Photoshop Elements >

Burning & Dodging >

Do you need to burn only the highlights?

Or, do you need to dodge only dodge the shadows?

You can easily select either the highlight or shadow areas by using a Threshold adjustment layer.

In the above photograph of a telephone pole, let's select the dark areas with a Threshold adjustment layer.

Then, we can lighten only these areas with a Levels adjustment layer.

Be sure to check off as you go along.

1) Preserve your original file.

If you haven't already done so, go to Preserve Your Original File.

2) Create a Background copy layer.

If you haven't already done so, go to Create a Background Copy Layer.

Threshold

Background copy

Background

The Threshold window will open.

The Threshold adjustment layer makes all of the pixels either white or black.

4) Move the white slider in the middle to select either the highlights or shadows.

In our example, we need to select the shadows.

Below, the whiter slider was moved until the shadow areas were black.

5) Click OK (Pre-8.0).

6) Use the Magic Wand tool to select the black areas.

Set the Tolerance in the options bar to select the entire black area.

Deselect Contiguous in the options bar.

By deselecting Contiguous, all of the black areas are selected.

If Contiguous is selected instead, only the black area that is clicked is selected.

7) Delete the Threshold adjustment layer by dragging it onto the trash can icon.

The marching ants of the selection remain.

Go to Select > Feather to feather the selection, if needed.

The selected area is made into a mask in the Levels adjustment layer.

The Levels sliders will adjust the photograph where the mask is white.

The area of the photograph where the mask is black won't be affected.

9) Move the Levels sliders to brighten the shadows.

Original

Levels Adjustment

If your photograph has overexposed areas, they need to be painted.

You can't darken them by burning.

If you haven't already done so, go to Saving Files.