Lightroom masking: select subject, sky and background
AI masks make local edits fast and precise. Learn how to use subject, sky, people and background masks for professional results.
Lightroom’s AI masks select subjects, skies and people with one click, letting you edit parts of a photo separately.
Select Sky
Darken a bright sky, add contrast to clouds or warm a sunset without affecting the landscape.
Select Subject
Brighten your main subject slightly, add texture, or increase saturation to draw attention.
Select Background
Invert a subject mask to darken, desaturate or blur the background for separation.
People masks
Lightroom detects faces, skin, eyes, teeth, lips and hair separately. Brighten faces, whiten teeth or smooth skin with precision.
Combine and subtract
Add a brush to refine a mask, or subtract a linear gradient to blend edits gradually.
Radial and linear gradients
Use radial gradients to create spotlights on subjects and linear gradients to balance skies and foregrounds.
Batch masks
AI masks can be synced across multiple photos and recalculated for each one, saving time in a series.
Avoid halos
Watch the edges where masks meet. Feather or refine them so adjustments blend naturally.
