Select Subject Tool
The Select Subject Tool is an AI-powered masking feature in Adobe Lightroom and the Camera Raw Filter that automatically detects and isolates subjects within photographs. When activated, the tool analyzes image content to identify primary subjects—such as people, animals, or objects—and generates mask edges around them. Rather than requiring manual selection, users receive an automated starting point that can then be refined through additional editing.
Functionality and Workflow
The tool uses machine learning algorithms to recognize subject boundaries based on visual characteristics like contrast, color, and texture. After the initial automated selection is made, users can refine the mask edges using Lightroom’s standard masking controls, including brush adjustments, feathering, and density modifications. This hybrid approach combines algorithmic speed with manual precision, allowing photographers to quickly isolate subjects without drawing masks entirely by hand.
Applications
The Select Subject Tool is particularly useful for selective editing tasks such as adjusting exposure, color, or sharpness on specific subjects while leaving the background unchanged. It streamlines common workflows in portrait retouching, wildlife photography, and product photography where precise subject isolation would otherwise require manual masking work.
Source Notes
- 2026-04-14: I Looked At Amazon After They Fired 16,000 Engineers. Their AI Broke Everything.
- 2026-04-07: Lightroom Classic Single Click Automated AI Mask Presets for Landscape · ▶ source
- 2026-04-22: Photoshop · ▶ source