Dodging Burning Layer - Highlights/Shadows

I've read other threads about dodging and burning on a separate

layer. Will any of these work when I am dodging or burning specific

regions of highlights, midtones or shadows? Or is there any other

way to do this type of manipulation without doing it on the base

layer?

<p> Layer Masks is the way to go. Try <a href="http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&q=photoshop+%22layer+masks%22+tutorial"> searching the net</a> or going to your local library for a book to get the long answer.</p>

<p>enjoy,</p>

<p>Sean</p>

<em>>>I've read other threads about dodging and burning on a separate layer. </em><p>

Dodging and burning on a separate layer is a good idea because it allows you to work non-destructively, i.e. without changing the background layer itself.

<p><em>>>Will any of these work when I am dodging or burning specific regions of highlights, midtones or shadows? </em><br />

<p>Yes, of course. There are two main non-destructive techniques for dodging and burning.

<p>The first involves adding a new layer and changing its blend mode to Soft Light (in the Layers palette, where it says Normal, you can choose from a variety of different blend modes). Now fill this new layer with 50% grey (Edit --> Fill and choose 50% grey). Then get your Brush tool (press B) and make sure you have the Foreground Color and Background Color set to their defaults (press D). Now paint with black to burn (e.g. over the highlight regions) and white to dodge (e.g. over the shadow regions). Don't worry if you go a little bit over the top, because you can lower the opacity of the new layer. Or, if you prefer, you can reduce the opacity of the brush tool to gradually build up the dodging/burning effect.

<p>If you want to be specific and limit your burning or dodging to the shadows, highlights or midtones, then you will want to use Layer Masks, as others have said. This is how the second method works. This method involves adding an Adjustment Layer (e.g. Curves) and changing its blending mode to either Screen (to dodge) or Multiply (to burn). You can paint with black in the Adjustment Layer's layer mask to mask the effect (i.e. the effect will only be visible in areas where the layer mask is white, although you can also use grey to partially reveal the effect).

<p>Here is an example of using this technique to burn the highlights. First select the highlights (Select --> Color Range and then choose highlights from the dropdown menu). Now add a feather to your selection as appropriate. With the selection active, click on the New Adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. Click OK without making any changes to this adjustment layer. You will see the layer mask thumbnail to the right of the adjustment layer thumbnail. White areas show where the adjustment is applied and black areas show where it is masked. Now change the adjustment layer's blending mode to Multiply. Reduce the opacity of this layer as appropriate.

<p>You use the same technique to dodge by using the Screen blending mode instead of Multiply.