Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Uh, of course I know this. I'm asking for a friend. Yeah, that's it. It's for a friend

There has been a lot online lately about masking coming to Lightroom. Maybe I don't understand what masking is. I would have thought that masking something is sort of like selecting it. You choose a brush, paint over the object, show or hide the overlay—isn't that masking? If it is, what is new about masking in LR now?

If I—on behalf of my friend—don't even get what masking is, would someone please educate me? I've looked online but I think this is so basic it is not covered in what I am finding.

Thanks!

Ben (and anonymous friend)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Ben, this should answer your, or your friend's, question regarding masking. I'm not completely familiar with masking in Lr, as I rarely use it. However, it should be pretty much the same as in Ps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqqVmGxvHaY

Edit: This discusses masking specifically for Lr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFmZ_Mj5dGg

Just remember, black conceals/white reveals.
--Bob

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Thank you, Bob!

Ben

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Here's a simple pictorial example of its use in ACR, I believe it is the same in LR.

(Download)

Grahame Loc: Fiji

I forgot to mention that there are also a number of options that you can use to produce the mask. In the above example I used the systems Auto mode that uses AI but could also have based the selection on colour.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Thanks, Grahame.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

In concept you are correct for the simplest version of masking. Masking corresponds to the olden days when you would paint over a print or watercolor with something called frisket - which was a removable, low tack, semi-transparent red tinted rubber cement. Anything that was painted over could not be altered. When you were finished altering the uncoated areas, you removed the frisket to see the whole print. In Lightroom and in Photoshop's Quick Mask - it works the same way, right down to the semi-transparent red-tinted overlay. You paint over the area you want to include in the editing process. Or you can invert it to edit everything else, excluding the painted area from editing.

In Photoshop, using layers, you can create a layer mask that takes this a step further - you create a selection using any number of tools, and then turn that selection into a layer. You can isolate that selection to do local editing on it, or you can edit the image it was excised from - separately.

The layering/masking feature in Lightroom is a move from Adobe to make Lightroom/ACR feature-competitive with the likes of On1 and Capture One - both of which have powerful masking/layering in their raw editors.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Very clear and useful information. Thank you, Gene!

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

I normally put a mask on then invert it and reveal as I choose. Is this the method you use?

Dano Loc: North Carolina

Thanks Bob. This was really helpful for my "friend" as well!

Guyserman Loc: Benton, AR

Conceals or reveals what? Which layer? This confused me until I started calling the black a black hole to look deep into and see the layer below.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

What you describe is the same as I know of in Ps. Pretty much as a manual operation. A mask layer is something different but related. I don't use Lr.

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

The masking feature in the latest version of Lightroom CC, as well as ACR, is a game changer. Selective masking of the sky or subject uses AI and is very accurate in most cases. Once you have the mask, you can apply multiple selective edits to the image, even intersecting several edits in the same selected area. This feature enables you to do almost all common edits within LR, without having to edit in any other PP program, including PS. YouTube has multiple tutorials on this new feature, and it is well worth it for your friend to take a look.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Interesting information. That's the first time in my life I've heard of frisket.