On the surface, the Select Subject and Select Background tools seem to do the same thing (just in reverse of each other) in Lightroom and Photoshop. But after digging around a little, they sometimes work a little different when used together. We’ll take a deeper look in this week’s video.
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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.
I am enjoying your videos and learning a great deal from them. Thank you for putting these out here for us.
I am enjoying your videos and learning a great deal from them. Thank you for putting these out here for us.
This was excellent! Great job. I’ve used multiple pieces but you’ve put this together in a really helpful way, Matt. Thanks.
Well presented and clearly explained. Well done.
Thanks Matt great tips and tricks much appreciate your time and efforts.
Thank you. Every time I watch one of your tutorials, i learn something really cool. 🙂
Thank you for the extra info on masking. What would be really cool is if we could bring that selection back into PS from CR and save it as a layer. The select object tool is good but not nearly as good as the selection tools in CR or LR.
Excellent video. Thanks.
Thanks Matt. I always learn something from video’s.
Thanks Matt every week you offer quick lessons with great value. I have been doing something similar with the sky mask. I select a sky mask and I notice the fade or bleeding happening especially with snow covered mountains. Next I select subtract sky and then invert that sky selection. I end up with a much less transition and in most cases still avoid a sharp clipped look between Mountains and sky. I bet that would work with select subject as well.
Matt is a real Master
I haven’t figured out a way to get a mask in make in ACR into PS. Unless I’ve missed something, the selection tools in PS (not ACR) aren’t the same. For instance I don’t know how to add/subtract/intersect in PS non-ACR. Would be nice if there is a way to just take a fully developed mask in ACR directly into PS as a layer.
Hi. That feature is not possible. If you own my Photoshop System course, I do talk about making and adjusting selections in Photoshop. Otherwise some research and learning on the topic will get you to tutorials on how to add/subtract and modify selections. Thanks.
Matt: tremendous power within Camera Raw; thank you for the instruction. Increasingly I wonder: given the power being discovered and unlocked in Cam Raw, under what circumstances (perhaps examples) would it be advised to use Cam Raw + Ps in tandem in a mask project OR to go to skip Cam Raw and go to Ps? This questions may be answered din pieces in multiple places, but I’d find great value in a single session. Many Thanks.
Hi Vince. Personal preference really. If you can get what you want in LR/ACR then do it. If you can’t and you’re not happy with the results then it may be time for PS. There’s no rules – just preferences on what works for you. Try them all and go for developing a sense of when/why works best for the particular photo since each will be different.
Thanks Matt. Brilliant as usual!
Love your videos. So helpful and so easy. I have a few pictures in mind I’m going to tweak right now! Thank you.
Thank you Matt!
This was incredibly helpful, it’s a great time saver and way more efficient way of using the masking options.
Great tutorial
Thanks for the video. It’s good to have the idea that it’s worth experimenting with the different masking tools not just use one that seems obvious.
We never stop learning do we. Very good
Thanks a lot. It realy gives much to think about…
Thank you Matt.
An inspiring tutorial as always.
Thank you
Love your workflow and tips
The Select Subject and Select Background are essentially the invert of each other.
Matt, you showed that using the Difference blend mode between the Subject mask and the Invert of the Background Mask with layers in Photoshop and then dismissed it.
What is at play here is the masking Subtract operation in LrC is not a true Subtract. You can prove this by:
1. Set the Mask Overlay to White on Black and enable Show Overlay.
2. Create a mask – Subject will do if you have a subject.
3. Duplicate the mask. If using a mask like Radial Gradient, Duplicate offsets the copy, so use Ctrl/Cmd drag and drop to make an exact copy.
4. Change the copy to Subtract.
If Subtract were a true subtract, you would see a black mask, but that is not what you see.
Subtract produces black (not selected) only where the two masks’ pixels are fully selected (white) or fully not selected (black). Parts of the masks that are partly selected remain partly selected after Subtract.
Subtract in LrC is more like the Exclusion blend mode in Photoshop’s layers.
This can be useful in LrC for masking edges.
That was totally unexpected! I’ve done a LOT of masking (both intersecting and subtracting) to get what I’ve wanted, but would never have thought of subtracting the background from the subject. Subtracting the sky from the subject makes a little more sense, but I had never tried that either. These are both very helpful tips. THANK YOU!
Thank you once again for a very informative video.
great video, interesting options to explore.
As always, I love your tutorials, very interesting.
Who knew! Thanks so much, I wouldn’t have thought of that. Thanks Matt.
Such great info, as always!
Thank you! This is very helpful. I hadn’t explored subtracting with anything but the brush. This will be great!
Interesting tutorial. I always assumed that select background would not be an identical reverse from select background. Therefor when I wanted to perform different adjustments to the subject and background I would select the subject and for the background use inverse and duplicate.
A question. I noticed when making multiple selections performance gets extremely slow. Is that normal and is there a workaround?
Thanks,
Allan
I am really enjoying all of your tutorials Matt. The new Masking tools and layout have opened up a whole new dimension to our photography. Perhaps I will see you at coffee one day (Vino Tinto).
As always, very useful guidance taught clearly. Soon I will show my appreciation by buying courses. Thanks, Matt.
Wonderful! Thank you. Your “No light no problem” is a wonderful course.
Love the Jeep t-shirt. I can see it was bought close to where I live.
Delighted to see select subject and background explained though when I select subject in Lightroom it is the background is selected and the reverse is the same .
Thank you for delving deeper
Excellent video!! Well done and I WILL be using this!
Thanks, Matt super stuff again as always
A very helpful program.
Unfortunately, Lightroom Mobile in the latest version (IOS v. 8.2) only has Subject and Sky AI masking tools. I keep hoping that new versions of Lr M will have the added AI features that are available on the other versions. I know a lot of people are asking Adobe for them.
Excellent techniques for getting the nitty gritty of an intricate mask. Thank you. Also, I purchased your “No Light….No Problem” video many months ago and found it to be one of the more useful and “inspiring” videos that you published. Thansk for that, too. PS – I love my Jeep, too.
GREAT tutorial!!!! Thank you so much!
thank you
Thanks again – so practical and well described, as ever!
Always learn something from your videos. Thanks Matt.