Black Bittern

Black Bittern (Image ID 73317)
Photographed byLynne on Sat 8th Nov, 2025 and uploaded on Sun 15th Mar, 2026 .
Resolution1800x1166
Viewed214
ID73317
CommentHi requesting comments for processing as I am just starting to use masks in Lightroom and am a little confused about the best way to select background without it altering the subject and vice a versa.
EquipmentCanon Eos R 5. And canon 100 -500 zoom lens
Exposure time : 1 / 125
FNumber : 7.1
Focal Length : 500
ISO Speed Ratings : 640
LensModel : RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Make : Canon
Model : Canon EOS R5m2
Software : Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 15.2 (Macintosh)
Locationfog dam, Northern Territory
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Craig Lakey2026-03-15 22:11:29Hi Lynne,

Thanks for taking the opportunity to post here in the Critique Gallery.

In Lightroom Classic 15.2, there are a few options available.

You could simply try:

- Create New Mask --> Select Subject
- Create New Mask --> Select Background

I find the above to be hit and miss and success varies from image to image. If I have a sharp, low-noise subject that is well separated from the background, these options are acceptable. Sometimes they fail to handle the visible background between feathers. You can also have problems if you masked a subject that is quite small in the frame, then cropped the image heavily.

So typically, I don't use the above options and instead use:

- Create New Mark --> Select Objects

You can start by roughly tracing around the border of the bird, which often is all you need. But you can also then Add or Subtract objects until you get the subject masked to your satisfaction. Often you will need to subtract an area, like for example, the background from between a perched birds legs, tail, branch or wingtip primaries or "fingers". The more you use this, the better you will become at anticipating the outcome.

Once I have a subject mask I am happy with, I typically create a mask of everything else by:

- From within the mask I created for the subject
- Click the three dots --> Duplicate and Invert Mask

You now have two masks you can separately edit. You may want to sharpen the subject a little, or add extra noise reduction to the inverse of the subject, for example.

They key is not to overdo it. The better your mask, the more you can push it.

If you start to see the background changing brightness or colour once you get near the bird, or around/between intricate feather detail, you might have created a poor mask, or you have introduced too much differential in your editing of the subject and inverse of the subject, or both. I tend to be quite conservative in this regard.

Sometimes object selection just won't get the desired result and you'll need to put in the hard yards by using Add --> Brush or Subtract --> Brush from within a mask.

As you get more experienced, you can create multiple masks on the subject, try the Radial Gradient mask, intersect your masks with a colour or luminance, and much more. The more you use them, you will start to understand the power of what is possible. But like I said, I do like to keep all these masks as subtle and natural looking as I can.

I don't claim the above is the best way to do things, but it works for me, and if anyone else has any tips, feel free to add.

I hope this helps Lynne. If you have any other queries, you can always search for one of my photos and use the contact button to send me an email.

Also, just a note about your settings in the above photo. Obviously I wasn't there at the time to understand the light and conditions, but you could probably have used a shorter exposure time. This would have pushed your ISO higher, but the Denoise in the version of Lightroom you are using will handle an ISO quite a bit higher than you used. But the Denoise in Lightroom is probably a story for another post.

Best regards,
Craig
ApertureFNumber COMPUTED f/7.1
Copyright COMPUTED lynne woodbridge
Make IFD0 Canon
Model IFD0 Canon EOS R5m2
Software IFD0 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 15.2 (Macintosh)
Copyright IFD0 lynne woodbridge
ExposureTime EXIF 1/125
FNumber EXIF F7.1
ExposureProgram EXIF Manual
ISOSpeedRatings EXIF 640
DateTimeOriginal EXIF 2025:11:08 17:49:25
ShutterSpeedValue (APEX 6.965784) EXIF 1/125
ApertureValue (APEX 5.655638) EXIF F7
ExposureBiasValue EXIF 0
MaxApertureValue (APEX 5.625) EXIF F7
MeteringMode EXIF Spot
Flash EXIF Flash did not fire.
FocalLength EXIF 500mm
ExposureMode EXIF Manual Exposure
WhiteBalance EXIF Automatic White Balance
LensModel EXIF RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
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