Photoshop Tips: Dodging and Burning
This video focuses on a Photoshop technique that many people seem interested in and that Iām often asked to talk about ā pixel level dodge and burn.
This popular technique is used by many professionals. Dodging and burning preserves all the original texture, because we are not moving pixels around, we are only slightly lightening and darkening, and by doing this we create a smooth gradient and even tones.
A-M-P
Angela Perez is a fashion photographer and digital retoucher based in Boston, MA. Angela is also a professional instructor of Studio Lighting and Retouching, with four years of experience using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Check out www.angelamichelleperez.com to see additional work.
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October 09, 2012 at 7:42 pm, Chuck said:
That was very helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
October 09, 2012 at 1:23 pm, Raul Ospina said:
Hi. complicated way just to touch up some eye bags. You should just try the healing brush and the clone tool opacity 19 Flow 24. And if you cloned too much just copy the original layer on top and drop the opacity on that just to bring back some tones and definition.
I’m just saying.
rauljo
March 12, 2012 at 2:17 pm, Rsatusa said:
Thank you so much for sharing this. More power to you.
March 02, 2012 at 5:28 pm, Mikecrampton said:
Loved the video-and so nice of you to make it !
March 02, 2012 at 8:03 am, Bradsphotography said:
Thank you for sharing, it was a real help to watch this being done and in a very simple user friendly manner.
If people have made negative comments about background noise or your accent then they really are not interrelated in learning but being stupid little children.
I do hope you don’t allow those comments to stop you posting more videos.
March 01, 2012 at 8:15 pm, Hal Harrison said:
Angela, I think you are great! Thank you so much!
March 01, 2012 at 12:51 am, Ur-itstudios said:
wow now that was a nice little tutorial ty!!!
March 01, 2012 at 12:50 am, Pumper253 said:
I enjoyed the video. Not all Americans are idiots.
Keep up the good work.
February 29, 2012 at 9:40 pm, angel jack king said:
i did hear* the baby
lol wow no more coffee for me
February 29, 2012 at 9:39 pm, angel jack king said:
my focus was on* what you were…
expressing*…
I type too fast sometimes.
February 29, 2012 at 9:38 pm, Angel Jack King said:
Really solid stuff. I love the accent. While I did the baby, and TV, My focus was what you were doing on the screen. Haterz are the best cuz they are reversely expression how great you are.
February 28, 2012 at 7:05 pm, MM Edu said:
Play the ball, not the player. We encourage reasoned discussion but do not tolerate personal attacks.
February 28, 2012 at 5:49 pm, JD said:
Excellent Angela!
This is the same technique I use and the level of control you have with seperate curve adjustment layers offers tremendous flexability. Don’t worry about the negative comments, the people writing them have far too much free time and absolutely nothing to show for it- whereas your work is right there–published on the cover of magazines and also in a stunning portfolio of work. This video is straight to the point and shows how to perform a high level retouch in a very manner of fact approach- great job!
February 28, 2012 at 12:20 am, Monte333 said:
Thanks for this! I already used some of this!
February 27, 2012 at 11:41 pm, Rlewis12d said:
I trully appreciated the tips….thank you
February 27, 2012 at 5:59 pm, Eric Chamberlain said:
Thanks for the info!!
February 27, 2012 at 5:47 pm, _daev said:
Angela,
Please ignore the anons with attitudes.
I don’t see them posting links to their clips show how superior their American accents and production studios are, so their opinions do not matter.
Sure, audio production values could be higher, but so what? You’re sharing good information for free that many would charge for, and you’re helping the community.
I found the information both useful and presented well.
Thanks!
PS I’m also an audio engineer.
If you’d like to cut down that background noise, just pick up a computer headset with a noise canceling mic.
Drop me a line (MM#2285467) if you’d like to know more.
February 26, 2012 at 8:34 pm, Cory said:
Awesome, thanks Angela!
February 26, 2012 at 1:23 pm, Paul Lara said:
Nice technique, Angela! Thank you for sharing this.
February 26, 2012 at 4:37 am, PJ said:
LIKE š Thx for sharing.
February 25, 2012 at 11:27 pm, Eddo said:
Angela thank you very much for doing that. That seems much better than the d&b tools in Elements (which I think change the color of the pixels.) I wish I could apologize for the rude members in the community (assholes!), but it’s not my place. I deeply appreciate your work!
February 25, 2012 at 4:27 pm, Info said:
thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
Why do you select pen and one pixel width? Wouldn’t it be faster to use a brush ?
February 25, 2012 at 4:44 pm, Angela Perez said:
I use a brush and the size of my brush increases and decreases depending on the area I’m working and the size of the photo. I use a tablet so it’s set to pen pressure. The size of my brush in this video was set to 20px and 5%opacity. I’m not sure where you saw pen and 1px?
February 26, 2012 at 4:17 pm, Info said:
Thanks Angela. I just friended you on FB. Jude Wardouza
February 24, 2012 at 11:45 pm, knphotographyla said:
nice technique, thanks for sharing.
didn’t mind the baby or tv noise at all.
February 24, 2012 at 9:00 pm, Basilico Roberto said:
nice video!
February 24, 2012 at 1:40 pm, Steve Chastain said:
Very nice tech…thanks
February 24, 2012 at 11:06 am, Daeda1us said:
Thank you for your time and patience with the negative comments. The video was informative and I appreciate the non-destructive approach to DnB. Good Work!
February 24, 2012 at 9:46 am, chris said:
Thank you for the information I did learn something here keep it up and if no one ever passes on the secrets or techniques to others then at some point in time they will all disappear So thank you so much for the video and I look forward to watching more
February 24, 2012 at 4:53 am, Nsphoto said:
Good video. Good introduction to burn and dodge, what it is for and how to do it. Thank you!
February 24, 2012 at 2:54 am, CS Chong said:
Thanks for the guide and effort in putting this up. Learned something new today! Appreciate it!
—– Photoshop noob
February 23, 2012 at 9:23 pm, Milky said:
P.S. What baby? What TV? I couldn’t hear anything, I was listening intently…
February 23, 2012 at 9:22 pm, Milky said:
Thank you, great tips and instruction!
February 23, 2012 at 3:21 pm, ErasmRoterdam said:
Thanks to this video I just started to get my feet wet on D&B !!!!
February 23, 2012 at 1:02 pm, Maria said:
this kind of videos makes every photoshop user think he’s a retoucher and if he has a camera he’s a photographer
February 23, 2012 at 7:06 pm, Angela Perez said:
I’m not sure what you mean by this comment but I learned this technique straight from a Pro Retoucher.
March 20, 2012 at 4:47 pm, Bob said:
I think that you are what you do. If you take a picture you are a photographer and so on. That said, everyone is at their own level and of course not everyone is at a professional level. You seem to be of the opinion that someone sharing a technique is a bad thing and I dont understand that.
February 23, 2012 at 8:37 am, FotoMark said:
also you can do file>new layer or the short cut, shift
+n, fill with soft light 18% grey then burn with black or dodge with white, use low opacity, 15/20%
February 23, 2012 at 9:00 am, FotoMark said:
Oops shift+command+n= New layer or Ctrl+shift=N on PC
February 23, 2012 at 1:15 am, Lexdiamond20 said:
Nice video. Why not use the dodge and burn buttons instead of the curve adjustment layers?
February 23, 2012 at 2:24 am, Angela Perez said:
The curves adjustment layers allow more control because you can adjust them independently.
February 24, 2012 at 2:26 am, Jim said:
Also, the curves layers are non destructive to the image
February 26, 2012 at 8:03 am, Lexdiamond20 said:
Thanks
March 20, 2012 at 4:55 pm, Bob said:
Another benefit is that with the adjustment layers you can make and remake your adjustments forever without damaging the original image. If you work on the image itself you are deteriorating it with each stroke of the brush. I think of it like sanding a piece of wood, you really cant put that material back after you remove it.
March 20, 2012 at 4:57 pm, Bob said:
I posted that too soon – What I said is just another way to say what Jim said below