Luminosity Masks

[sanyasi]

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Last week forum member Tobey Bilek mentioned luminosity masks in a post. I hadn't heard of them, so I did a little web research. What a great Photoshop technique. If you aren't familiar with them and are a Photoshop user, you should at least give them a test drive.

 

Basically a luminosity mask is a way of making a selection based on luminosity. You make the selection by loading the RGB channel. That results in a mask which is referred to by many on the web as Lights. You then intersect the selection with itself, which results what people refer to as Light Lights. You keep doing this several more times. You can then apply a curves adjustment to each selection--you need to save each selection. To do the Darks, you simply invert your lights selections. There is a technique to isolate mid tones. That is what you are doing--selecting based on tonal values, which gives you the ability to apply curves within small tonal ranges.

 

I experimented with several photos that I had rejected because of poor exposure. Turned out they were salvageable, but more importantly, photos that were properly exposed, really popped after applying the technique.

 

The King of Luminosity Masks is photographer Tony Kuyper. He sells some guides, videos, and actions that explain it all. The price for the pdfs, which is all you should need, is nominal. Tony Kuyper Photography—Using Luminosity Masks—Introduction

 

There are others on the web who explain it for free, but not quite with Kuyper's level of detail. Be forewarned, Kuyper's explanations are based on Windows keystrokes. Marty Kesselman has a nice explanation of luminosity masks, together with a very helfpful Windows to Mac key stroke conversion table. http://hccny.org/web/tutorials/Photoshop/Layers%20and%20Masks/Luminosity%20masks-How%20used-part1-3.pdf

 

It took about 2 hours to get the hang of the process. I am planning on building my own actions.

 

Hope this proves useful to others and thanks Tobey.

 

Jack Siegel

[jaapv]

It should work best in the luminosity channel of LAB.

[Guest WPalank]

It should work best in the luminosity channel of LAB.

 

Wrong!

 

I have been using the Kruyper formula for almost a year now. There is nothing like it. I bought his actions as well. Very confusing at first but once you get it.....

 

I have been teaching the system to private students for about 2 months now in studio. Eyes are glazed at first, but once they get it and the applications. One can use those same masks and not only run curves or Levels, but run the masked image into NIK and use a filter that will now target the areas you want. Be it Highlights, Shadows, mid-tone lights.

 

Tony just gives you the tip of the needle. With an active imagination and understanding how to select and then narrow selections by minute subtractions, "the World is your Oyster".

[Guest WPalank]

In american dated, 6/08/13. As usual from this kid, no response:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-post-processing-forum/286165-tip-monochrom-processing.html#post2422617

 

I can't find the series, I think they are on the computer at my Studio, but there is another guy who has produced videos that a lay person can understand. Can't remember the name but Tony is just not a great speaker. Kind of like Einstein teaching a Math class to first-graders.

[erudolph]

snip... t there is another guy who has produced videos that a lay person can understand. Can't remember the name but Tony is just not a great speaker. Kind of like Einstein teaching a Math class to first-graders.

 

This the guy? ---->

 

[sanyasi]

I dont' recall the guys name, but the videos available in one of Tony Kuyper's packages are made by someone else. As I recall, there was 5.5 hours of instruction. I paid $30 US for the pdfs and the Photoshop actions. The deluxe package was around $70 US, which I believe included the videos. There were a bunch of pdfs--I have read the basic one. There was one on saturation, which I assume will confirm William's point that the technique can be used with other adjustment layers besides just curves. In fact, in a FAQ, Kuyper makes reference to Levels.

 

One of the things that makes this selection technique so appealing is that there is no need to worry about feathering and other ways to make a selection more precise. Because the technique relies on luminosity, it effectively self feathers the selection.

 

I find it ironic that there is a currently is an active thread that is looking for the the perfect Moncrhom printer--techniques. Although printing is an art in itself, those who are interested in having precise control over shadows and highlights should be attracted to luminosity masks. Last night I took a photograph of a musician and her hands weren't blown out, but were over-exposed. I was able to isolate that part of the photo through a luminosity mask, so that I could darken the hands. That luminosity mask permitted me to isolate the curve adjustment so that it didn't adversely affect other portions of the photograph. Admittedly, I could have dodged and burned, but I find this technique to be a preferable step before going to dodging and burning.

[Guest WPalank]

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I find it ironic that there is a currently is an active thread that is looking for the the perfect Moncrhom printer--techniques. Although printing is an art in itself, those who are interested in having precise control over shadows and highlights should be attracted to luminosity masks.

 

Exactly why I posted in this thread:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-post-processing-forum/286165-tip-monochrom-processing.html#post2422617

 

"Tip For Monochrom Processing" several months ago. Try to stay with me Jack.

 

The guys name is Sean Bagshaw, over 40 videos and he's pretty much only hitting the tip of the Iceberg. But very well explained.

[stunsworth]

I've got some actions I wrote that do this sort of thing. I typically use them when I just want to work on the very darkest or lightest parts of an image.

 

So for example I'd run the appropriate action, then convert the channel to a selection in a new layer and apply a curves adjustment for example to that new layer.

 

Typically I'd move the black point so that all the very dark pixels are black. The advantage of doing it this way is that it doesn't affect anything outside of the selected pixels.

 

Once you get the hang of it it's pretty simple

[sanyasi]

Exactly why I posted in this thread:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-post-processing-forum/286165-tip-monochrom-processing.html#post2422617

 

"Tip For Monochrom Processing" several months ago. Try to stay with me Jack.

 

 

On, I am with you alright and all the way.

[Guest WPalank]

I've got some actions I wrote that do this sort of thing. I typically use them when I just want to work on the very darkest or lightest parts of an image.

 

very, very, very, very limiting.

A very simple quick example: The beauty of the selections throughout the different tonal values is that you can take a brush any size, then select Dodge or Burn and just sweep the brush in the area where you want it willy nilly. The infinite variety of a quick spontaneous yet controlled selection will lay down the darkness/brightness on just very specific pixels that are mixed next to other pixels. No need to zoom into a 1000 % to make sure just the right pixels are being effected.

[stunsworth]

Limiting perhaps, but when I use it it's because I want to adjust the tonal balance of the whole photo, not one localised area. If I want to dodge/burn a small area I tend to use a feathered selection and a curve adjustment. I tend not to like the dodge and burn tools because, unlike curves, I don't think they can be easily tweaked later.

[philipus]

This is very interesting indeed and I will look into it. I'm currently doing a distance-learning post-processing course at a university so I look forward to trying this technique.

 

I am wondering, though (and I say this without having studied Kuyper's or Kesselman's tutorials) how this differs from the highlight and shadow recovery functions in ColorPerfect.

[sanyasi]

I am unfamiliar with ColorPerfect, but I think the usual point about Photoshop is worth making: There are usually three or four ways to accomplish "largely" the same thing in Photoshop. What I like about luminosity and now saturation masks is that they appear to be more precise ways of making the adjustments because they are self-feathering. I still dodge and burn when appropriate. TK's masks are just another tool in the box, albeit a powerful one.

[wattsie]

I find it ironic that there is a currently is an active thread that is looking for the the perfect Moncrhom printer--techniques. Although printing is an art in itself, those who are interested in having precise control over shadows and highlights should be attracted to luminosity masks.

 

I think it's interesting for people to learn what combinations of ink and paper ad working for others. Ultimately it's a personal choice, and you are correct in that nothing will overcome a poorly taken or processed image. Lots of practice and experimenting until you know and understand all of you equipment.

 

Thanks all for highlighting luminosity masks to me. I had read about them some time back but hadn't really explored them. I've just picked up Sean Bagshaw's tutorial set and will be getting stuck into them this weekend.

[tobey bilek]

Most pleased you are enjoying my tip. I normally give more details, but since feedback is low, I don`t do much detail anymore. My photography skills exceed my typing skills by a wide margin.

 

Kuyper does have great control, but is somewhat difficult to understand. I had it figured out at one point after hours reading and rereading, but the basic PS does most of what I need.

 

Watch if you move PS versions because luminosity mask generation methods seems to change from time to time. I know in PS3 I had to turn off an OS keyboard shortcut to make it work. It was something like bring drawer to front or some other undecipherable nonsense except to computer gurus which I am not.

[Guest WPalank]

Limiting perhaps, but when I use it it's because I want to adjust the tonal balance of the whole photo, not one localised area. If I want to dodge/burn a small area I tend to use a feathered selection and a curve adjustment. I tend not to like the dodge and burn tools because, unlike curves, I don't think they can be easily tweaked later.

For God's sake, why would you write an action for only hitting the lighter/darker values?

 

To create lighter value luminosity mask:

Select channel Palette. command Click (mac)

 

To use an Action:

Find Actions palette. "It's not there for some bloody reason". PS Menu View>Action. "Oh there it is".

"OK, where's the bloody Action I wrote for Luminosity selection". Scrolling, scrolling "There it is." "No that's the Dark Action." Scrolling, scrolling.

"There it is." Click on Action. "OK what button do I click." "Oh there it is, the little triangle thingy." Click triangle.

"Whewww, finally."

 

Yes I know you can set it up as a Function key.

 

But why, really. Channel> Command Click is done before I could even get the dust off the cogs in my Pea Brain.

 

Also, Dodge/Burn was simply an example. Outside the box.....

[stunsworth]

For God's sake, why would you write an action for only hitting the lighter/darker values?

 

Well, because I could.

 

I don't seem to have any problems finding the action.

[Guest WPalank]

Welcome to the "World of Actions". I have about 50, most of which take 10 plus keystrokes. Otherwise, not worth the time.

 

Channel, Command/Click

Channel, Command/Click

Channel, Command/Click

Channel, Command/Click........

[stunsworth]

Welcome to the "World of Actions". I have about 50, most of which take 10 plus keystrokes. Otherwise, not worth the time.

 

Channel, Command/Click

Channel, Command/Click

Channel, Command/Click

Channel, Command/Click........

 

And that will select a range of values based on a selected luminicity? If so I'll give it a go when I get home.

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[Guest WPalank]

Only the high range (which is all you are interested in).

Low range has an other key at the same time as Command (can't remember).

 

Also, depends on what your earlier definition of high and dark or whatever.

May take one additional step to reach the very very high.

Can't remember since i use the Kuyper thing that loads All the values which is all i use then go through and select the one that look best. Sorry.