Not Even Adobe Knows My SECRET Lightroom Sky Selection Trick

While Lightroom's adaptive sky selection tool is very powerful, I've got a secret trick to get even better results. If you want an even cleaner and more accurate sky selection in Lightroom, check out my secret trick that I don't even think Adobe knows about.

Chapters:
00:00 - Lightroom’s adaptive AI-powered masks are amazing
01:34 - Using Lightroom’s sky selection tool
03:34 - My secret Lightroom sky selection trick
06:21 - Saving my secret sky selection as a preset
08:01 - Applying my secret sky selection preset on a different photo
10:19 - Try out my Landscape AI preset pack with your photos
11:21 - Using my secret sky selection trick in Lightroom Mobile

#lightroommobile #lightroomtutorial #lightroom

[brennanlentz]

It makes sense intuitively. The first selection applies a gradient/partial mask to the "bleed" areas, lets say 25% opacity. I think Adobe would argue that is a "feature" not a "bug", because they want a little bit of feathering between the sky and nearest foreground so that edits don't look too unnatural. So then when you select the second mask and invert it, you're inverting the 25% opacity parts of the image and subtracting that out so that you no longer have any "bleed". The foreground/ground parts subtract out at 100% opacity but that has no effect since your original sky mask didn't select it. So it makes sense why this technique works to get a cleaner sky selection, but likely you will have to apply other techniques like gradient intersection to make the transition from sky to ground less jarring.

Kudos for finding this technique, you have another subscriber.

[TheSmartWoodshop]

Brian, I learned this from you a while back. Let's stop telling other people so we can pretend we just have better masking skills.😎

[FredVaughn]

Thanks Brian. I just used this technique using “Subject” instead of sky for birds in flight. It works a lot better especially when trying to clean up the mask between the tips of the feathers. Thanks again for your tutorials.

[mljgti]

This was a fantastic video and tip! I've always thought the sky selection was a bit flawed in Lightroom, so thank you very much! 😊

[joelobo]

Thanks Brian! I’ve also had good luck with Select Sky / Intersect with Select Sky (after clicking on 3 dots on right hand side).

[fcochiletube]

Thanks. If you Intersect mask with "select sky" works too. And save one step.

[davidshawe]

Great video thank you. I’ve tried this on several images and it can create problems due to the very hard edge created. If you make big adjustments to the sky you get a significant halo around the edge. This can be reduced by adding a gradient filter and intersecting it with the sky. I wish Lightroom gave us the option to choose a feather around selections.

[TheVidPro]

This is awesome! I bought the Landscape package to streamline the workflow. I started with film in the '60s and the darkroom experience was a "bit challenging" when it came to advanced print work. Lightroom came naturally to me but LR Classic has so many changes from version 6 that "the old dog" has to learn new tricks. LOL Keep the great videos coming!

[nathalielandtmeters]

Super Brian!!
De beste presentaties die ooit in Photoshop zijn gemaakt!

[JustMe-Amr]

This technique is definitely easier than using a brush mask to subtract. Thanks!!
At around 12:30 you were saying that on iPad you can’t control the mask overlay but you kinda can. While you can’t control the opacity, you do get to choose from blue, green, or red. As well as the typical white on black, etc. (I find the blue harder to see with skies and on BW photos). This is accessible at the top right when you tap the … when you are in masking mode.

[ewanmackenzie]

Wow Brian, thanks for sharing that with us, I was just editing some photos and was very unhappy that the mask was bleeding on to the non sky area, I was doing the subtract with a brush which was time consuming and nor very precise. This is a game changer, have subscribed to your channel, I am sure you have some great knowledge to impart. Big Thanks!

[geneherz]

thanks for this. It might be obvious to everyone but if you invert the better sky mask you get a "better foreground" mask

[BigTreeBlueSeaFilmandPho-rxzf]

You've taken the bar for teaching online and shot it to the moon. Well done. You think of everything and everywhere someone might stray off the teaching (i.e. making a preset mask with other settings in it by mistake) and make sure that we get it right. Awesome job on all your videos I've seen so far!!

[kenstickrod]

Thanks Brian. I have been using this sky subtract-inverse method for months. But my thanks go to you for the preset idea. Implemented and already have saved several minutes as I edit a balloon fiestival pics. Thanks again!!!

[davidenglund]

Its a great tip as long as you like the sky you have in the image. Otherwise, Photoshop does the replace sky very nicely. :) Thanks much!

[ericmaginnis]

Great tip, Brian. Thanks for that. That will save having to clean up the masking.

[RichardUchytil]

I remember seeing this on that video you mentioned and have been doing it ever since. It’s so awesome!! Thanks!!

[swisselle]

works on LR classic too (the preset-section is on the left side in a panel, but can be saved/used as all other presets to set the mask on any picture)

[frankdecock]

Wow... man, I'm awed. I wish I'd seen this tutorial right when you released it, it would have saved me so much time when editing, among else, the polar light photos I took during a trip with Hurtigruten's MS Polarlys last March... On some photos, a big part of the snowy mountains got selected as well as the sky. Which I then subtracted from the mask using a brush.
The technique you describe works so much better... while not still 100 % accurate, but hey, who cares... Thanks for this tutorial!!
I definitely am a new subscriber.
(That still prefers Lightroom Classic over Lightroom - old habits die hard).

[tdalton]

I remember hearing you talk about this in a previous vid. Didn't write it down and lost sight of it. Now set up as a preset and tried on a few photos. very nice. Thanks - tim