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Burning & Dodging >

Methods for Large Expanse >

Combine Two Exposures - Levels & a Mask

Use This Method . . .

. . . 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.

Preparation

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.

Brighten the Photograph

1) Create a Levels adjustment layer.

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.

Make a Mask

1) Select the Brush tool.

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.

If you haven't already done so, go to Feathered Brush.

Make sure the Levels adjustment layer is active (highlighted).

Make sure the foreground color is set to black.

If you haven't already, go to Foreground & Background Colors.

2) Paint the mask.

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.

Study the Mask

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.

Repair the Mask

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.

An Option

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

Other Methods

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.

Overexposed Areas

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.

Saving the Photograph

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