Masking

Masking is limiting an adjustment to part of your photo, so the rest stays untouched. With a mask you can darken just the sky or brighten just a face, for example. It's the foundation of all local editing.

In Lightroom you make masks with the brush, gradient, radial tools or smart AI selections like sky and subject. In Photoshop you work with layer masks, where white reveals and black hides. Build your edit layer by layer: global settings first, then local masks for the finishing touch. Combine masks (color and luminance range, for instance) to hit exactly the right areas with precision.

Read also the in-depth explanation: Masking explained.

Related terms

Luminosity mask Color range mask Gradient mask Radial mask Brush mask

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The presets on this site set these adjustments up for you as a starting point, which you then fine-tune to taste.

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