Since Leen created this topic with this wonderful quote, I thought I’d give a tip for non-destructive dodging and burning in elements.
Above your background layer create two empty layers and set the blending mode of both empty layers to soft light.
Name one dodging and the other burning.
On the burning layer, set your brush opacity somewhat low (between 10 and 20%) click D to get your default black and white color swatches, pick the black swatch. Paint where you want to burn
Target the dodge layer
Click x to switch between black and white, and using the same opacity brush to paint with white where you want to dodge.
You can then reduce the layer’s opacity to soften the effect.
Rich, I do something similar, except I fill the soft light layer (or layers) with neutral gray before doing the painting. Not sure why it’s different that way, but it is….?
Chuck (back from the Big Easy)
Thank you Richard, I will try this weekend. This seems to be a keeper.
Leen
Chuck,
The difference is in technique mainly. When you use a neutral gray you are using the difference from neutral gray towards black or white to control the fix (ie grayness). When you use an empty layer you use mainly opacity of solid black or white for control. Further by splitting dodge and burn into separate layers you have more control and ability to edited each one independently.
I must admit I stole this one from a tutorial I saw Julianne Kost give. She is one of Adobe’s Photoshop evangelists.
Rich
I really need to learn to use this program like it’s meant to be used. I’ve been using PSE mostly for scanning all my old family photo/slides (Epson Twain actually) and minor retouches with the clone stamp. In the two years since I’ve owned PSE I’ve never even tried dodging or burning.
Joe
Joe, don’t!
It is too addictive.
Leen
Joe, I tried it a few times but never seemed to get an acceptable result. The result looks like either a white or a black smear.
it is on my "to-do" list to.
Robert
Robert,
The main thing is whatever technique you use, lower the opacity of the tool (in the case of the dodge and burn tools it is called exposure). You want to be very subtle with dodging and burning.
Rich
Rich, good advice. When doing the ‘layer dodge/burn’ you described (painting on a layer set to soft light), I set the opacity of the brush at 10 % or less.
Chuck
MY favorite is the sponge tool …love adding saturation in little places here and there 😉
Thanks for mentioning the Sponge, Jodi… it is one of the tools which I have neglected to spend time learning.
I vow to try it at the first opportunity!! 😉
Byron
Chuck,
When I saw Julianne give that tutorial she used 6%. What I sometimes do though is use a higher percentage so I can see what I’m doing and than crank the opacity of the dodge/burn layer down to tone the effect down afterwards.
Rich
Sponge…what sponge? 😉 Another tool I don’t think I’ve ever used.
Joe