Understanding masks and masking techniques are essential to understanding how to use Lightroom to edit your photos. But Lightroom masks aren’t all they’re cracked up to be and you can easily misuse them, which will damage your photos.

Those who use Lightroom know there’s a lot going on under the hood, with a myriad of features that go unused. Perhaps you ignore these tools because they don’t fit your workflow, or maybe they’re just too complicated for your needs.

Last week we featured the first of a two-part beginners guide to nature and wildlife photography from expert Janine Krayer—a photographer and instructor who spends much of her time teaching workshops and photographing exotic animals in the wilds of Africa.