HOW TO USE LIGHTROOM 2022’S NEW MASKING + AI (LIGHTROOM 12)

NEW FEATURE MASKING (CAMERA RAW MASKING) IN LIGHTROOM 2022
The eagerly anticipated masking in Lightroom and Camera RAW will be available together with this week’s exciting new features in Photoshop and Lightroom. Warning: It functions exactly the same in both apps. This guide was written on Lightroom Classic 2022 (formerly Lightroom 12), however it also applies to Camera RAW.

You might have noticed the Adobe sneak look on Lightroom’s masking. This guide demonstrates how to utilise each feature so you can start using it right away.

Prior to this, the icons for Brush, Radial, and Gradient each had three. Then, for each, there were options for range masking. The new Masking tool combines all of these instruments.

To access the settings (the dotted circle), select the masking tool in the Develop Module (or the right toolbar in ACR).

Similar to Photoshop, there are two AI-powered auto selection tools. Select Subject and Select Sky are their names.

Select a subject.

Hereis the masking tool in Camera RAW

The truck is selected. Notice a floating mask panel now appears.

You can see the mask has subject selected, thats the select subject.

You can drag the floating panel into the panels to dock it if you like.

To keep it afloat, pull it out.

To be able to separately alter the background, let’s pick everything but the vehicle.

Select invert after clicking on the eclipses.

Looking good.

Let’s clean up the selection because some bits got missed like the sign.

Click add and Brush

Brush over the areas to add to the selection.

There are areas selected that shouldn’t’ be such as the headlight on the truck.

This time choose Subtract and choose brush.

Brush away the areas to remove from the mask.

USING MULTIPLE MASKS

Click create new mask to add a second mask

Choose linear gradient.

Drag it to cover the sky

When we darken it, notice it also darkens the top of the truck. That’s bad.

Choose Subtract and Select subject

Notice the truck is now protected from the gradient.

Reduce the brightness to reasonable level and we were able to quickly add a gradient in the sky without affecting everything else.