Lumenzia: Recommended Learning Plan

Luminosity masking is a very complex topic. If you've already mastered it, then there are just a few key things to learn about Lumenzia itself to get going. If you haven't used luminosity masks, then you should expect to invest some time to get up the learning curve. Luminosity masks can not only be used anywhere you might have previously used masks or selections, but they are likely going to cause you to use them so much more because you can do so much more. Ultimately, I believe you'll find this investment of time to learn incredibly rewarding, as luminosity masks can unlock incredible results that are difficult or impossible to achieve otherwise. And once you've learned how to use them, they can often save you a significant amount of time as well by allowing you to work more precisely.

The optimal learning plan varies for each person depending on their starting point and ultimate objectives. However, I believe the following outline is generally very useful for most photographers:

  • Watch the "Quick Start" video. This may be found by clicking the "Tutorials" button in Lumenzia or going to the overview page. This provides a high-level overview of the Lumenzia workflow to get you started.
  • If at any point you have questions on the use of specific Lumenzia features, please use the "?" button at the bottom of Lumenzia, the "Tutorials" button at the bottom of Lumenzia. The included videos and manuals serve as a reference on specific features. The Master Courses (see below) are designed to not only go much deeper on the most popular topics, but also organized as a complete learning experience to focus on important workflows.
  • The written manual may be found via the top-right flyout menu in the Lumenzia panel (for the older v9, just look for the manual in the ZIP download you use to install the software).
  • The Lumenzia Basics panel is installed with Lumenzia to offer additional tools some users will find helpful (but you may close or hide this panel if not applicable for your needs). It includes some buttons intended for beginners who may not know all PS shortcuts, as well as some unique capabilities (such as the "SmartObj" button's color indicating if the current layer is a RAW smart object). The Basics panel has its own written manual (found in same place as the main Lumenzia manual), and clicking the "tutorials" button in Basics will show a support page for that panel.
  • If you have purchased the "master courses", I recommend first watching the Dodging and Burning Master Course first (if you already purchased and registered, just log in at gregbenzphotography.teachable.com). This course teaches the artistic principles and luminosity masking techniques to help create depth and dimension in any image. It is designed to be applicable for all skill levels, with introductory chapters for beginners and progressively working towards advanced levels. I recommend watching the course in order, but advanced users may skip any section marked for beginners or as optional. Be sure to read the written segments, as they are a critical part of the course (ie, the course is much, much more than just videos).
  • If you purchased the Exposure Blending Master Course, I recommend watching it next (if you already purchased and registered, just log in at gregbenzphotography.teachable.com). This course goes well beyond blending exposures for expanded dynamic range. In fact, the core lessons are about "multi-processing" a single RAW file, which allows you to extract more color and detail from any scene. This course is similarly designed to be watched in order, though advanced users may skip segments marked for beginners.
  • I offer several "start to finish" courses (see bottom of the store page) which show complete workflows for specific scenarios (focus stacking, non-destructive smart objects, astro, cityscapes, etc). These courses do not require prior knowledge, but it would be ideal to do the master courses first if you have them (as the start to finish courses don't go as deep on those sub-topics).