Why use masks

[DeMorcan]

After I wrote this, I decided to add a before and after photo just to show what I did with masks. The before is the SOOC jpeg with whatever the in camera processing a GF5 did. I resized it in PS which removed the save as option. So, I export it which strips the exif. This was a lightweight carry everywhere camera with the kit lens which did for me what a cellphone does not I know I posted the photo before. I think it is interesting how much info was in the RAW that could be pulled out compared to what was in the jpeg. From some reasons I got questions about it (and masks) and wrote this to have a canned answer. I say masks are quick, this was around ½ hour that I spent on this photo. I just planned a fast run through, but then started I decided to work on the colors as it was starting to look good. About a third of the time was Selective Color I applied globally to tune color balance the way I wanted. I spend a lot of time on subtle color adjustments which is just me. The detail, lighting, contrast adjustments with masks was around half of the time. And the rest of the time was basic starting adjustments in LR before exporting to PS.

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I got asked by someone who does some very good processing why use masks. I had posted something about saturation masks being something new I never had before. I want to try to give a simple explanation on how to use them. It of course will not cover everything they are useful for and will be guided by the photo I processed with a saturation mask. Ignoring the saturation part as that costs $30 ($25 with discount) and I do not want to tell anyone they have to buy something more before they learn the tools they have or free tools available.

Why use masks? Before I answer that let me discuss what a mask is. In Photoshop (PS from now on), there is a select menu. This is the masks I will be referring to for editing. There are also tools for cutting out something which creates a black and white mask. The select tools masks look like a B&W image with grey scales. These masks can be created choosing color, luminosity and many other parameters. There are also 3 other masks hidden in PS. They are called channels. You can duplicate them and then ctrl click (I use a PC) them to use a mask on one of your layers. If you alt click a mask, you can modify it. I usually use a Levels adjustment to tune my masks. Some masks will have no white or black areas and usually I want at least one area where my adjustment will be 100%. Since this is an adjustment and not layer (although it can be, I am keeping it simple) you cannot see the effect while you are adjusting it. I create a junk 3 or 4 throwaway layers to hold masks. Then if I do not like what I did, I can go back to the original mask. You can directly adjust the opacity of a mask which is what the levels adjustment is for. There is a free TK6 panel which will make luminosity masks and allow you to see the effect as you chose your masks. You can also put a layer with a mask in a folder. Then using a selection tool (or sky in the Select menu - I often reverse it to not have fakey skies) on the folder and this will limit you masked effects to the area you want.

This was a junk culled image that had blown highlights and I had to pull the shadows up a lot as I was trying to keep the sky with the limited dynamic range of 12mp camera made in 2012. It was taken with an old 12mp m43 camera and totally useless. I did some basic adjustments just because I kinda liked the 3 triplets and wanted something that would really push the TK6 masking panel to fix. I did my usual processing to clean up noise (which involves .3 to.7 blurs and mask I paint on.)

Now with some basics I will start to answer the question why use them. The photo I was working on had dark and light areas. I want to enhance details in the light area, but not not the shadows as much. I also did not want to mess with the highlights. So after I made a duplicate layer I did global adjustments on it enhance details in ACR. Then I used the TK6 panel and using the midtone masks, selected the one I wanted I wanted. I also went to one of my junk layers and used the Select>Sky and inverted it. I put my enhance details layer in a folder and then put the inverted sky mask on it. (Hold alt and drag the mask to the layer you want.)

Now I had an enhancing of details (I do not sharpen as I am allergic to halos, but most people would use sharpening) just where I wanted. It was very quick and easy to do. The trees were shaded and dull but not black. I then did the Shift+Alt+Ctrl+E to make a layer that combined everything I had done so far. Back into ACR I adjusted the image until those areas looked good. When doing this I can totally ignore what is happening to the rest of the image. Back to the TK6 panel and I chose a wider midtone mask for those adjustments and applied it. Put in in the same folder the inverted sky was and I had a nice looking color over most of the image.

I then went to the TK6 panel. I love that thing. Before I had an action that made 15 luminosity masks in the layers and I would have to chose the one I wanted, see if it did what I wanted on the photo and if not try another one. A slow process which I did not do as often as I should have to get the best from my photos. In the panel I made my highlight selection and output it to a curves layer. I then used the curves to tune the highlights to my desire. I chose exactly what I wanted and the mask blended it perfectly with the rest of the image. I made 2 more curves masks for midtone and shadows.

I then used a couple masks to enhance the yellows where the sunlight hit and the add a little blue to the shadow areas. I made the masks from a duplicate of the original photo since I had flattened all those areas.

Now instead of luminosity to indicate shadows and highlights, I used color to define shadows and highlights and created my own lighting. (Something I do a lot) I then did my usual global Selective Color adjustments tuning the blue in the sky into a color I liked better. Through the use of masks I took a photo I could not process in LR or PS previously (or it would have taken way too much time) and made a pleasant photo out of it. The processes work even better with a good or great photo to start with. On this photo I did one other adjustment with a saturation mask using the TK7 panel. It only affected one area. When I looked at the saturation mask the yellow orange in the background was slightly oversaturated I thought it looked good but by lowering the saturation (-11) it gave it the balance I wanted. I really did not get to use it much on this photo. And only did it because I had it. I was mainly testing the TK6 panel to see if it made it easier. It did.

This was one photo. A very common use I do a lot is a highlight mask to deal with the light areas of the sky darkening them some and perhaps warming them. The luminosity masks blend those adjustments into the photo in a way I cannot do without them. The adjustment brush in ACR/LT just cannot do it without a lot of time. I also use shadow masks a lot as shadows do not look natural with the contrast and saturation that makes the image pop and since not all shadow areas are clearly defined, a luminosity masks blends the effects into the image for natural look. In my serious processing (for print or a client) I always use a midrange mask where most of my processing takes place. From now on since it is so easy, I will probable use a midtone mask on almost everything I process. Color, detail, contrast especially are easily overdone in shadows or highlights. Instead of working with curves to get balance you want across the highlights, midtones, and shadows. It is easier and faster just to chose the mask for the area you want and tune it with a curve or brightness or levels adjustment just for that. This photo, I used a very extreme curve in the midtones as the shadows had been so flat. I could not have done that with 1 curve layer. I do this so much I have an action to create my 3 masks for lighting. Although now I will not use it since the panel is easier. However, it is an answer to why masks. And this is in normal straight processing. The creative use of them is unlimited.

Some of the things I did can be done to a degree in Lightroom with range masks and adjustment brushes, gradients radial masks, etc. Color Grading can do some of it. They are all tools to use. They do not have the refinement of masks and to be honest they are slower. It is much easier to use global adjustments where you have every tool in ACR/LR and then click on the TK6 Panel and the mask you want and let PS take care of it. BTW, Tony Kuyper works with Adobe (he had to have special info for some of the things he does). He has a TK Luminosity panel you can get from PS. Click on the plugins and you can find that panel. Instead of Windows and extensions it will be Plugins. He just updated it because of some new thinks PS did. His blog has some interesting reading about what may happen to some addons for PS and the future directions Adobe may head. I dock it so I always have it and use it now. I have to appreciate a man who updates free programs and sells a tool like the TK7 panel (and includes TK8 beta for when Adobe makes changes eliminating current addons) for only $30 (15% discounts available). It has 2 sections and I replaced TK6 with it after I did this. The Tk7 panel does so much I am still searching you tube to learn it. I have been using luminosity masks for years but finally they are easier so someone can just use them like a brush or anything else in PS with minimal learn curve.

[WalterRowe]

Very nice article and illustration. I use masks often as well. Some are color-based masks, some are luminosity-based masks, some are gradients / radials / simply brushed in. Some are combinations. All are used to achieve the vision I have for the photograph.