In my latest YouTube tutorial, I demonstrate how to use the mask tool to create a custom vignette effect behind your subject, adding subtle drama to the background while preserving the subject's integrity. The video also shows you how to create a time-saving smart preset for future edits.

On rare occasions, you might encounter the need to update an AI mask in Lightroom, but unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a direct way to do so. For instance, if you use DXO Pure Raw and apply an AI mask to an image, since Pure Raw employs its own distortion correction algorithm, the mask may become misaligned when the file is returned to Lightroom. This issue can occur with any software that manipulates the raw file while preserving edits.

Ever since Adobe added the new masking architecture in Lightroom a few years ago, it’s totally changed the way I work with the software. I find myself using masks way more than I used to and it’s led to me approaching my edits in a whole different way. To try and take that to the limit, I set out to see if I could edit a photo entirely by just using the masks tool, and not touching the standard editing controls.