Luminar Neo Masking Masterclass

Learn to control your edits with masking and get amazing results!

Want to make amazing photos using Luminar Neo? To do so you must learn masking - which is about CONTROL. This course will teach you everything you need to know about masking, giving you perfect control over your edits.

Masking is the most critical skill in photo editing. It is what separates good images from great images, and average results from pro-level results. It can elevate your photos and make them really stand out. But SO many people are confused about what masking is, how it works, and how to get the best results.

This Luminar Neo Masking Masterclass will provide everything you need to know to master the use of masking in Luminar Neo.

Hi, I’m Jim and I am your instructor. I’ve been taking and editing photos for 15 years now, using masking techniques for much of that time, and I have been teaching my techniques for about 10 years now. I’ve had my images published in national and regional publications, printed and hung in both private homes and public businesses, I’ve twice been named one of the top 100 travel photographers in the world by online publications, I am a well-known Luminar Neo expert and Skylum Software Ambassador - and I am here to help!

I get a lot of questions about masking in Luminar Neo, and while I have several videos about the subject on my Youtube channel, this is the first time I have built a course dedicated to this very important aspect of photo editing. I have taken everything that I know about how masks work in Luminar Neo, created lessons for all aspects of masking, and compiled it into this course. This is a massive collection of tutorials, all organized in a logical way, that will take your edits to the next level!

This is the most comprehensive course about masking in Luminar Neo available anywhere!

What is Masking?

That’s a great question, and one I get often. Masking is painting. It is the technique used by professional photographers around the globe to craft their images into stunning works of art. It is simply the idea that instead of moving sliders and having them impact the entire photo, you can mask them (paint them) into specific parts of a photo. This means your images do not get over-processed by randomly moving sliders. It gives you control over the process. Thus, your end result is more in line with your vision for the shot, and you are more likely to create balanced, beautiful images.

Why Should I Use Masking?

Masking is about controlling your edit. Masking allows you to very specifically apply the edits you make to your photos. This gives you better results because all sliders do not look good in all parts of a photo, all the time. Customization is really key when you want the best results. You can control light, color, and detail and apply those edits to specific parts of an image.

Do I REALLY Need to Use Masking?

That depends on what you want. You don’t have to mask your edits. If you choose not to mask, you are letting the sliders do what they do, across your entire photo. Sometimes, that works and it looks fine. But if you really want to improve your edits, learning how to use and control masks is the key.

Isn’t Masking Complicated, Confusing, and Hard to Do?

No. Luminar Neo makes it very easy, and this course is VERY beginner-friendly. There is even an AI-driven masking tool that can help. We start with the basics and build from there. I walk you through every single step in the process. Yes, there is a lot to know about masking and how to use it, but it is not hard. This course is planned out logically so that each step builds upon previous steps. And you can take your time - there is no rush. Plus, in addition to all the tutorial videos, the course includes an ebook which provides written information about masking. You will finish the course and have a solid understanding of how masks work and how to use them in your editing.

This course includes all of the following:

  • VIDEOS

    20 videos - over 4.5 hours of instruction! - showing how I use masks and sharing all my best tips in practical use

  • EBOOK

    20-page eBook about masking sharing tips, tricks and insights about how masks work, how to use them, and more

  • RAW FILES

    8 of my own RAW files plus 3 JPG images that you can use to practice your masking with, and follow along in the videos

  • Texture

    A texture file to practice layer masking, and a video that shows you how

  • Knowledge

    Massive amount of knowledge transfer to improve your editing

Get this course now - immediate access

Luminar Neo Masking Masterclass Course
$67.00
One time

This Luminar Neo Masking Masterclass will provide everything you need to know to master the use of masking in Luminar Neo.

✓ Over 4 hours of video content
✓ 20 page ebook about masking
✓ 8 raw files, 3 JPGs, and 1 texture
✓ Massive amount of knowledge transfer

Here is the course outline with details for each episode. It’s very comprehensive!

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • All of this is specific to Luminar Neo, by Skylum Software. No other products are used in the demo videos. While there is a certain level of knowledge transfer that would occur if you use a different photo editor, this course is dedicated only to masking in Luminar Neo.

  • No. You need to purchase that directly from Skylum. You can use coupon code JIMNIXNEO to save $10, or use coupon code JIMNIX10 to save 10%.

  • Yes, masking will work on any file type supported by Luminar Neo (various raw formats, jpg, tiff, etc).

  • Masking can work on any photo. It is just about controlling your adjustments and where they go into a photo. It does not matter what the subject matter is. The concepts are applicable to landscapes, cityscapes, portraits, and more.

  • Luminar Neo has 4 mask types: Brush mask, Linear Gradient, Radial Gradient, and Mask AI. All 4 are used across many videos in this course, and I will share all my favorite tips and tricks to help you get the most out of all of them. We dive deep on all 4 mask types.

  • Yes, I have a dedicated video just for Masking Actions, as well as demonstrating how I use them in many of the demo videos that are included in the course.

  • Not really. You can refine your masks using a brush, and I show how I do that in several of the demo videos. You can still get pretty specific and end up with great results.

  • Yes, you can combine masks and I demo that in the videos.

  • I primarily shoot landscapes and cityscapes, so that is mostly what the demo videos show. However the tips, tricks and techniques illustrated in the course are applicable to any sort of photo.

  • Yes, masking can be used on portraits, but the demo videos are focused on landscapes and cityscapes primarily. I am not a portrait photographer and thus this course does not focus on portrait photography. Additionally, masking around hair is very detailed and difficult without very specific refinement brushes, which currently do not exist in Luminar Neo. Of course, all the masking information and tips that are shared in the course are applicable to any type of image.

  • This will not be covered in the course. This function gets deeper into layers and as with general portrait editing, it will not be covered.

  • Yes, masking can be used on animal subjects as well, and there is one demo video that includes an example wildlife image. Of course, the masking information and knowledge shared across the entire course will help you no matter the subject. In the wildlife demo video, I discuss key things I think about when editing this subject matter and how to go about doing it. But as with human hair, masking around animal fur can be challenging due to a lack of detailed refinement tools (depending on the image of course).

  • There is a video in this course dedicated to layer masking - that is, how to use masks to blend layers together, for the best results. It will show you how you can selectively show or hide parts of the layer. That video will also include some basic instruction on how layers work and some of the various settings and properties of layers. But to be clear, this video is primarily about layer masking and does not dive deep into all aspects of using layers. Layers is a very broad topic with a lot of uses, and it would require a dedicated course to really cover it all.

  • While this is a layers function, I do have a video about this showing how it works and explaining the tools used for it.