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Burning & Dodging >

Methods

Photoshop Elements

Burning & Dodging Tools

The Photoshop Elements Burn and Dodge tools are little used.

That's because there are better ways to burn and dodge, such as the methods below.

Suggested Methods

Beginners often have difficulty choosing which method to use for a given situation.

The suggested methods below will help you to get started.

With experience, your use of the methods may vary from what is described here.

Traditional:

Overlay Layer Method

The method that most approximates traditional burning and dodging is the Overlay Layer method.

Below, it has been placed in the Several Small Areas category.

Methods for Large Expanses

If you need to burn and dodge a large expanse, such as a sky, use one of the two methods below.

Using these methods, you'll first make a darker version of your photograph.

Then, you'll combine part of this darker version with the original photograph.

• Combine Two Exposures - Levels & the Eraser Tool

• Combine Two Exposures - Levels & a Mask

You can also change the opacity of a selection.

Go to Multiple Opacities.

A Few Small Areas

If you need to burn and dodge several small areas, such as a shadow on a face, use the Overlay Layer.

Many Small Areas

If you need to burn and dodge many small areas, such as a scene with dappled sunlight, use the Automatic with a B&W Negative Mask method.

Highlights & Shadows Only

If you need to burn and dodge only highlights or shadows, use the Method for Shadows or Highlights Only.

Use the above method when other burning methods won't darken an overexposed area.

Selecting Tones

You can select a tone to manipulate.

Go to Selecting Tones Introduction.

Overexposed Areas

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

You can't darken them by burning.

Go to Painting Overexposed Areas.