Photoshop Elements > Layers >

Masking >

1 - Example

Masks allow you to apply a change to only a portion of a photograph.

With Photoshop, you create a mask layer.

With Photoshop Elements, you use the mask that's in every adjustment layer.

In the Levels adjustment layer below, the white thumbnail is the mask.

Only the Mask

In some situations, you use the adjustment layer only for its mask.

For example, in the Selective Sharpening tutorial, the mask in a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer is used.

The mask is used to block sharpening on a portion of a photograph.

There was no change made to the color with the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

Mask + Adjustment

In other circumstances, you make a change with an adjustment layer, and then use a mask to apply the change to only part of the photograph.

In the example below, a Levels adjustment layer is used to brighten a photograph.

Then, a mask is used to limit the increase in brightness to only a portion of the photograph.

Example

As often happens in photography, it's hard to get much contrast on the same photograph.

In the photograph below, the exposure made the clouds look good.

However, the foreground is too dark.

Original

In the photograph below, a Levels adjustment layer was used to brighten the photograph.

The foreground is brighter now.

But, the blue sky is less intense, and the clouds have lost some drama.

Brightened

By using a mask, the brightening can be confined to the foreground only.

The sky and clouds are not brightened.

Be sure to check off as you go along.

Make a Mask

1) Make sure the adjustment layer is active (highlighted).

You have already made a correction using the adjustment layer.

2) Make sure the foreground color is black.

If you haven't already, go to Foreground & Background Colors.

3) Select the Brush tool.

If you haven't already done so, go to Brushes - Basics.

Use a feathered brush.

If you haven't already done so, go to Feathered Brush.

4) Paint on your photograph.

Where you paint with black, the foreground color, the effect of the adjustment layer is concealed.

Here, the sky and clouds were painted with black.

This blocked the brightening created by the Levels adjustment layer.

You can see the mask in the mask thumbnail in the Levels adjustment layer below.

Compare

Here's the original, the version that was brightened everywhere, and the masked version.

Original

Brightened Everywhere

Sky & Clouds Masked (No Brightening)

Foreground Brightened

White Reveals; Black Blocks

White reveals; black blocks.

Use the above mnemonic to remember how the color of a mask affects how it functions.

Tutorial for the Above Example

Go to Combine Two Exposures - Using Levels & a Mask.

More Examples of Masking

Layer Masking

Mixed Colored Light Sources

Selective Sharpening

Skin Tone Spot Correction Method

Spot Color

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