Feature summary | Lightroom (October 2021 release)

Use one of the following tools to make a selection:

• Brush Click and drag the tool over the areas you want to edit. Adjust the Brush Size, Feather, Flow, and Density using the given sliders.
• Linear Gradient Click and drag the tool in the area you want to edit. This is useful to adjust a large portion of the photo with a gradually fading pattern that creates soft transitions.
• Radial Gradient Click and drag the tool in the area you want to edit. This tool helps you make local adjustments inside or outside an oval shape. Use the Feather slider to determine how soft you want the adjustments to be.

The following local adjustment tools are new:

• Color Range Use this tool to select a specific color. All areas in the photo with that specific color will be selected. The Refine slider helps you make an accurate color selection.
• Luminance Range Select a point or area in the photo using the tool. All areas with the selected range of brightness will become a selection. This way, you can make precise adjustments to just those levels of brightness in a photo. The Select Luminance slider and Show Luminance map option help you decide the exact level of brightness you want to select.
• Depth Range (This is enabled only for photos containing depth information) Use this tool to select areas based on their distance from the camera. The tool slider helps you quickly make this selection.

Once your selection is made, use the editing sliders in the right panel to make local adjustments. 

To make a new selection, click Create New Mask. The Masks panel gives you an organized and detailed view of the selections made and edits made to those selections. This way, you can combine multiple Masking tools and follow through with the edits you make to them.

In the Masks panel, you can also:

• Invert the selection. Click the three-dot icon next to the mask and select Invert. This will select all areas of the photo that was previously not selected.
• Customize the name of the mask, hide, delete, or duplicate it. Click the three-dot icon next to the mask and select Rename. You can also find options to delete, duplicate, or hide the mask.
• Temporarily hide a mask. Long-press the eye icon next to the mask. To temporarily hide all the masks, long-press the eye icon in the upper-right corner of the panel.
  
• Hide or view the Masking Overlay. Use the Show Overlay toggle to hide or view the Overlay.
• Change the color of the overlay. Click the red button in the bottom-right corner and select the desired color. You can also click the three-dot menu in the lower-right corner and select from Color Overlay on B&W, Image on B&W, White on Black, and more options.
• Drag the floating Masks panel to the right panel to dock it. You can drag it out to undock.
• Get a cleaner workspace. Click the right arrow in the upper-right corner to minimize the panel. 

In Lightroom desktop, open the photo you want to edit.

In the right panel, select Masking > Select Subject.

Lightroom will run an analysis and automatically select the subject for you. You can view the selection as a red overlay and a mask is created in the Masks panel.

To further refine the selection, do the next step.

Click the mask in the Masks panel. Select Add to further add areas to the selection or Subtract to erase areas of the automatic selection. You can use any of the masking tools to do this. The easiest to use is the Brush where you can simply paint the areas you want to edit.

To invert the selection, click Invert. This will select everything else except the subject. You can also click the three-dot icon next to the Mask and select Invert Subject Selection.

Once you're happy with the selection, use the editing sliders in the right to make local adjustments.

In Lightroom desktop, open the photo you want to edit and select Masking > Select Sky.

Lightroom runs an analysis of your photo and automatically selects the sky. The selection is shown as a red overlay, by default.

To make further refinements, click the Mask in the Masks panel and select Add or Subtract to make additions to the selection or erase areas of the selection.

Make the desired adjustments to the selection using the editing sliders in the right.

• To hide the overlay, use the Show Overlay toggle in the Masks panel.
• Click Invert in the right panel to select all areas except the sky.