I have been teaching Photoshop for several years and one thing I have learned over time is that everyone dodges and burns their images in a slightly different way. After all, the basics of dodging and burning is simply making an area of the photo lighter or darker. While it is often overlooked, it may be one of the most important steps in your entire image process. Are you dodging and burning your images I wonder?
In the past, Dodging and Burning was a tedious process in the darkroom. Unlike today’s practice, Dodging and Burning required a lot of patience and manual labor with perfectly cutout masks and a splash of math. It could take hours and multiple attempts to get your image looking great.
These days dodging and burning is a breeze in Photoshop. While it is a simple task and can be accomplished in mere seconds it can add complex visual aesthetics to your images. If you aren’t dodging and burning, it is about time you start painting with light!
