A range mask in Lightroom limits an adjustment to certain colors or brightness levels inside a brush, gradient or radial mask. Draw a rough mask first, add a color range or luminance range, and then refine it until only the target tones are affected.
What Range Masks Do
Ordinary masks are drawn by hand or detected by subject. A range mask works inside an area you already chose, and filters the effect by tone. This is useful for a sky that touches a tree line, or for brightening only the shadows in one part of the frame.
- Color range: affects pixels near a color you sample.
- Luminance range: affects pixels within a brightness band.
- Depth range: available for photos with depth data in some versions.
Step by Step: A Color Range Mask
- Open the Masking panel in the Develop module and create a new mask, such as a linear gradient over the sky.
- In the mask options, add a refinement and choose Color Range.
- Click the eyedropper, then click a representative part of the area you want, for example the blue of the sky.
- Drag across a larger sample if needed. Holding Shift lets you add several samples.
- Adjust the refine slider. Lower values select a narrower range, while higher values include more nearby colors.
- Turn on the mask overlay to see which areas are selected.
- Apply your adjustment, such as lower exposure, or a small change to saturation or hue.
- Check the edges at high zoom and make small changes to the refine value.
Using Luminance Range
Follow the same idea, but choose Luminance Range. Use the sliders or the eyedropper to select highlights, midtones or shadows within the mask. A smoothness slider softens the transition so edges between selected and unselected tones do not look harsh.
A common use is darkening only the brightest part of a sky near the horizon while leaving the foreground alone.
Combining and Fine Tuning
| Goal | Approach |
|---|---|
| Recolor one flower | Brush mask plus color range |
| Recover bright clouds | Gradient plus luminance range |
| Lift shaded faces | Subject mask plus luminance range |
You can intersect or subtract masks to refine a result. Keep adjustments modest, since strong changes can show banding or halos.
FAQ
Can I use range masks on a whole image?
Yes. Create a gradient or radial mask covering the area, then apply the range filter. Some versions also offer a full image option.
Why does my mask look noisy?
Increase the smoothness or refine value, and check that your sample points represent the target well.
The Short Version
Draw a rough mask, add a color or luminance range, and adjust the refine slider until only the right tones are selected. Check the overlay, then keep your edit gentle.
