step By step Edit with masks

Create a mask for more precise selective adjustments

01 Improve the tonal range

Import mask_ start.dng into Lightroom and click on Develop. The histogram graph doesn’t quite stretch to the far left. Drag Blacks to -24 and Whites to +18. Push Clarity to +30 to increase the contrast. The colours are rather weak, so push Vibrance up to +49.

02 Get specific

For the underexposed rocks, pick the Adjustment Brush (press K), click Effect, choose Dodge (Lighten). Set Exposure +0.43, Contrast +34, Shadows +24, Clarity +26, Flow 100. Zoom in to 1:2 magnification. Click to put a pin on a rock and paint to reveal detail.

03 activate the mask

Hover the cursor over the edit pin to see a red mask overlay indicating the edited areas. To turn the overlay on permanently, tick the Show Selected Mask Overlay box at the bottom-left. Some of the Adjustment brush’s strokes have strayed over the background.

04 erase the Untidy areas

To tidy up the mask, go to the Brush section and click Erase. Set Size 10, Feather 21, Flow 100. By default the Auto Mask box is ticked, so the brush accounts for contrast changes, protecting the lighter background from the adjustment when you paint the rock edges.

05 Use auto mask

Keep Auto Mask active as you continue to paint around the edges of the dark rock – it won’t select the lighter background details – but turn it off when painting inside the remaining sections of the rock. Turn off the mask overlay to see the lightened rocks.

06 add the finishing touches

Boost Shadows to 44 to reveal even more texture, then click Done. Click on the Before and After icon to see the effect of your adjustments. Lightening the rock has revealed some sensor spots. Use the Spot Removal tool (see issue 119) to replace them.

Quick tip! In the Brush section, click on A to access your original Adjustment Brush settings