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. . . if you need to burn and dodge a large expanse, such as a sky.
As often happens in photography, it's hard to get much contrast on the same photograph.
In the photograph below, to the left, the exposure made the clouds look good.
However, the foreground is too dark.
The entire photograph was brightened.
However, now, the clouds have lost some drama.
Original
Brightened
You can use a mask to brighten only the foreground, and leave the clouds darker like the original photograph.
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.
If you haven't already done so, go to Make a Background Copy.
1) Create a Levels adjustment layer.
Click the Create adjustment layer icon, the half-dark, half-bright, circle at the top of the Layers palette, and select Levels.
The Levels window will open.
2) Change the contrast by sliding the gray triangle, in the middle, back-and-forth.
The change here was from 1 to 1.5.
If you need to make further adjustments, double click the Levels window thumbnail in the Levels adjustment layer to reopen the Levels window.
Don't select the Selection Brush tool, which as a dotted area on the brush in the icon.
If you haven't already done so, go to Brushes - Basics.
Because the areas to be selected were clearly demarcated, a brush with little feathering was used, at an opacity setting of 100%.
In other situations, use brushes with feathering to blend the effect.
Make sure the Levels adjustment layer is active (highlighted).
Make sure the foreground color is set to black.
Press x to cycle between the foreground and background colors.
If the colors are not black and white, press d.
Where you paint with black, the foreground color, the effect of the Levels adjustment layer is concealed.
You can see the mask thumbnail in the Levels adjustment layer.
If you hold Alt and click on the mask thumbnail, the mask will replace your photograph.
You can check if you missed or went too far.
Repeat the operation to return to your photograph.
If you hold Alt + Shift, and click the mask thumbnail, the mask will appear as a translucent red layer on your photograph.
Repeat the operation to make the mask disappear.
If you painted an area that you didn't intend to, change the foreground color to white by pressing x.
Then, brush the unwanted area.
Be sure to switch the foreground color back to black, by pressing x again.
If you paint with shades of gray, rather than black, it's like using a brush with a lower opacity.
Here's the masked version.
Original
Brightened
Masked
Instead of using a mask, you can use the eraser tool:
Go to Combine 2 Exposures - Levels & the Eraser Tool.
You can also change the opacity of a selection.
Go to Multiple Opacities.
If your photograph has overexposed areas, such as an area in the cloud above, they need to be painted.
You can't darken them by burning.
Go to Painting Overexposed Areas.
If you haven't already done so, go to Saving Files.