Sculpting Light in Black & White Architecture - Lightroom Masks
This is Part 1 of a three-part series on sculpting light and detail in a black and white architectural photograph. In this video, I use Lightroom masks to simulate soft shafts of light streaming through circular ceiling windows, creating atmosphere, depth, and direction without overpowering the scene. This technique is about restraint—guiding the viewer’s eye while keeping the mood believable in black and white.
In Part 2, we’ll build on this foundation by enhancing local contrast and revealing the intricate architectural details using ON1’s Dynamic Contrast and Tone Enhancer tools.
Details, Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain
Contact Scott to commission a print or license this image.
Scott Davenport is a landscape photographer and photo educator and based in San Diego, California. He leads photo workshops, writes photo books, hosts podcasts, makes tutorial videos, and feels weird referring to himself in the 3rd person.
He also can't help getting his feet wet photographing at the beach.