To change the background in Adobe Lightroom, you primarily use masking tools to select and adjust the background separately from the subject. Here's how you can do it:
1. Access the Masking Tool:
- In the Develop module, locate the Masking tool in the right-hand toolbar, above the Basic Panel. This is represented by a circle with dotted lines.
2. Select the Background:
- Click the "Background" button. Lightroom's AI will automatically attempt to select the background of your image.
3. Refine the Mask (if needed):
- Adding to the mask: If the AI selection isn't perfect, use the "+" (Add) button within the Masking panel. Then choose a tool like the Brush, Gradient, Range or Object Aware Brush to manually add to the mask.
- Subtracting from the mask: Similarly, use the "-" (Subtract) button and the same tools to remove areas that were incorrectly included in the mask. The Brush tool is excellent for detailed work.
4. Adjust the Background:
- Once the background is masked, you can use the various sliders in the Masking panel (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Temperature, Tint, etc.) to make adjustments to the background independently of the subject.
Example Adjustments:
- Blurring the background: Reduce clarity and texture sliders. You can also lower the sharpness.
- Changing the color of the background: Use the Temperature, Tint, and Hue sliders.
- Darkening or brightening the background: Adjust the Exposure slider.
Key Considerations:
- AI Accuracy: The accuracy of Lightroom's AI background selection depends on the complexity of the image. Images with clear separation between the subject and background will yield better results.
- Fine-Tuning: Be prepared to spend time fine-tuning the mask, especially in more complex images.
- Experimentation: Don't be afraid to experiment with different adjustment sliders to achieve the desired effect.
By using these masking features, you can effectively change the look and feel of the background in your photos using Adobe Lightroom.
