Luminar Neo: Localized exposure adjustments using masking

Demo summary
The creator shows how to use a brush mask to apply a second instance of the Develop tool to specific areas of a waterfall and rocks.
Step-by-step
- Open a new instance of the Develop tool
- Adjust the Exposure slider to the desired brightness for the specific area
- Select the Masking tab and choose the Brush tool
- Adjust the Strength slider to a lower value (30-50%) to build the effect gradually
- Paint over the areas of the photo you want to brighten
- Use the Erase tool to remove the effect from areas where it was applied too heavily
Options
- Adjust brush size using the on-screen slider
- Adjust brush size using the left and right bracket keys on the keyboard
- Clear the mask entirely via Mask actions to start over
Watch out for
- The 'Raw' component is only available in the first instance of the Develop tool; subsequent instances work on the processed image data
Tips
- Use an initial Develop Raw pass to get the photo to a foundational point before applying localized adjustments
- Work with a brush strength around 30-50% rather than 100% to build the effect up in passes for more control
- Use the red mask overlay to visualize exactly which areas are being affected by the tool
Highlights
“I'm going to introduce you to a really powerful feature inside of Luminar. It's masking. Don't get scared. It's super easy.”
All demos from “Luminar Neo for Beginners: A Complete First Landscape Edit”
2:521:51Recovering highlights and shadows with Develop RAWThe creator demonstrates how to use the Develop RAW tool in Luminar Neo to recover sky detail and brighten dark shadows without washing out the image.Luminar Neo· AI Image/Photo Enhancer
4:531:36Sharpening and noise reduction in Luminar NeoA demonstration of zooming into a photo to apply sharpening and luminosity-based noise reduction to clean up grain in flat areas like the sky.Luminar Neo· AI Image/Photo Enhancer
6:491:00Enhancing photos with Accent AI and Sky EnhancerThe video shows the application of Enhance AI's 'Accent AI' and 'Sky Enhancer' sliders to automatically balance tones and boost blue sky saturation.Luminar Neo· AI Image/Photo Enhancer
8:003:26Localized exposure adjustments using maskingCurrentThe creator shows how to use a brush mask to apply a second instance of the Develop tool to specific areas of a waterfall and rocks.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Editor
12:423:32Adding and removing detail with Structure AIDemonstration of using Structure AI with positive values to sharpen rocks and negative values to soften distracting foliage via brush masking.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Editor
16:351:48Adding mist with Atmosphere AIThe creator uses Atmosphere AI's 'Layered Fog' setting and a brush mask to simulate mist at the base of a waterfall.Luminar Neo· AI Inpainting
20:482:31Changing water color with Water Enhancer AIA demonstration of the Water Enhancer AI tool to shift murky green water toward a turquoise hue while refining the mask to exclude the waterfall.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Editor
23:352:12Directing focus with Light Depth AIThe video shows the Light Depth tool analyzing a 3D scene to place highlights specifically on the waterfall while darkening the foreground and background.Luminar Neo· AI Relighting
25:551:26Fine-tuning colors with HSL slidersThe creator demonstrates using the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) panel to darken green leaves specifically so the waterfall stands out more.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Editor
28:511:17Applying a Radial Gradient mask for color popA demonstration of using the Radial Gradient tool to apply a saturation boost in a localized, tapered circle around the main subject.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Editor
31:132:05Blending edits using Layer OpacityThe creator shows how to add the original photo as a new layer and adjust its opacity to pull back an over-processed edit for a more natural look.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Editor
33:242:04Object removal with Erase and GenErase AIA demonstration of removing distracting objects using the standard Erase tool and the generative AI 'GenErase' tool for more complex areas.Luminar Neo· AI Object Remover/Eraser
36:201:44Color grading with LUTs and Dramatic filterThe video shows the application of the Dramatic filter and various Lookup Tables (LUTs) like 'Long Beach' to unify the photo's color palette.Luminar Neo· AI Photo Filter- Watch “Luminar Neo for Beginners: A Complete First Landscape Edit” →
AI Photo Editor
5:470:39Adjusting HSL and subject-aware vignettingThe creator uses the Color tool to target specific HSL values for a bird's bill and applies a vignette using a subject-placement indicator.Chiara Talia - Wildlife Photography
10:270:52Creative color isolation using AI maskingThe creator demonstrates a creative 'fine art' look by using Object Select AI to mask a bird, inverting the mask, and desaturating the entire background while keeping the subject in color.Chiara Talia - Wildlife Photography
0:521:46Manage and sync folders in Luminar NeoThe creator demonstrates how Luminar Neo maps physical computer folders to its catalog, showing how renaming or moving folders on the hard drive is instantly mirrored in the software.Mark McGee Photos
16:560:36Edit photos using AI AssistantA demonstration of the AI Assistant where the user types natural language prompts like 'make this photo look like a vintage Fujifilm camera' to generate edit versions.Mark McGee Photos
8:003:26Localized exposure adjustments using maskingCurrentThe creator shows how to use a brush mask to apply a second instance of the Develop tool to specific areas of a waterfall and rocks.Anthony Turnham
12:423:32Adding and removing detail with Structure AIDemonstration of using Structure AI with positive values to sharpen rocks and negative values to soften distracting foliage via brush masking.Anthony Turnham
20:482:31Changing water color with Water Enhancer AIA demonstration of the Water Enhancer AI tool to shift murky green water toward a turquoise hue while refining the mask to exclude the waterfall.Anthony Turnham
25:551:26Fine-tuning colors with HSL slidersThe creator demonstrates using the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) panel to darken green leaves specifically so the waterfall stands out more.Anthony Turnham
28:511:17Applying a Radial Gradient mask for color popA demonstration of using the Radial Gradient tool to apply a saturation boost in a localized, tapered circle around the main subject.Anthony Turnham
31:132:05Blending edits using Layer OpacityThe creator shows how to add the original photo as a new layer and adjust its opacity to pull back an over-processed edit for a more natural look.Anthony Turnham
4:102:36Blending exposures with layers and linear gradientsThe video shows how to duplicate layers in Luminar Neo to process the sky and foreground separately, using a linear gradient mask for a smooth transition.Anthony Turnham
9:203:21Sculpting light and contrast using Curves and Brush masksA demonstration of using the Curves tool to create an S-curve for contrast and then painting the effect into specific areas like mountains and water using a soft brush.Anthony Turnham
Luminar Neo