We’re taking a look at a new masking feature that one pro describes as “hidden” because many Lightroom users don’t know it exists. In barely four minutes you’ll learn how powerful it is for enhancing skies, balancing color and light, and adding depth to your images with just a few clicks.

This eye-opening video comes to us from Portraits by Daniel, but don’t be misled by the name of this popular YouTube channel because today’s quick masking trick not only works wonders when processing people pictures, but it’s also a big help when working on nature images, landscapes, wildlife shots, family photos, and more.

This versatile tool is known as Lightroom’s Landscape mask and it’s definitely one that you’ll want to add to your everyday workflow as soon as this tutorial concludes. When opening the Masking panel you’ll recognize the three core areas: Subject, Sky, and Background.. But now there’s a Landscape option below this trio of familiar tabs, and it often goes unnoticed.

As soon as you click on the new tool Lightroom identifies areas and prepares masks for elements that typically appear in landscape scenes. These elements include Architecture, Vegetation, Artificial Ground, and Natural Ground. A list in the panel includes each of these possibilities and you can hover over each one to view the suggested mask before applying it. And it’s easy to makes refinements these instant mask if need be.

Daniel describes the timesaving benefits like this: “This is powerful stuff folks because now we can edit certain parts of an image without making a selection ourselves. Instead we’re going to let Lightroom automatically separate the various features of our photo.

The lesson includes examples that illustrate the various options available and explains how they work, individually or in tandem. Bottom line, the formerly “arduous” task of masking is now remarkably easy for Lightroom users of all skill levels.

The Portraits by Daniel YouTube channel is well worth a visit regardless of the types of images you shoot or your preferred style of processing.

And speaking of streamlining your image-editing workflow, be sure to watch our earlier tutorial from another Adobe expert who demonstrates a timesaving Lightroom technique for culling your photographs and avoid wasting hours behind the computer.

A simple eye-catching vignette can often transform a good photograph into a great one by accentuating the main subject or object within the frame, whether you’re capturing landscapes, wildlife images, or environmental portraits. Today’s comprehensive guide from Eastern Shore Photo Instruction walks you through a simple step-by-step process for getting the job done with precision.

Simply put, a vignette is nothing more that a gradual darkening (or lightening) that creates a fade to the center of an image that can be easily introduced during post-processing to add a subtle artistic flare and guide the viewer’s eyes through the scene.

Our soft-spoken instructor Mickey describes his foolproof technique like this: “By using Lightroom’s post-crop vignette tool in combination with a radial or linear gradient you can creatively add contrast to an image and introduce a light pathway that’s easy to follow. He demonstrates how to make vignettes even more compelling by adding additional features like spotlights or intersecting masks.

Mickey says he takes advantage of this effect for enhancing almost ever image he edits, and he explains why he prefers natural-looking vignettes rather than “hammering in home” with an overwhelming heavy-handed approach that just doesn’t appear realistic.

He begins with a basic, practical use of Lightroom’s post-crop vignetting tool that can often produce effective results but does have a few limitations as compared to more advanced methods. When pulling up this panel you’ll notice three simple Style options: Highlight, Color, and Paint Overlay.

Once you master these simple enhancements (and it doesn’t take long) you’ll be prepared to tackle sophisticated techniques that provide far more control. Mickey provides three demonstrations that will take your effects to the next level. One possibility is the use of radial gradient vignetting, another is what he calls “reflective gradient vignettes,” and  the third involves combining a radial gradient vignette with an intersecting linear gradient.

The lesson concludes with a striking example of employing the radial gradient vignette at Blue Hour for beautiful shadow enhancement. There’s much more you can learn about a variety of photographic techniques by visiting the Eastern Shore Photo Instruction YouTube channel.

And be sure you don’t miss our earlier tutorial with another post-processing specialist who demonstrates how to use Lightroom’s powerful Point Color tool to gain full control of the colors in your nature, landscape and travel photographs.