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Bowen Liu

@liulightstudio26

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Art of Masking | Behind the Scenes
🎨 Lightroom Enthusiast
📍 Based in Minneapolis, MN ❄️
📸 Turning simple shots into stories

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🍂 AOM | Fall Fades, Smiles Stay! ❤️

Fall is here, and it won’t stay for long… but some smiles are worth keeping forever!

For this AOM edit, I wanted to keep the natural autumn colors while using a few simple masks to bring in more light, warmth, and depth. Sometimes, a little light is all you need to make a moment shine! ✨

🎨 Here’s my Lightroom masking breakdown:
Mask 1 – Brush: Increased exposure and highlights, while reducing dehaze to create a softer, glowing look.
Mask 2 – Brush: Added warmth with temperature adjustments, increased contrast, and reduced dehaze for a soft autumn atmosphere.
Mask 3 – Linear Gradient (Ground): Darkened the foreground to create depth and keep the attention on Rosalie.
Mask 4 – Radial Gradient: Boosted highlights and reduced dehaze to introduce a gentle, natural-looking light source.
And that’s it! Four simple masks to bring a little extra magic to this fall portrait. 📸

❤️ Huge shoutout to Rosalie for being such an adorable model! Make sure to check out her mom Lauren’s page (@laurenrose.wen) and show them some love!

📌 SAVE this for you next fall portrait session
💬 Comment “AOM” for this FREE preset!

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #lightroomedits #portraitphotography #fallvibes by @liulightstudio26

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3 minutes ago

AOM | Into the Mist 🌫️🏔️

A great memory from my Alaska trip a while ago. I always loved this shot, but I wanted to give it a darker, more mysterious atmosphere.
And for this AOM… I used ONLY the Brush tool. 👀

🖌️ Brush 1 — Waterfall: Exposure +, Texture +, Clarity +, added haze + color shift
🖌️ Brush 2 — Clouds: Highlights –, Shadows +, Texture +
🖌️ Brush 3 — Mountains/Shadows: Exposure –, Contrast +
Simple tools, BIG transformation.

For October, I’m switching things up and diving into slow-shutter photography — panning, shutter drag, motion blur… you name it! 📸💨
What would you like to see me try? Drop your ideas below!

🍂 Comment “FALL” for the preset!

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #lightroomediting #editingtips #alaska taken in Alaska by @liulightstudio26

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15 days ago

Art of Masking | 🍂 FALL AT ST. MARK

For me, masking isn’t just about “fixing” a photo—it’s a way to shape the light, depth, and color to show the scene the way I imagined it. The original was simple, but with a few targeted masks, I could bring out that dramatic fall atmosphere around St. Mark Church. 🍁⛪

Mask 1 — Brush: painted in the light, raising exposure + shadows
Mask 2 — Linear: lowered exposure + added contrast for depth
Mask 3 — Subject/Frame: color grading + S-curve to shape the fall tones
Mask 4 — Radial: brought a little more light toward the center and steeple

Then I finished with overall color grading, pulled the highlights down, and worked the tone curve to bring more detail and mood into the sky.

Editing is an artistic choice. Sometimes the camera captures what was there—the edit helps show how you saw it.

Save this transformation if you want to try the same approach on your fall photos 🍂
Comment “FALL” and I’ll send you the preset!

Follow for more AOM ❤️

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #naturephotography #lightroomedits #fallvibes by @liulightstudio26

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7 days ago

🍂 AOM | Archgate
One last shot of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis! 🌿➡️🍁
Sometimes, it’s the smallest adjustments that make the biggest difference.
For this edit, I wanted to turn an ordinary sunny day into a warm autumn scene. The key? Using masks to control the light, create depth, and guide the viewer’s eyes through the image.
Nothing too complicated, just four simple masks and a little color magic! ✨

🎨 Here’s my Lightroom masking breakdown:
🍃 Mask 1 – Linear Gradient (Top): Reduced highlights, lifted shadows, and brought out more details in the leaves and branches.
🌑 Mask 2 – Linear Gradient (Bottom): Darkened the foreground and deepened the shadows to create more depth.
🏛️ Mask 3 – Brush (Gateway Arch): Added definition and contrast to make the Arch stand out.
☀️ Mask 4 – Radial Gradient: Introduced a subtle light source to brighten the scene and add dimension.
🎨 Final Touch: A little color mixing to bring those warm golden autumn tones to life!
Same place. Same photo. A whole different feeling. 🍁

Let me know what you think!

💬 Comment “AOM” for this FREE preset!

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #lightroomedits #naturephotography #photoediting by @liulightstudio26

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a day ago

🖤 AOM | A Different Perspective in B&W
First, a little challenge: Can you guess what I photographed? 👀
Sometimes, the simplest edits make the biggest difference. Even without color, a few carefully placed masks can completely transform the perspective, depth, and mood of an image.

🎨 Here’s the Lightroom breakdown:
◀️ Mask 1 – Linear Gradient (Left): Lowered the exposure to create deeper shadows and contrast.
▶️ Mask 2 – Linear Gradient (Right): Increased the exposure to bring in light and create separation.
📈 Mask 3 – Subject: Applied an S-curve to enhance contrast and bring out the structure.
📷 Camera Settings:
24mm | f/7.1 | AEB ±2 EV

Comment “B&W” for this FREE preset!

Thank you again for 3K! ❤️ See you in the next AOM!

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #lightroomedits #blackandwhitephotography #architecturephotography taken in St.Louis, MO by @liulightstudio26

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4 days ago

🏙️ AOM | Chasing the Arch in St. Louis! 🍂

Just passing through St. Louis and had a short break, so of course I had to stop by the iconic Gateway Arch! And WOW… this thing is TALL! 😳 Standing at 630 feet, it’s the tallest monument in the United States!

I wanted to give this shot a warmer, moodier fall atmosphere while keeping the beautiful blue sky and using the leaves as a natural frame.

🎨 Here’s my Lightroom masking breakdown:
🖌️ Mask 1 – Brush: Lifted the exposure and opened up the shadows to bring out more details.
🍃 Mask 2 – Green Frame: Brightened the leaves, reduced shadows, and brought out those beautiful autumn tones.
📐 Mask 3 – Linear Gradient: Lowered the exposure to create depth and guide the viewer’s eyes toward the Arch.
☀️ Mask 4 – Radial Gradient: Added a subtle boost of light to create more dimension.
🎨 Final Touch: Color grading! Warm autumn tones, deeper shadows, and a little bit of my own creative style. Because why not? 😎

Sometimes a quick stop turns into one of your favorite shots!

💬 Comment “ARCH” and I’ll send you this FREE preset!

#artofmasking #lightroommasking #lightroomedits #streetphotography #landscapephotography by @liulightstudio26

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5 days ago

AOM | My Friendly Neighbor 🐿️🍂

always been eating. 😂

Everyone has a different taste when it comes to color grading — warm, cool, cinematic, natural. But whatever direction you choose, masking can completely change the perspective of an image through all those little adjustments.

🌳 Tree: darkened to frame the subject
☀️ Light: warmer + brighter
🐿️ Coat: Highlights ↑ Whites ↑ Temp ↑
👃 Nose & lips: Dehaze ↑ Clarity ↑
👀 Eyes: S-curve for a little extra life

For this edit, I leaned into the warm golden tones to match the light and give our snack-loving neighbor a cozy look. 🍁

But… this isn’t the only version. 👀
Stay tuned — I’ll share a completely different color grade of the same friendly neighbor in the next video.

Which direction would you choose for this shot: warm & golden or cool & moody?

@lightroom

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #naturephotography #lightroomedits #animalphotography by @liulightstudio26

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2 months ago

AOM | Between the Shadows 🍂

Walking around my college and caught this view at just the right moment. The scene had a pretty wide dynamic range, and I didn’t get a chance to bracket the exposure—but this is exactly where masking can bring an image back to life.

🌑 Mask 1: Exposure ↓ · Dehaze ↑
🌿 Mask 2: Highlights ↓ · Shadows ↑
🌳 Mask 3: Highlights ↓ · Shadows ↑
🏫 School: Highlights ↑ · S-Curve
☀️ Radial Light: Exposure ↑ · Tint ↑ · Temp ↑ · Shadows ↑

Finished with some color mixing and little detail adjustments ❤️

If you like this edit, comment “UNW” and I’ll send you the preset for free ❤️✌️

#artofmasking #lightroomedits #lightroommasking #photoediting #goldenhourphotography by @liulightstudio26

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a month ago

🐿️ ART OF MASKING — Paint the Light

This one is all about the Brush Mask. Instead of just brightening the photo, I used the brush to paint in natural light and create more depth around our little model. 😂

Mask 1 — Brush: Paint in light + bring out details
Mask 2 — Linear: Darken the foreground to create depth
Mask 3 — Linear: Add light from the top to guide the eye
Then I finished it with some Color Mix — with colors I LIKE, folks 😂 You can always color grade it again to fit your own style.

Too much? Not enough? That’s the beauty of presets — make it yours.

Save this for your next edit, and comment “AOM” for the FREE preset! 🤎
Love y’all. 🐿️📸

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #lightroomedits #naturephotography #animalphotography taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @liulightstudio26

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12 days ago

Art of Masking | 🌙chase

Only 3 masks for this one. Sometimes that’s all you need.

The RAW is alright, my goal was very simple: deepen the shadows, keep the warmth, and let the moon quietly finish the frame.

Mask 1: Exposure ↓, Contrast ↑, Shadows ↑, Whites ↑, Blacks ↓, Dehaze ↑
Mask 2: Exposure ↑, Highlights ↓, Shadows ↑, Temp ↑, Dehaze ↓
Moon 🌙: Shadows ↑, Texture ↑, Clarity ↑
Finished with a little color mix + S-curve.

Save this one so you can try these masks next time you catch a similar light. 📸
Want the preset? Comment “AOM” and I’ll send it your way!

#ArtOfMasking #LightroomMasking #LightroomEditing #goldenhourphotography #PhotographyTips by @liulightstudio26

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2 months ago

AOM | GOLDEN TIME. 🐿️🍂

Comment “AOM” for this preset ❤️

One of my favorite little subjects to photograph—squirrels! This guy was just enjoying his snack, but I wanted the edit to feel like he was sitting right in the middle of a golden fall afternoon.

For this AOM, I used 6 masks to shape the light and pull your eyes toward our little snack thief:
• Brush Mask — controlled and brightened the light
• Linear Mask x2 — darkened the corners to create depth
• Radial Mask — brought more light around the squirrel
• Radial Light Source — created that warm glow
• Brush Mask — and yes… extra details on the NOSE 😂🐿️
Finished with a warm golden color grade to completely transform those greens into fall tones. 🍁

Save this for your fall shoots!
Follow for more AOM — Art of Masking edits. 📸

#lightroommasking #artofmasking #lightroomedits #naturephotography #squirrel by @liulightstudio26

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17 days ago

Nashville night

Great stop love the city! by @liulightstudio26

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5 days ago