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MGregoryKnives
Known Participant
July 13, 2023
Question

Color picker in masking

  • July 13, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 1562 views

I'm not sure if this just isn't a possibility or not, but I think it would be a great feature. If I use the masking feature, and want to adjust the color of the mask, I can click on the box to 'select a color' in the mask adjustments, which uses an eyedropper as the selector in conjunction with the color scale it pops up in. What it WON'T allow for is the use of the eyedropper in the image I'm adjusting. It would be a tremendous boon if I could use the eyedropper feature on an element in my photo so that I could more easily select a complementing color.

 

As an example, if I have an subject sitting on a background, and want to use a color that's featured on the subject in the background, the eyedropper would make quick work of figuring that exact color out.

 

Is this an option and I just don't see how, or is this a feature I ought to suggest for future updates?

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2 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 14, 2023

I played around with the posted sample image, and I agree that Hue is going to be a more useful masked adjustment than the older Color adjustment. What worked was:

1. Add background mask.

2. With that mask selected, drag Hue adjustment to blue. The appropriate blue hue seems to be at the right end of the Hue spectrum bar.

3. If the blue isn’t intense enough, increase Saturation, and use any other masked adjustments that help. What seemed to help the most for me was adjusting Temp and lowering Exposure and Highlights a little, and you can also play with the blue Curve. Whatever gets you there is fair game.

 

Note that I did not use the masked Color adjustment at all.

 

 

Unfortunately, Lightroom Classic does not give you an easy way to match a mask color to the blue color in the handle quickly by sampling, so you do have to reach that blue manually. And by eye, because Lightroom Classic doesn’t let you leave a color sampler on the image like Photoshop and Camera Raw do.

M
MGregoryKnivesAuthor
Known Participant
July 14, 2023

Thanks, guys! I'll try using Hue, etc. 

 

...still think having eye dropper function would make this easier, but I suppose I could just flip it over into Photoshop for that. Just seems goofy as Lightroom is almost there...

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MGregoryKnivesAuthor
Known Participant
July 14, 2023

Follow up. Clicking and holding the mouse and sliding it over works. Thanks, Rob!

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 13, 2023

"and want to use a color that's featured on the subject in the background"

There is no purpose to choosing a specific mask/overlay color (other than from the overlay 'color 'box' ).

The mask/overlay is simply a visual guide to the areas of an image that will be adjusted.

The mask/overlay (color) does not get applied to the image whatsoever.

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
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MGregoryKnivesAuthor
Known Participant
July 13, 2023

Hi Rob,

I don't think I explained this properly. I don't have any interest in changing the color of the mask overlay, I'm looking to change the color of the mask, which is an available function in the masking toolbar. See attached - I think that will make more sense.

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 13, 2023

Arrrrh!  I now see your meaning.

It is working for me with the Tools, but there are always limitations with a Tool Color-

Note that for a brush color to appear you need to also reduce the Tool saturation of the 'existing' (underlying) image color, and you will only ever be painting a 'tint', and not vivid color.

My example: Brush set to 'Red' with the Saturation slider at -100.

Brushing only on the bud:

More extensive brushing.

And you can still select a color from anywhere on the screen with the dropper, even the Filmstrip of thumbnails, but you will notice that the color selection box will still be 'pointing' to a color that matches the color of the dropper position.

 

Also worth experimenting is to select the background and adjust the 'Hue' slider and varying Saturation.

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
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