Recent advancements in technology have transformed photo editing, with AI masking emerging as a notable tool for photographers. This innovative feature allows users to quickly separate subjects from backgrounds, skies, and landscapes, enhancing the editing process significantly. Nace, a prominent figure in digital photography, demonstrates these capabilities in a comprehensive video tutorial focused on using AI masks within Adobe Photoshop’s Camera Raw filter.
Streamlining the Editing Process
By converting the background layer into a smart object, users can access the Camera Raw filter and create intricate masks without compromising their original work. This method promotes a non-destructive editing workflow, allowing for adjustments at any stage. Nace illustrates how the masking panel can automatically detect backgrounds and generate masks that enable users to refine their images with minimal effort.
One of the standout features highlighted in the tutorial is the ability to manipulate exposure settings effectively. Nace shows how to darken the background with a few simple adjustments, allowing the subject to take center stage. Additionally, he employs a radial gradient to craft a soft halo of light around the subject, enhancing the overall composition. By utilizing keyboard shortcuts, such as pressing Y to display overlays and V to reposition pins, users can streamline their editing process, avoiding clutter.
Advanced Techniques and Applications
The tutorial moves beyond basic subject-background edits to explore more complex applications of AI masking. Nace takes advantage of the landscape options within the masking panel to target the ground, slightly darkening it for a more grounded effect. This approach not only separates the subject from the environment but also adds depth to the image.
Further techniques involve enhancing the subject by lifting shadows and adding clarity and texture. Nace specifically targets clothing using the people masking options, brightening outfits to ensure they are clearly defined without appearing unnatural. A final adjustment applies a radial gradient to the subject’s face, subtly increasing exposure to maintain focus where it is needed most.
In another example, the video showcases how the landscape preset can identify various elements, such as sky, mountains, and water, each with its own mask. This allows for precise adjustments, such as reducing sky highlights, cooling the water temperature, and enhancing the greenery of the mountains—all while keeping the rest of the image intact. This ability to make controlled edits is a significant advantage over more traditional editing methods.
What makes this tutorial particularly valuable is its emphasis on refining AI-generated masks. Users can fine-tune where a mask is applied, incorporating additional elements like roads into mountain selections or adjusting feathering for a more seamless integration of highlights. As everything resides within a smart object, edits can be revisited at any time by simply double-clicking the Camera Raw filter in Photoshop. This flexibility extends to non-raw files, allowing the same AI masking techniques to be applied to JPEGs and layered PSDs.
The video also covers essential keyboard shortcuts, mask organization, and overlay controls. Nace’s tutorial goes beyond the basics, offering deeper insights into the nuances and combinations of AI masks that can elevate any editing project. For a complete overview of these techniques, viewers are encouraged to watch the full tutorial featuring Nace.
Alex Cooke, a photographer and meteorologist based in Cleveland, contributes to the photography community not only through his work but also by sharing his knowledge and passion for the craft. His expertise, combined with practical editing tips, has made significant strides in enhancing the skills of aspiring photographers.
