The new masking feature I covered this week in Lightroom and Photoshop (click here for a video) has been really well received. But I have gotten a lot of questions so I thought I’d go through some of the common ones in case you have them too.
Don’t forget I also released my new SceneSplit AI Presets and Mini Course to take advantage of these new changes at a really affordable price. It’s still on sale for a few days.
Okay, let’s get started with the FAQ…
Q. I’m unable to see the new versions of Lightroom and/or Photoshop?
The latest versions are LRC (version 14.3), Lightroom (version 8.3) and Adobe Camera Raw (version 17.3). Maybe try restarting your Adobe Creative Cloud app or your computer. If that doesn’t work then contact Adobe. If you do have those versions and the feature doesn’t work… contact Adobe. If anything you see in any of the videos doesn’t work the same for you or you get error messages or crashes… contact Adobe 🙂
Q. Can any of the new masks be saved back to the main Photoshop interface?
No. That feature isn’t available so you can only use them in the raw editors.
Q. Why does Adobe add features to ACR and not Lightroom? I use Lightroom and now have to go to ACR too.
The features like reflection removal and people removal that I demo’d in this video, are really “beta” features. Remember, YOU have to turn them on, so you’re making them different by voluntarily turning them on. I have no official word from Adobe to say this but ACR seems less used than Lightroom and it seems to be a bit of a playground for Adobe to test features that are stable but may need a bit more time to refine. So they put them in ACR for that test and require you to manually turn them on if you choose to be part of that test. But to me, other than the odd reflection removal, there is no feature worth leaving LR to go to ACR for. If you’re going to do that, distraction removal is better in PS, so just go there and do it.
Q. Are these the new presets in your SceneSplit Presets and Mini Course, the same as other Landscape or AI Presets I have purchased from you before?
No. These presets are brand new as of April of 2025. This feature did not exist before April 24th, 2025 so any presets or training videos you have (from me or anyone else) do not include the material here. Simply put, these features were not possible before the April 2025 release from Adobe.
Q. How are the presets that can be created with this new feature, different from other AI Presets?
Before April 25th, 2025 these features did not exist. Adobe AI masking included Subjects, sky, portraits and objects. But it did not include the “Landscape” option that allows for masks that split the scene up based on Architecture, vegetation, natural ground, mountains, artificial ground, water, etc… Because of that, we now have a lot more creativity for adjusting our photos selectively whether that’s with presets, or manually taking advantage of the new masks that were added.
Q. Will these presets and new features work on the tablet or phone version of Lightroom or Photoshop?
No they will not. The tablet and phone do not support this feature yet. I don’t know if or when they will.
Q. Why do I sometimes still get halos around a selection edge even after I try to fix it using one of the tips you gave?
There is no halo fixing tool. Halos usually result of doing something that looks unnatural to the photo (making something too bright or dark for it’s surroundings). You could try to subtract with a soft brush around the edge, but the best way to avoid halos is to not apply a change that brings them out in the first place.
Q. Do you anticipate Lightroom ever having a sky replacement feature?
I honestly have no idea. I’d say no. But I also never thought we’d have some of the features we have today so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But sky replacement would mean layers of some sort and I don’t think they’ll add that feature. But again… I’ve been VERY wrong before so what do I know 😉
Q. Can I use the intersect feature with these masks?
You can, however just about every time I use intersect I realize I could have done the same thing with add or subtract in some way. It’s not to say intersect doesn’t have a place, but remember that every more complex mask you create could have probably been created in 5 different ways.
Q. Matt… For some various reason, I have no intention to purchase this from you. Should I send you an email telling you so and why?
Absolutely please DO NOT. This is like deciding you no longer want to be on Facebook and posting that you’re leaving. Just leave… You See… every day you go through life watching ads and seeing a promotion for a product or service you don’t plan on buying. Do you send them an email? Probably not.
I understand you may not want to purchase products from certain companies located in a certain somewhere right now… and that’s your decision. Please don’t feel the need to share that with me. I saw an ad for a Ford car yesterday. I have no plans on buying anything from them right now, but I would NEVER send them a message stating so (ESPECIALLY if that reason had nothing to do with their product). I know it’s great material, but I do understand it’s not for everyone. Thanks! 🙂
I love teaching and photography... In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted.
Matt,
Thanks so much for your clear and helpful videos. You’re a natural-born teacher, and having been a school principal, I would have hired you on the spot! Anyway, in your recent video editing the beautiful reddish egret, I was a little confused when you quickly moved from Lightroom cc to Topaz PhotoAI and back to Lightroom. I’m getting hung up somewhere in that flow. Do you have a tutorial about this, or could you quickly give me an explanation about that process? I’d be grateful!
Hi and thanks so much for the kind words. It’s actually a little illusive because it’s almost too simple and I think sometimes we want to complicate it. I covered it in this video about 8 minutes in: https://mattk.com/plug-in-workflow-for-lightroom-and-adobe/
Hope that helps.
That’s telling him or her! I generally buy most of your courses and am much more capable in enhancing my photos.
I haven’t had much time for doing so for approximately two years, plus having the Geek Squad inadvetently delete 15 years worth of work and all my photos on my primary and backup drives. But, that’s life. Eventually I plan on getting back to what’s left of my photos and redoing them with your courses.
Hi Matt,
I have purchased many products from you over the years, and have been very satisfied with them. I realize you do this to earn your living and it is our option to purchase or not to purchase.
Thank you for sharing the original message and your reply RE: Q. “Matt… For some various reason, I have no intention to purchase this from you……..” Very well thought out and courteous reply!
Thank you for getting me up and running on the new update. Learning new tricks can be hard… but you make it easy.
I was a subscriber where my apps did not show the updates. All I needed to do was click on “Updates” on the cloud homepage and the updates were selected to download.
Matt, I just wanted you to know I think you are one of the best. As well as some people just ask stupid questions. Keep it going.
How do you keep your desktop so neat? Can you please pop round to my shed in Yorkshire uk to sort out my nest of snakes?
Only kidding. Thanks for your crystal clear videos.
I need all the help I can get beyond the basics
I love to photograph birds. Often they are in a tree with a bright background so I aggressively overexpose so I can see details of the birds. However, when I try to darken the sky using a sky mask, it often does not darken. What might I be doing wrong or how can I force the sky to have a more natural look. Thanks
Ted… Matt may have another take on this… but simply put, you must have some data in an area to change it. A washed out sky has a “o” bit of pixel information… a completely washed out sky is all zero’s and therefore no data that can be changed. Think Film days and washed out negatives. I have my cameras set to show me when I’m at about 5% of washing out. Comes in handy when I have clouds in my scene. Also you have a History gram… if the data is outside the box… it’s gone and not recoverable.
Also… I have successfully shot birds HDR to get proper exposure. (You have to select the Eagle you want).
Hi Ted. Aggressively overexposing sounds like a bad idea to me. If you mean overexpose as in the photo is actually overexposed too bright, not just too bright for your taste, then that’s bad. You can’t regain detail from that and any adjustments to the sky will look odd because the detail is gone. So if it won’t darken but goes from really bright, to a really dull bright almost gray look, then you have overexposed and all detail in that sky is gone. The only thing that would fix it would be a sky replacement which would probably not be very successful on an over exposed photo. Thanks.
Thank you, Matt for your very informative videos. You explain in a way that is easy to follow. Variations in accents make some Instructional videos from other presenters hard to follow especially if spoken at a rapid speed.
Keep the great videos coming. You don’t have to be embarrassed promoting your products that keep the free videos possible. I have purchased several & find they were excellent value even with our poor $ exchange rate.
Hi Graham. Thanks for the kind words and by the way… I’m NEVER embarrassed to promote my training. I give a lot for free so I’m good with it 🙂
Based on some of the questions I have seen above; you are most certainly a very patient person! :0)
Your videos and these FAQ really speed up the learning. On top of that, the presets let me achieve in one click, what would otherwise take me a while. I am more inclined to experiment with different looks to an image. I find your videos easy to follow, clearly presented and overall, a great help.
Thanks for this FAQ. Parts of it make a nice little cheat sheet.
I’m taken aback by that last question on the FAQ list. Why? Good answer my friend.
Many international people are boycotting US companies and feel the need to let me know.
Certainly that was meant to be inappropriate prank. However what is happening elsewhere on social media one should consider that tame…I have all many of your videos all high quality. In fact I learned LR and PA from your stuff when you were on Kelby One and went on a WS with the Silverman’s in Moab where you were along….
Hi. Glad you enjoy the videos and thanks for the kind words. Not sure what you mean about inappropriate prank though.
Meaning someone might try to make a cynical joke. But not the right place for sure. Anyway the response about international customers might be it but wow this just can’t involve the photography community. I have continually worked to make my social media free of political content
I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.
What on earth, if anything might have been going through the person’s mind who was thinking of emailing you to tell he wasn’t buying your course! (rhetorical – no reply required.
Provided me a prolonged bought of laughter though!
Phil
Some people are not buying from US Based companies, which is absolutely their right and choice to do so… but then they feel the need to let me know. Which I find ironic considering most emails come from a Gmail address and will still use Adobe software. 😉
Again, many thanks for your diligence in answering questions. Particularly like your response to the last question!
Thanks Matt! I purchased your presets and mini course this week and will have a chance to work with them this weekend. Really looking forward to it and your courses are so informative and easy to follow this new process will be so much fun!
Thanks Matt. The Faq’s are a great way to explain the new features and where they fit in to the work flow.
Matt, I purchased the course and presets yesterday. I watched the whole course yesterday afternoon. It was very easy to follow. I went out and took a few photos and post processed them with your presets. They turned out great. Thank you so much.
I assume I can create Adaptive Presets. if created an adaptive preset that included water when it was created. What happens when the image doesn’t contain water when I use that adaptive preset?
Do your set of presets work with ACR. I never use Lightroom so if they do not, they will be of no use to me. Thanks.
Yes all Lightroom presets work on ACR and same from acr/Lr
Matt:
I winter in Florida and have an Alien Desktop which stays here. I take a laptop to Illinois.
Can I load Scene Split AI on both computers?
Carl
Yep!
Love your answer to the last question. I think we all need to remind the busy body in the room that we don’t need to have their thoughts or opinions posted on a website or shared. Spot on respones.
BTW, I love your videos and share them with my Camera Club all the time. You are a point of reference for all new people we get to the Club.