Masking changes photo without any changes to settings/sliders

[MRHengy]

Hi,

I am new to Lightroom, but have experience in PS.

I have an HDR image that was created in Lightroom from 5 bracketed photos. When I go to apply a mask to a specific area of the photo, I follow these steps:

1. Click on Masking button on the right, in the Develop tab (or shift+W)
2. Click Brush
3. Paint my mask

Now, when I do the last step, the part that I just masked changes - it's like I applied increased exposure to the masked part. But, I didn't. I haven't toushed any settings yet.
It's not the Overlay (thats red).

When I exit the masking tool, it's still there.

This has happened on several different photos - both HDR and not HDR.
It's like LR is arbtrarily changing settings before I apply a mask, but I can't find a way to set it back to 'baseline'.

In PS, if I create a mask on a layer without any changes done yet, and use the brush tool to paint my mask, the photo doesn't change - only after I say, for example, change Curves. This is what I expect to happen in LR as well.

I have included three screenshots. One is the mask with overlay, one is immeadiatly after I painted the mask, and the third is when I exited from the mask tool, without adjusting any sliders.

Thanks for your help,

Matt

[JohanElzenga]

There is a checkbox 'Reset Sliders Automatically' at the top of the masking panel. Make sure it is checked.

[MRHengy]

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try checking this box (and didn't mention it), but it didn't do anything. I tried checking it at several different times in my list of steps as well.

GoldingD suggested the same, but they also noted that the exposure slider defaulted to 1.00, not 0. I didn't see this before! Changing this to 0 fixed the issue. Not sure why LR would default the Exposure slider to 1.00....

[JohanElzenga]

Lightroom does not default the Exposure slider to +1, you did (inadvertently). You can change the default of a mask slider by selecting a mask option like a brush and then changing the slider setting before you apply any brush strokes. That sets a new default. Because so many (most) people don't know this, Adobe added the 'Reset Sliders Automatically' checkbox.

[GoldingD]

Now, when I do the last step, the part that I just masked changes - it's like I applied increased exposure to the masked part. But, I didn't. I haven't toushed any settings yet.

As you can see in your first screenshot, you have the exposure at a plus

See JohanElzenga's reply on Reset Sliders Automatically

What is occurring, is as the sliders are not being reset automatically, the previous state of those sliders apply.

[MRHengy]

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try checking this box (and didn't mention it), but it didn't do anything. I tried checking it at several different times in my list of steps as well.

You also noted that the exposure slider defaulted to 1.00, not 0. I didn't see this before! Changing this to 0 fixed the issue. Not sure why LR would default the Exposure slider to 1.00....