Every photo has a problem area. Global sliders affect everything at once. Local adjustments let you mask a specific region — subject, sky, gradient, brush stroke — and apply any edit only there.
🎯Local adjustments are the upgrade from "good enough" to "exactly right." Master them and every edit becomes more precise.
Core Concept
Global vs. Local
🌐
Global
Basic panel, Tone Curve, HSL — every slider affects every pixel simultaneously. Fast but inflexible when areas need different treatment.
📍
Local
Create a mask to define a region. Apply sliders only inside that mask. Multiple masks, each with independent adjustments. Everything else untouched.
🔑Global first, then local. Use the Basic panel to set your tonal foundation. Use masks to refine specific problem areas. They work together, not in competition.
Interface
The Masking Panel
In Develop, click the dotted-circle icon below the Histogram — or press Shift+W. All local adjustment tools live here.
🧑
Select Subject
AI masks your main subject in one click
☁️
Select Sky
AI identifies sky and sky-like areas
🖱️
Background
Everything that isn't the subject
📐
Linear Gradient
Sky/ground transitions, graduated ND effect
⭕
Radial Gradient
Oval spotlight or edge vignette
🖌️
Brush
Paint exactly where you want the adjustment
👁️Press O with a mask selected to toggle the red mask overlay — see exactly what's selected.
AI Masking
Select Subject
One click. Lightroom's AI analyzes your image and creates a precise mask around the main subject — person, animal, object. Works even on complex edges like hair and fur.
1
Masking panel (Shift+W) → Click "Select Subject"
Lightroom processes for 1–3 seconds and creates a mask labeled "Mask 1 — Subject." Press O to see the red overlay and verify coverage.
2
Refine if needed — Add or Subtract
If part of the subject is missed, click "Add" → Brush to paint it in. If background pixels got included, click "Subtract" → Brush to remove them.
3
Apply adjustments — only the subject changes
Exposure, Shadows, Clarity — any slider you move now affects only the masked subject. Background is completely unaffected.
🧑Portrait tip: Lightroom may offer "People" masking with per-person sub-masks for skin, hair, eyes, teeth — look for the People option when a face is detected.
AI Masking
Select Sky
AI identifies the sky — including through trees, around buildings, along complex horizons. Works on blue skies, overcast, golden hour, and storm clouds.
☁️
What gets selected
The sky region only — not the foreground. Even partial sky visible through foliage is included. The selection ends precisely at the horizon or subject edges.
🌄The most common use: recover a blown-out sky without touching the properly exposed foreground. This was tedious before AI masking. Now it's one click.
Gradient Masks
Linear & Radial Gradients
📐
Linear Gradient
Draw a line — one side fully selected, other side unselected, smooth fade between. Use for sky/ground transitions. Drag handles to reposition or rotate.
⭕
Radial Gradient
Draw an oval. Inside selected by default — spotlight a subject. Invert checkbox to select the outside — soft edge vignette. Feather controls the transition softness.
💡
Keep Feather high — 70 to 100 — for natural results
A low Feather creates a hard edge that looks artificial. High Feather blends the gradient smoothly into the surrounding image. The default is usually a good starting point.
💡
Invert the Radial to create a vignette
Draw a Radial Gradient centered on your subject. Check the "Invert" box. The outside of the oval is now selected. Lower Exposure slightly — instant soft edge vignette.
Manual Masking
The Brush Tool
Paint exactly where you want the adjustment. The cursor shows inner (full strength) and outer (feathered edge) circles.
[ ]
Bracket keys resize the brush — [ smaller, ] larger
Resize instantly without stopping. Small brush for detail. Large brush for big areas. Essential shortcut to learn before your first session.
F
Feather — keep it high for soft, natural edges
Controls how gradual the edge of your brush stroke is. High feather (70–100) blends naturally. Low feather creates hard, visible edges.
Alt
Hold Alt (Option on Mac) to switch to Erase mode
Paint over areas to remove them from the mask. No need to start over — just erase the mistake and repaint. Release Alt to return to normal painting.
AM
Auto Mask — detects edges and stays inside them
Check "Auto Mask" in the Brush options. The brush tries to detect color edges and respect them — great for painting adjustments on objects with distinct outlines.
Advanced Masking
Range Masks
Add to any existing mask to restrict it to specific brightness values or specific colors. Refine without painting.
🔆
Luminance Range
Restrict the mask to only bright, only dark, or a specific brightness range. Eyedropper — click tones in your photo to sample them directly.
🎨
Color Range
Restrict the mask to only a specific color. Eyedropper — click the color in your image. Smoothness controls the selection edge.
🔬Range Masks refine existing masks — they don't stand alone. Add them after creating a Subject, Sky, Brush, or Gradient mask to further restrict what's selected.
Mask Operations
Add · Subtract · Intersect
Each mask can hold multiple components. Combine mask types to create selections no single tool could achieve alone.
ADD ➕
Expands the mask. New selection merges into the current mask. Fill in missed areas — brush over a spot the AI didn't catch.
SUBTRACT ➖
Cuts away from the mask. New selection is removed. Fix bleed-over — remove sky pixels from a Subject mask.
INTERSECT 🔀
Keeps only the overlap. Subject mask intersected with Luminance Range = only bright parts of the subject selected.
⚡Classic combo: Select Subject → Subtract → Select Sky. Sky between branches removed from subject mask. Two AI tools, zero brush strokes.
Local Sliders
What You Can Adjust Locally
Nearly every Develop tool is available inside a mask — far beyond the old Adjustment Brush.
💡
Tone & Exposure
Full Basic panel — Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks
🎨
Color
Temperature, Tint, Saturation, Vibrance — warm a face, cool a background
🔍
Detail & Texture
Texture, Clarity, Dehaze — locally. Add grit to sky, smooth skin, remove haze in one area
✨
Sharpening & Noise
Sharpen only the eyes. Noise-reduce only the dark background. Independent of global Detail panel.
📊Each local mask also has its own Tone Curve — precise tonal and color grading scoped to just the masked area.
Follow Along
Try the Full Workflow
Open a portrait or landscape and work through these steps. Click each item as you complete it.
Set a global foundation — Basic panel exposure, white balance, overall tone
Open Masking panel (Shift+W) → Select Sky — darken and add contrast to the sky
Create a second mask → Select Subject — brighten the subject with Exposure +0.4
Three dedicated color wheels — shadows, midtones, highlights — plus global controls and blending sliders. Build cinematic looks from scratch: teal-and-orange, warm golden hour, clean neutrals. Combined with local masking, you can now grade different parts of your image independently.
Color WheelsShadow · Midtone · HighlightCinematic Looks