Creative Dodging and Burning in Photoshop CS5

[deanwork]

I do a lot of large format black and white work where I alter tonalities locally in many ways.

My primary technique has been to use the Brush tool set to Screen and Multiple modes to lighten and darken areas.

Do any of you know how this compares to the new Protect Tones improvements with the traditional dodge and burn tools in PS?
I do know there has been a huge improvement in the way they have cut down on the destructive side effects of dodging and burning - such as clipping data and especially altering the hue of a zone.

What I don't know is if using blending modes with the brush the way I have always done it (on a separate layer to fade in and out) is still the safest least destructive way to go or if the new Dodge and Burn tools have caught up.

john

[stamper]

A good question. Because both can be done on a layer then there isn't any destruction. I could never figure out why in the past they stated it was destructive. I would think that your original method is still more flexible, The end result and ease of use should be the deciding factor.

[dstefan]

Alt+click the new layer icon.  Change blend mode to Overlay in the dialogue box that pops up.  Check "fill with Overlay neutral color" box.  Set a brush to about 8 to 10% opacity.  Paint in black to darken, white to lighten, build up effect with a soft brush.  Totally non distructive. change as needed. Turn layer on or off.  Use lower opacity to build up very gradual effect (eg, 4%) in an uneven sky, where you have to be careful in lightening or darkening.  Use the Edit/fade tool as needed. 

Best dodge and burn there is. Just do it, be amazed, and don't look back . . .

[Jonathan Ratzlaff]

How about creating an adjustment layer for the adjustment you want, masking it and just painting in the area where you want the effect.  Works both for burning and dodging.  I find it is faster and more efficient than using a 50% overlay layer

[aduke]

How about creating an adjustment layer for the adjustment you want, masking it and just painting in the area where you want the effect.  Works both for burning and dodging.  I find it is faster and more efficient than using a 50% overlay layer

+1

Plus, you can use any type of adjustment layer, not just a Levels or Curves layer.

Alan

[stamper]

Alt+click the new layer icon.  Change blend mode to Overlay in the dialogue box that pops up.  Check "fill with Overlay neutral color" box.  Set a brush to about 8 to 10% opacity.  Paint in black to darken, white to lighten, build up effect with a soft brush.  Totally non distructive. change as needed. Turn layer on or off.  Use lower opacity to build up very gradual effect (eg, 4%) in an uneven sky, where you have to be careful in lightening or darkening.  Use the Edit/fade tool as needed. 

Best dodge and burn there is. Just do it, be amazed, and don't look back . . .

I used to use this method but changed to the above advice about adjustment layers. The overlay method, I believe, works better on mid tones but the adjustment layer method is better for shadows and highlights and is more flexible.

[Lightbox]

I prefer to work with adjustment layers and masks for D&B, most people have there preferences and they all achieve similar results, but the disadvantages I see in other methods are -

50% gray layer set to Overlay/Softlight - Neutral is 50% gray, so if you make an error and want to fix it further down the line its hard to paint back in at 50% gray.

Using Photoshops Dodge & Burn tools - These can't be used on a blank layer only a duplicate of the background so it increases file size while you are working, also because the layer is pixel based you cant paint back in if you make an error or want to make a change later on.

I use two or more levels layers, one set to Screen and one set to Multiply blending modes, both have inverted or black masks which you paint onto with a white brush at low opacity's. This not only gives you the layers opacity to change for a stronger effect, but you also have the controls within the levels layer itself, and then you can further increase or decrease the opacity of the mask. Another big benefit here is that D&B will always cause colour shifts to your image, sometimes subtle but if your making big changes the colour shift will be easy to spot. To help fix this you can use now use the D&B masks you have painted as masks for a Hue/Sat layer or Colour Balance or any other layer which can be used to fix colour.

Below is a link to download the action I use at the start of every edit, it creates 3 D&B layers and a blank layer I use for cloning/healing, then puts these into a group. Above the group you have two more layers which are switched off by default, one is a Solar Curve which can be switched on to help you see sensor dust/marks or to help with cloning in general, mostly used for large flat tonal areas like interior walls and sky. The other a desaturated copy of your background layer set to Colour blending mode, this can be turned on and off while you are D&Bing and helps you to concentrate on tone only without the distraction of colour. Obviously you delete these two layers once finished D&B and before moving on with the edit, here's a screen grab of the layer line up -



As I said initially, everyone has there preferences for the way they work and how they work, that's important as you have to switch layers and tools often and when your doing a big edit that may include hours of D&B, comfort and speed is key. Download my action here -

http://www.mediafire.com/?7jzev7rf0eicl81

.

[antonio1973]

Hello, very help full action. I  use Multiply and Screen, but your action give more control and best result during burning and dodging.

Thank you.

Antonio

[sniper]

I prefer to work with adjustment layers and masks for D&B, most people have there preferences and they all achieve similar results, but the disadvantages I see in other methods are -

50% gray layer set to Overlay/Softlight - Neutral is 50% gray, so if you make an error and want to fix it further down the line its hard to paint back in at 50% gray.

Using Photoshops Dodge & Burn tools - These can't be used on a blank layer only a duplicate of the background so it increases file size while you are working, also because the layer is pixel based you cant paint back in if you make an error or want to make a change later on.

I use two or more levels layers, one set to Screen and one set to Multiply blending modes, both have inverted or black masks which you paint onto with a white brush at low opacity's. This not only gives you the layers opacity to change for a stronger effect, but you also have the controls within the levels layer itself, and then you can further increase or decrease the opacity of the mask. Another big benefit here is that D&B will always cause colour shifts to your image, sometimes subtle but if your making big changes the colour shift will be easy to spot. To help fix this you can use now use the D&B masks you have painted as masks for a Hue/Sat layer or Colour Balance or any other layer which can be used to fix colour.

Below is a link to download the action I use at the start of every edit, it creates 3 D&B layers and a blank layer I use for cloning/healing, then puts these into a group. Above the group you have two more layers which are switched off by default, one is a Solar Curve which can be switched on to help you see sensor dust/marks or to help with cloning in general, mostly used for large flat tonal areas like interior walls and sky. The other a desaturated copy of your background layer set to Colour blending mode, this can be turned on and off while you are D&Bing and helps you to concentrate on tone only without the distraction of colour. Obviously you delete these two layers once finished D&B and before moving on with the edit, here's a screen grab of the layer line up -



As I said initially, everyone has there preferences for the way they work and how they work, that's important as you have to switch layers and tools often and when your doing a big edit that may include hours of D&B, comfort and speed is key. Download my action here -

http://www.mediafire.com/?46p752wtpet61g9

.

Thanks for sharing the action, when I run it I get an error message saying  " the object action UTL curve sola of set SQ retouching is missing is missing.

[antonio1973]

...same for me, the layer solar doesn't run.

[rovanpera]

50% gray layer set to Overlay/Softlight - Neutral is 50% gray, so if you make an error and want to fix it further down the line its hard to paint back in at 50% gray.

You dont actually have to fill with 50% neutral, just set emply layer to softlight or overlay and paint on it. The advance of the grey layer is that you can better see where you have painted by turning the blending mode to neutral. Fixing errors can also be done also by using the eraser tool.

[Lightbox]

Whoops forgot that the Solar Curve wasn't included in the action, I have updated the action which now includes the solar curve in the action set, download here -

http://www.mediafire.com/?7jzev7rf0eicl81

.

[john beardsworth]

You dont actually have to fill with 50% neutral, just set emply layer to softlight or overlay and paint on it. The advance of the grey layer is that you can better see where you have painted by turning the blending mode to neutral.

Not an advantage. With an adjustment layer you just Alt/Option click the mask.

John

[sniper]

Thanks for the updates version, working fine now.
Cheers for sharing.
Wayne

[rovanpera]

advance compared to painting to an empty layer...

[john beardsworth]

Then Ctrl click the layer. In either case, dodging and burning by painting on a pixel layer is outmoded.

[ippolitois]

Then Ctrl click the layer. In either case, dodging and burning by painting on a pixel layer is outmoded.

I'm intrigued. I've been playing with this action for a couple of days and find it very useful. However, you mention that this technique is outdated. How do you D&B?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[john beardsworth]

I was referring to painting on pixel or transparent layers and then changing their blending modes, not to the action which uses the more modern approach of adjustment layers and masks.

[ippolitois]

I was referring to painting on pixel or transparent layers and then changing their blending modes, not to the action which uses the more modern approach of adjustment layers and masks.

Thanks for the clarification.

Best Regards,


Paul

[MichaelWorley]

Not an advantage. With an adjustment layer you just Alt/Option click the mask.

John

There's always some little trick that's useful but hard to remember.

As for dodging and burning, I prefer the John Paul Caponigro technique. Admittedly, it can be tedious, especially with a color image.

He creates a new layer, changes it to Overlay mode, and paints on it with black to darken and white to lighten. The tedious part is that you paint at 100% opacity, and use Cmd/Ctrl-Shift-F to bring up the fade slider. [Have to do it after ever stroke.] Fade what you've painted back to the effect you want. He uses this to good effect to create three dimensionality. Paint the outside edge of a rounded form to darken it. Right next to that stroke, paint another, but fade it more than the first one. Do the same on the other side.

That's the technique used on the second of the two images linked below. The first is not processed, just downsized. The other has had a lot of dodging and burning, and the corners were darkened in various places with a curves layer. Silver Efex was applied to both in natural mode without adjustments.

http://www.pbase.com/mike_worley/cypress