Category: Uncategorized

Lightroom Classic has had a mask tool for a little while. It just got a lot better in the new update last fall.

Two significant updates in Lightroom Classic version 12 are the Content-Aware Remove tool and portrait-masks.

Portrait masks

Portrait masks make it so much easier to edit portraits. The new portrait mask can separate skin, eyes, lips, hair, etc. With just a few clicks, you can make the masks.

Masks are important. Editing different parts of the image individually separate the excellent from the rest.

Stating the skin from the rest of the face quickly helps to smoothen the skin.

There are a few minor annoying things. The masks are named Mask 1, Mask 2, etc. Of course, you can rename the masks, but that takes time. It is not the most convenient workflow.

To learn more about the new Content-Aware Remove tool and masks, watch my 👉 video about Lightroom’s update.

Free presets!

My free portrait preset for Lightroom Classic will help. You must click only once, and the portrait masks are made and correctly named. Watch my video about it and see how easy it is. The preset only makes the masks and renames them. No edits are made, and you can start editing yourself immediately.

I have also added a few presets for landscapes and cityscapes. Those preset make masks for the sky, foreground, and subject. Just one click, and you are good to go. No edits are made.

Presets for sale!

I have also presets for sale. These presets make even more separation in portraits. It will also mask the whole person and the background. It will also have a mask that combines face and body skin. You can adjust the skin but also have the face and body skin on separate masks. Splitting the person into separate masks and naming them with a mouse click will make your editing much faster.

There is also a preset that makes slight edits. These smoothen skin, whiten teeth, etc. These are good starting points. The changes are very subtle.

Bonus preset!

As a bonus preset, I have included a preset that can be used when you are importing your images. It is meant for images that have been exposed to the right. If you use ETTR, this preset will make your edit faster. The basic edits have already been done to exposure. The basic import preset will lower the exposure and highlight slightly. The preset will also add some contrast.

Presets are starting points.

Presets are not meant to be the final edit. They are just starting points for you to begin editing faster.

How to get the presets?

Go to this page and learn what the masks do. There are links

Looking back is sometimes quite fruitful. I always try to look forward, but at the beginning of the year, it is nice to look back and see what type of photography I did.

There are always some trends that I can find. In this video, I talked about that.

Also, looking back at the data behind the images I made is fascinating. How many images I made, what camera and lenses I used, etc.

I also talked about those in my video.

However, the main thing is not me. It is You and Your images.

I want to see Your Best Photograph from 2022. If You have a story behind the photo, please tell that too.

Use this Google Form to send Your Best Photo from 2022. Any genre, camera, or lens is ok. The only thing I want is for the image was made in 2022. Send the image by Sunday the 8th.

I will show about 30 images in my Live Stream on Monday, the 9th of January, in 2023, at 7 pm (GMT).

DxO PhotoLab 6 is here – Noise reduction just got better!

DxO has just announced its upgrade to PhotoLab, PhotoLab 6. DxO has been known for its excellent Modules. They are data that they have collected using tens of thousands of different camera lens combinations.

Disclaimer at the end of this blog post

That has made the image quality one of the best, if not the best, on the market. The corrections are not just some average adjustments but are actually based on the camera and lens used.

Major updates from Photolab 5.

A smoother and faster workflow makes it easier to edit. DxO has improved the library system so that the workflow is smoother. The use of color labels makes it easier to choose images. These types of improvements are always welcome.

ReTouch is a new tool in PhotoLab. It makes cloning and healing possible and external software is unnecessary—more about the ReTouch tool in my video about DxO PhotoLab 6.

The third improvement is new color processing algorithms. According to the DxO Labs press release, more accurate colors can be achieved. This new feature I cannot confirm. I have not tested PhotoLab 5 against PhotoLab 6 on this one.

The best noise reduction just got better.

For me, the most exciting thing is that DxO Labs has improved its noise reduction. DeepPRIME was already the best in the market. The new DeepPRIME XD is better.

According to DxO dynamic range is improved by 2.5 stops. Better dynamic range means that shadows can be lifted and details can be recovered.

DxO also claims that ISO4000 images look like an ISO500 images. Two and a half better that is. I did a test, and the results are impressive.

Here is one comparison.

This image was made using ISO25600. The camera I used was OM SYSTEM OM-1. You can see more results in my video about DxO PhotoLab 6.

Where to get the new DxO PhotoLab 6?

Go to the DxO website using my affiliate link and upgrade or buy the new software. Link to get DxO PhotoLab 6.

The price is $139 for the Essential version and $219 for the Elite version. The upgrade prices are $75 and $99.

Disclaimer

DxO Labs send me the registration key. I did not have to pay for the software. They did not say that I have to do a blog post about it, nor did they say what should be included and what I need to say. Everything is based on my experience with DxO PhotoLab 6.