Adobe Lightroom Classic 12.3 May 2026

Adobe Lightroom Classic version 12.3, released in April 2023, was a landmark update that fundamentally changed how photographers handle noise and masking. The headline feature, AI Denoise

5. Organizing (Library Module)

• Folders – actual disk locations.
• Collections – virtual groups (can contain photos from any folder).
• Smart Collections – auto-update based on rules (e.g., 5-star photos).
• Keywords – add in Keywording panel or by drawing rectangles (Painting tool).
• Ratings – 1 to 5 stars, 6 for Reject (then Ctrl+Backspace to delete).
• Flags – Pick (P), Reject (X), Unflag (U).
• Color Labels – 6(Red), 7(Yellow), 8(Green), 9(Blue) – customizable.
• Filter bar (above grid) – filter by text, metadata, flags, ratings, etc.
• Quick Collection – B to add photos to temporary group.

Curves in Masking: You can now use Point Curves and Color Curves within local masks. This allows for precise, non-destructive tonal adjustments to specific parts of an image without affecting the entire frame. Adobe Lightroom Classic 12.3

In the world of photography, few software updates cause as much immediate chatter as a major point release for Adobe Lightroom Classic. While version 12.0 introduced major features like AI-powered masking, it was the subsequent version 12.3 release that quietly revolutionized the daily editing process for millions of photographers. Adobe Lightroom Classic version 12

: The new AI Denoise feature is computationally heavy. Users with older hardware or integrated GPUs report significantly slower processing times, sometimes taking several minutes per image. Folders – actual disk locations

Rolling Back to 12.2.1

If 12.3 breaks your workflow:

Customization: Uses a single "Amount" slider (defaulted at 50) to balance noise reduction and detail . Advanced Masking Updates

Tone Curves in Masks: For the first time, users can use the Tone Curve tool within a mask, allowing for complex contrast and color shifts in specific areas .