Lightroom's AI tools offer a practical solution for common touch-ups when time is limited. Here's how to make the most of them.
Coming to you from Marc Newton with The School of Photography, this straightforward video demonstrates Lightroom's masking features for targeted face enhancements. Newton shows how the AI automatically detects facial components like skin, eyes, and teeth, creating precise masks instantly. He explains adjusting shadows and whites within these masks to subtly brighten eyes and whiten teeth for a more vibrant look. This approach is significantly faster than manual selections. He emphasizes the importance of naming masks for organization and shows how to refine them if the AI misses small areas. This method is particularly valuable for batch editing similar portraits from a session.
Newton uses a well-lit portrait to illustrate Lightroom's strengths for quick, non-destructive edits. He walks through the initial steps: basic cropping, using the heal tool for minor blemishes, and essential raw adjustments like white balance and exposure. The tutorial then focuses on leveraging the "Select People" mask option. You see how clicking detected facial features generates individual masks for skin, eyes, and lips. Newton adjusts only specific elements like the iris/pupil and teeth, applying localized brightness and clarity tweaks. He stresses that minor adjustments are key to avoiding unnatural results. The video highlights how these AI masks enable selective edits impossible with global sliders alone.
Lightroom excels here for speed and syncing across multiple shots. Newton is clear about its limitations though. He points out this method suits subjects with relatively clear skin already and favors efficiency over intricate control. For significant blemishes, texture smoothing, or detailed sculpting, Photoshop's approach remains essential. The video avoids complex techniques, sticking to realistic adjustments achievable within Lightroom's panel. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Newton.
