Today’s Question: I can easily create a mask in Lightroom Classic to create a vignette using a radial gradient. The nice thing is the mask can be edited at any time. But I can’t figure out how to something equivalent using gradient tool in Photoshop. As soon as I save the file and re-open it, I can’t seem to edit the gradient any longer, and have to start with a new mask and new gradient. Is there a way to do what is so easy to do in Lightroom Classic masks?
Tim’s Quick Answer: What you’re referring to is the “live gradient” feature. This is preserved for Gradient adjustment layers, but not for layer masks. To maintain editing ability in Photoshop as in Lightroom Classic I would use the Camera Raw filter as a Smart Filter.
More Detail: The Gradient tool in Photoshop includes the option to use the live gradient feature, as long as the popup on the Options bar is set to “Gradient” rather than “Classic gradient”. This enables you to modify the overall gradient shape with ease. When used with a Gradient adjustment layer, you can return to the layer at any time (even after closing and re-opening the file) and modify the live gradient controls.
When you use the live gradient feature with a layer mask, however, the editing capability is only temporary. As soon as you close and re-open an image that included a live gradient on a layer mask, the live gradient will no longer be “live”. In other words, the layer mask will simply be a grayscale pixel-based layer that you can only modify directly, not using the live gradient feature.
If you want the same flexibility for a gradient mask as is possible in Lightroom Classic, you’ll find the exact same capabilities in Camera Raw. The trick is that if you use Camera Raw to open a raw capture and then save the resulting image, you can’t get back to Camera Raw to modify the resulting image. If you wanted to make changes you would need to re-open the original raw capture and refine your original adjustments.
However, you can also use the Camera Raw filter as a Smart Filter in Photoshop to retain the flexibility of being able to modify the mask. Start by opening an image and with the Background image layer selected on the Layers panel go to the menu and choose Filter > Convert for Smart Filters, clicking the OK button in the confirmation dialog to convert the layer to a Smart Object. Then choose Filter > Camera Raw Filter from the menu to bring up the Camera Raw dialog.
You can then use the Masking features to create a variety of masks, including a Radial Gradient or any other shape. You can use this to apply targeted adjustments, as well as the many other adjustments available in Camera Raw. Click the OK button when you’re finished.
If you later want to modify the adjustments, simply double-click the Camera Raw Filter item shown below the Smart Filters thumbnail associated with the Smart Object. This will bring up the Camera Raw dialog, where you can modify the adjustments including the mask. As long as you save the source file as a TIFF or Photoshop PSD file, you’ll retain this editing ability after closing and re-opening the file.
Just keep in mind that this approach of using Smart Filters can create challenges in a layer-based workflow. For example, making changes to the Camera Raw adjustments applied as a Smart Filter can cause other pixel-based layers to no longer match the overall image.
