Lightroom's SECRET sky masking trick

The Select Sky mask in Adobe Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Camera Raw is fantastic, especially for landscape photography. Sometimes though, it needs a helping hand. Here's a trick I learned that helps Lightroom make more accurate sky masks, plus additional masking tips.

📦 PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Adobe Lightroom Classic (free trial for macOS and Windows)

📕 CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro
0:51 Adding sky mask
2:38 Better sky mask
4:20 Masking foreground
5:17 Adding and subtracting objects
7:00 Even better mask
8:37 Outro

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[dtravisphd]

Select Sky bleeds into the foreground (at low opacity) to prevent haloes appearing at the sky/foreground border. Ironically, although your hack seems to give a more precise selection of the sky, it may also cause haloes to appear at the border (especially with extreme adjustments).

[cmichaelhaugh]

I’ve been finding more and more non-obvious tricks to masking. This has been very helpful. Thanks!

[danielforster]

I have been very frustrated with the sky selection in LR, and this is brilliant. Thanks for figuring out how to get a good sky selection and sharing it!

[geofffield]

I'm guessing that when LR selects the sky it is analysing the whole image to identify the sky and mask it, but when you subtract the sky from the sky mask, it's only analysing the sky mask and the foreground areas into which it has bled. This might enable the AI analysis to be more targeted and subtract the sky more accurately. Anyway - it's a fascinating discovery and many thanks for making this video. Masks are amazing tools and there is so much to learn and discover!

[ihateunicorns]

I always thought that Lightroom's selection of reflected sky was deliberate, because if you change the hue or lightness or whatever of the sky, you'd also want to reflected sky to take on those changes.

[johndwilliams]

Once again, you’ve shown us a little known tool with amazing results. I’ve tried it myself and what a difference to accurate masking!

[PMCN]

This mini tutorial is fantastic! Thanks 👍🏻

[emkay]

Thanks for this great tip. This is the best result that I’ve found on YT.

[ralphpayne]

Wow, thank you for thinking outside the box (well, okay the mask😁). Liked and now subscribing.

[GrantMcKenzie-pc]

Holly crap.
You just solved so many editing problems with Lightroom making..
Awesomeness X 10

[girardjeremie]

You're a genius! Thank you so much! I have to say that I laughed very loud when you substracted the sky from the sky and I saw the result!

[PhreddCrintt]

You have answered my prayer! Thank you SO much Todd! I have been looking for such a process for so long now!

[gscottfuller]

Excellent LR lesson! Been struggling with all these issues in my bird photography. Hope this works on separating sky from wing tip feathers and tree branches!

[MsOnceall]

One of the best Lightroom tips I've viewed. Thank you, Todd!

[mikecassa]

I think the sky mask trick works because LR includes the reflection on the boulders in the sky mask, but not as a 100% mask. When you subtract the sky it only subtracts the 100 % parts of the mask, leaving the, in this case, reflections that are removed when inverted. You can achieve similar results just using first the original sky mask to modify sky and reflections, and then making a new sky mask, subtracting the sky and editing just the reflections. That way, you can choose to leave or not some changes in that part of the boulders. Remember the changes you make in this new reflections mask are going to be more subtle, as it is not a 100% mask.

[Antoniob]

In less than 10 min you have explain very well how working the masks in Lr. Others are selling hours of on line course to explain that. Many thanks.

[JT]

This is a brilliant tip, thanks! I've tried it out on a few files since watching this video and its far superior to the method I was using to intersect colour/ luminance or another sky selection with the initial sky selection.

[mustangshelby]

Excellent tutorial .. good trick you had was the duplicate of the mask then perform another mask . I often add on extra mask on the same mask but it becomes a mess and damage the previous mask . Good job and really enjoyed it . Very simple task and straight to the sample .

[kif]

🤯mind blown, thanks for the tip and technique tutorial

[tomatengarage]

Oh yes, this Video is helpful. I wasn't aware of the chance to "subtract the sky from itself in order to get a perfect selection of the sky". Sounds weird, but the result is convincing! Thanks for this Clip! Thumbs up!