Lightroom Masking Tutorial: How to Edit Waterfall Photos
Lightroom masking is how you fix bad light in your landscape photos. Because the basic sliders can only take you so far… “Bad light” usually isn’t a global problem… it’s a local one.
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👉 You've watched the free tutorials. Here's what the free stuff never shows you...
Lightroom Classic: https://parkerphotographic.short.gy/l...
Lightroom: https://parkerphotographic.short.gy/l...
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So if you want to turn flat, harsh, or uneven light into something that feels natural and intentional... master masking.
While "Global Edits" set the foundation, they often can't save a photo shot at high noon without ruining the rest of the image.
In this advanced photo editing tutorial, I take a flat, boring image of Eagle Falls (shot at noon) and transform it into a dynamic landscape using Local Adjustments.
In this video, I show you how to:
✅ Fix Bad Light: Why "Global" sliders fail when the lighting is harsh.
✅ Master Masking: Using Brushes, Linear Gradients, and Radial Gradients.
✅ Recover Highlights: How to bring back detail in white water without making the image grey.
✅ Shape the Light: Using "Dodging and Burning" techniques to remove distracting elements like bright rocks and logs.
✅ Color Grading: A simple trick to get perfect turquoise water using White Balance.
✅ Add Sunlight: How to fake "Golden Hour" light using a Radial Gradient.
This is the perfect follow-up to my Lightroom for Beginners video. Once you have your "Tonal Values" set, use these techniques to turn a snapshot into a portfolio image.
Next Steps: Watch the full Photo Editing Playlist here: • Lightroom Photo Editing Tutorials
0:00 - Fixing Bad Light in Landscape Photography
0:58 - The 4 Elements of a Great Photo
3:00 - Global Adjustments: The Foundation
4:00 - Why You Should Avoid the Contrast Slider
7:05 - Tone Curve Tutorial for Better Contrast
8:06 - Color Mixer: Fixing Greens and Yellows
9:30 - Lightroom Masking 101: Local Adjustments
10:20 - Masking Trick: Fix Water Color
13:23 - How to Recover Blown Highlights in Waterfalls
14:22 - Removing Distractions with Masking
16:47 - Dodging and Burning with Masks
18:16 - Create "Golden Hour" with Radial Gradients