Landscape Color Grading with Lightroom and Photoshop
A student project from the Nexapulse digital photo editing program.
About this project
Landscape editing has specific technical demands that differ significantly from portrait work. Sky gradients, foliage hues, and the relationship between foreground and background tones all require precise, zone-specific adjustments.
The editing workflow
Students start in Lightroom Classic using the HSL panel to isolate and shift individual color ranges. Orange and yellow channels in autumn shots, for example, respond differently depending on whether sunlight is direct or diffused.
The project then moves into Photoshop for luminosity mask work. Students create selections based on tonal ranges and apply targeted color corrections without affecting the full image. This technique is more precise than layer masks drawn by hand.
Sky and foreground separation
One module covers sky replacement and blending realistically, including matching grain, color temperature, and atmospheric haze between the original and the replacement element. Students also work with radial and linear gradient masks to manage exposure transitions.
- HSL and Color Mixer adjustments in Lightroom
- Luminosity mask creation from channels
- Sky blending with matched color temperature
- Atmospheric haze using gradient fills and blend modes
- Noise reduction and output sharpening
Program breakdown
Project stages
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Lightroom global corrections
White balance, tone curve, and lens profile corrections applied to five raw landscape files.
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HSL selective color work
Isolating and shifting foliage, sky, and soil colors individually using the HSL panel.
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Luminosity mask techniques
Building and refining luminosity selections in Photoshop to target midtones, highlights, or shadows independently.
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Sky and element compositing
Replacing or enhancing sky elements with attention to lighting consistency and grain matching.
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Final review and export
Instructor review of the graded files with written feedback; students revise and submit final versions.
Interested in the full program?
See what the complete learning path looks like — from raw file handling through advanced compositing and portfolio review.