and then work with that, or would Lightroom still refer back to the 'original' RAW file?
Yes, that would work! You would have to export the image as a DNG and reimport it into the catalog....so for me, I wouldn't bother with that extra work (and additional file to keep track of) and would just move over to Photoshop as I find that more practical.
The course is absolutely WORTH IT. Even if you aren't into Lightroom or are well into masking, there are odd snippets which help clear up / provide insight / learn something new.
Thanks for the very kind endorsement Steve! I'm glad you found it useful outside of Lightroom as well :)
Excellent tutorial Chris.
A superb presentation and explanation that gets down to the full explanation of how and why. Cannot recommend Chris's style of teaching enough. Look & Learn.
Wow Kevin, thanks for the very kind words...they're much appreciated!
awesome video! Very easy to understand and an absolute game changer for editing landscape photographs. Thank you for this lesson.
Thanks a lot Chris. This video have cleared a lot about Luminance masks! 🙂📸
That’s great to hear Amalia, thank you!
Very well explained. 👏
wow these videos are amazing thank you very much
Thank you for this Christopher!
Thank you Charlotte! Glad you like it :)
Very well explained! Thank you very much!
Glad you think so, thank you!
It's good to see someone talking about Luminosity Masks in LR. I'm still far from getting good results with LM in PS or LR. I play around with it for a bit and get discouraged because my results are always pretty muddy and actually beneficial to the image. You and so many others make it look easy, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I think I'll be giving this another watch or two to take it all in.
Hi Craig! Without looking at your photograph, my best guess would be that your mask has grey pixels (partial selections) and that is causing the muddy results. Grey pixels on a mask = a semi-transparent blend between your adjustment and original image....or in the case of pixel-based layers in Photoshop (such as blending two images together), results in a partial blend of two images. The muddiness comes from when you are blending different colors or lightness values together (for example, a frame with an overexposed sky combined with another frame of an accurately exposed sky). You're combining both together instead of choosing one over the other, which can make a mess. I talk more about this at the 18:00 mark on feathering....but it all comes down to (1) what you want to do, (2), the elements you are working with (the adjustments and/or pixel layers), and (3) creating a mask that compliments #1 and #2.
Feel free to email me a screenshot of your photograph and I'd be happy point you in the right direction. I would also rcommend starting with this tutorial first in Lightroom as it will be easier to follow along with the masking process without the added complication of pixel-based layers over in Photoshop. Hope this helps!
Christopher - Thank you so much for a great instructional video. One of the best out there for luminance masks in LR! A couple questions for you:
1 - Is it possible to change the histogram numeric values to 0-255, vs 0-100%? I don't see that as an option.
2 - Regarding "Lightness Range is Based on Original Source File", if I make adjustments to the source file, THEN, make a virtual copy, then make additional luminance masks to the virtual copy - does Lightroom base the lightness range on the virtual copy, or from the original source file?
Brilliant training video!
Arnie...
Hi Arnie! Sorry for the late reply, I didn't see your comment. You probably found an answer elsewhere, but I'd like to reply in case someone else has the same questions:
1. If you're referring to the histogram on the Tone curve, then no. Those input/output values are 0-255.
2. A virtual copy is just a copy for you to adjust in a different fashion (or for a different purpose) without losing or overriding the image you copied from...it copies the current state and allows you to take that into a new direction without consequence. So your lightness value will still be based on your original source file as that is what the virtual copy traces back to. Now, if you were to make changes to that SOURCE file outside of Lightroom (i.e. open it up in Photoshop and make ACR changes), then you would have the OPTION to import those external source file changes into the Lightroom catalog. Those changes still won't change which pixels are picked up by the luminance range selection though....that's still based on the original data for the image.
Hope that helps!
Grazie ,molto bravo.
Excellent tutorial. Just a curiosity (and stupid, I’m afraid) question: how did you add the color wheel? Are those 2 distinct files blend in one photo? Sorry for not catching the issue and again tx a lot
Thanks, happy you liked it! This is something I put together for the video, it's a generic color wheel and scale added to the canvas of my image. However, you can create your own color wheel from a photo and extract the palette here: color.adobe.com/create/image
It's a great tool for balancing and will give you suggestions based on your current hues.
36:44 Regarding 'Lightness Range is Based on Original Source File', could you work around this by saving your adjusted image as a separate DNG file and then work with that, or would Lightroom still refer back to the 'original' RAW file?
Yes, that would work! You would have to export the image as a DNG and reimport it into the catalog....so for me, I wouldn't bother with that extra work (and additional file to keep track of) and would just move over to Photoshop as I find that more practical.
Buonasera..
Hello Maria! :)