Dodge and Burn

Certainly one of my most used tools.

prerequisite: Tablet - can’t really use a mouse

Other than the Mixer brush, dodge and burn will probably have the biggest impact on your style.  And, of course, it’s something that requires a practiced skill to master it. But when you do, look out! I find myself looking for areas to put light and dark where they could have been or were weak. By enhancing those areas you are, in effect, changing the lighting after the fact. It’s easy to push an image more into the surreal. The part I love.

D&B is also essential when working with fitness. Making lighter areas lighter and darker areas darker you are putting more 3D into what you edit. Especially burn (dark).

The most important classifications you’ll use D&B would be Boudoir and Fitness most likely.

Below you can download this image as a sample to edit from. As with all image we provide for practice, it is not to be shared or published except to the FB group of students when you would like to show off your accomplishments.

Sample of this image download to work with

Download set of actions for Adobe Photoshop (dodge and burn and light rays)