Luminosity Masks in Photoshop – what is a luminosity mask, and how do I use them in my digital processing?


This is the start of me learning how to do them

I have been meaning to try out luminosity masks in Photoshop for ages.

And I had an idea of something I wanted to do with luminosity masks. It all started off when I produced my architectrual photography portfolio. Well when I produced the black and white version. I will come back to that later.

And with everything else going on I have not got round to this.

Now is the time for me to do this. My portfolios are complete and have been issued to the BIPP. Quick aside, you can find out more about my professional photography institute at www.bipp.com.

So what is a luminosity mask?

This is the first answer when you type that question into Google.

“Luminosity masks are the cornerstone of tone-based image adjustments. These masks provide a convenient way to select specific tones in an image which can then be altered as the user sees fit.” The web page I copied this from is http://goodlight.us/writing/luminositymasks/luminositymasks-1.html. This is the website of Tony Kuyper Photography, who has produced a luminosity mask tutorial. This is dated 2006. I am sure it is good stuff, but I want something more recent.

So moving on down page 1 in Google I come to an article entitled

Use Luminosity Masks to Enhance Your Landscape Photography which you can get to at https://fstoppers.com/composite/use-luminosity-masks-enhance-your-landscape-photography-71884

This is a more recent article, which took me to the website Through Strange Lenses, the photography Blog of Jimmy McIntyre, which you can get to at http://www.throughstrangelenses.com/

Jimmy McIntyre also produces tutorials, which you can find  at http://www.shutterevolve.com/

And this is where I am beginning my journey. One thing I have learned is to choose a path and follow it. Fstoppers is a pretty good starting point, and I am going to work through the guidance in this article and in the information in the links.

I have spent much too much time in the past looking at endless websites and getting nowhere, so now I pick a solid source of information and work through that.

Taking single courses of action has helped me tremendously in developing my photography skills.

So this is the beginning of my journey into luminosity masks in Photoshop. Talking of Photoshop, one final link to round up this first post, is this one,  http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/photoshop.html, to the mighty Photoshop itself. Soon to be a bigger friend of mine that it is at the moment!

The next post will describe, as I understand them, what luminosity masks in Photoshop are. 

Rick McEvoy Photography Blog

Saturday 29th October 2016

www.rickmcevoyphotography.co.uk

Rick McEvoy

I am Rick McEvoy, an architectural and construction photographer living and working in the South of England. I create high quality architectural photography and construction photography imagery of the built environment for architects and commercial clients. I do not photograph weddings, families, small people or pets - anything that is alive, moves or might not do as I ask!! I am also the creator of the Photography Explained Podcast, available on all major podcast providers. I have a blog on my website where I write about my work and photography stuff. Rick McEvoy ABIPP, MCIOB

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