Photoshop masks to Lightroom adjustment brush ?

[larkis]

Is there some plugin that would let me take a photoshop generated alpha and apply it to a Lightroom's adjustment brush mask ? The masking options in Lightroom are very basic. It would be amazing to have access to all of the raw data but have a lot more articulation in the way of masking (even things like feathering of auto masked edges). I know I can have camera raw layers in photoshop but any layer adjustments on top of that only have access to the "cooked" data the ACR layer sends upstream.

[john beardsworth]

No, nothing like that. If you ever need a mask of that complexity, use Photoshop. In Photoshop, use smart objects to retain the raw data.

[Redcrown]

Adobe has to keep some limitations in Lightroom, otherwise nobody would pay for Photoshop. The two major limitations are masking and layers.

I once tried this elaborate procedure, with total failure.

1. Load some version of the image in Photoshop. Create your mask(s) there.
2. Output the masks as B&W jpeg or tiff files.
3. Open the original image raw and the B&W mask image in LR or ACR.
4. Create an adjustment brush mask by selecting the blacks or the whites in the B&W version (using auto mask)
5. Sync the "local adjustments" of that B&W version to the original raw, thus copying the mask.

Worked so-so on masks with hard edges, but no good on feathered masks.

It is much easier to create multiple versions of the raw, load as layers in Photoshop, and mask there.

 

[larkis]

Adobe has to keep some limitations in Lightroom, otherwise nobody would pay for Photoshop. The two major limitations are masking and layers.

I once tried this elaborate procedure, with total failure.

1. Load some version of the image in Photoshop. Create your mask(s) there.
2. Output the masks as B&W jpeg or tiff files.
3. Open the original image raw and the B&W mask image in LR or ACR.
4. Create an adjustment brush mask by selecting the blacks or the whites in the B&W version (using auto mask)
5. Sync the "local adjustments" of that B&W version to the original raw, thus copying the mask.

Worked so-so on masks with hard edges, but no good on feathered masks.

It is much easier to create multiple versions of the raw, load as layers in Photoshop, and mask there.

Interesting technique, I will try this for some situations I run into. But the fact it has issues with soft edges is of limited use.

As far as using smart objects goes John, I realize the raw data is inside of the smart object, but unfortunately adjustment layers don't have access to it. They only have access to the "cooked" pixels the smart object presents to the rest of the layer stack. One experiment you can do is to turn the exposure down in the ACR smart object far enough to turn the image black. Then add an exposure adjustment layer outside of the smart object and see if you can turn the image back to it's original exposure. If you actually had access to the raw data this would work. Unless something has changed in the last few months with photoshop, this does not work.

[Schewe]

Adobe has to keep some limitations in Lightroom, otherwise nobody would pay for Photoshop.

Well the fact that one can buy Photoshop & Lightroom for $9.95 but pay $19.95 for just Photoshop kinda breaks your logic...

The primary difference between Photoshop and Lightroom is that Photoshop is a pixel editor while Lightroom edits via metadata. That's why there is a gulf in features and functionality, not some Adobe scheme to prop up Photoshop.

[LesPalenik]

Corel has just released their new photo editor, called AfterShot Pro 3. Relatively inexpensive at $80CAD (no subscription required), this RAW file development tool supports multiple layers and regions that should satisfy your localized brush requirements. Similar to LR, AfterShot Pro will work with Photoshop, Paint Shop and other pixel editors.

AfterShot Pro 3 Overview

AfterShot Pro 3 comparison with LR CC and LR 6

 

[Redcrown]

Well the fact that one can buy Photoshop & Lightroom for $9.95 but pay $19.95 for just Photoshop kinda breaks your logic...

You're right. Sorry. I was back in the mindset of buying Lightroom for $100 or Photoshop for $700. Adobe marketing had to keep some distance between the two to justify that difference.

Now that you can rent Photoshop for $20/month OR rent Photoshop+Lightroom for only $10/month there is definitely some broken logic.