Lumenzia Action Panel for Photoshop

Luminosity masks for image enhancement

By Black Mesa Images in Columns on Nov 9, 2017

In the last several years, the use of luminosity masks the Photoshop post-processing workflow has exploded in popularity. Just as recently as a couple of years ago, luminosity masks seemed to carry with it an aura of “next level” knowledge in Photoshop. That myth was not far from the truth as luminosity masks were created manually and took a long time to use. 

Enter the world of the luminosity action panel.  If you're into landscape photography, then you have probably heard about several of the panels on the market.   Let me introduce you to one of the panels that have been gaining momentum over the last year or so: the Lumenzia Panel, which is exclusively compatible with Photoshop.  Lumenzia was created by photographer Greg Benz and I have seen its popularity grow while growing to love it myself.

The best part about luminosity masks in general is that they are not limited only to images with high dynamic ranges.  I have started using them for a wide range of images, including astro photos.

The Lumienza Panel

Luminosity masks, very simply put, are selections of parts of an image based the luminosity values. These masks are created using the darks, mid-tones, and highlights. In other words, you can create a high dynamic range effect by using luminosity masking.

There are several different luminosity mask action panels on the market and I really have not come across negative reviews of any of them. Lumenzia just happens to be the panel that I went to, so I am familiar with it. I know there is at least one video that compares the most popular luminosity masking panels on the market.

How do you get Lumenzia? You can get it from the author's site, Greg Benz Photography. The cost is $39.99 and includes the panel, a “Basics” panel that is a stripped down version of Lumenzia, access to a private support forum, quick start guide, and access to over two hours of video tutorials.  If you have not played with luminosity masks and would like to test an action panel out, download the "Basics" panel for free.  Greg also has a group on Facebook called Luminosity Masking and releases videos every so often containing tips and tricks on how to use Lumenzia. Stay tuned for a follow-up article / mini-review that will show how I use Lumenzia in my workflow.