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Written Instructions for the Dodge and Burn Panel

This panel gives us plenty of options to enhance the contrast in our images.

• Highlights, Midtones and Shadows: Each creates a new blank layer, and adds a mask that targets a specific tone. To use this, select the layer it creates (not the mask) and then a white (to dodge) or black (to burn) brush. Paint directly onto the layer to dodge and burn. The mask will restrict where this takes place: Highlights, Mdtones, Shadows. Change the Blend Mode of the layer to Soft light or Overlay, depending on the effect you want. And lower the opacity of the layer to weaken the effect.
• Merge: this merges all of our layers non-destructively. Then we can select Dodge or Burn and paint directly onto the merged layer.
• 50% Grey: Is a non-destructive way of dodging and burning and works the same way as the Highlights, Midtones and Shadows buttons, using a white or black brush.
• Curves: Creates a gentle S-Curve with a black mask that we can paint in.
• Sponge: Selects the sponge tool and lets us desaturate any parts of our image that have become oversaturated when using the Dodge and Burn buttons. Personally, I find it better to change the Blend Mode of the Merged layer to Luminosity if the colours are too strong.
• Brush: Selects the brush tool.
• Sm: Small Brush.
• La: Large Brush.
• +: Make brush larger.
• -: Make brush smaller.
• Colours beneath brush buttons: Select these to change our foreground colour to the corresponding colour.
• Detail Shads/Detail Lights: Add detail specifically to the darker or lighter parts of the image. Personally I prefer the Detail Enhancer in the Filters/Finish panel.
• Glow Free: This is a cool way to add a gentle glow to you scene. See how you can do that here: https://youtu.be/nBiB5tP–h0?t=383
• Zone Contrast: This creates 6 layers, each one targeting a different tonal range. All of these layers are Curves layers. Essentially, we can make very specific contrast adjustments based on tonal range. Let’s say our shadows are a little dark. In the Zone Contrast group there are two Shadows layers. Choose one and raise the curve up. This will brighten your shadows without affecting midtones or highlights.
• S-Curve: Creates a standard S-Curve contrast adjustment.
• Dark Sky: This darkens brighter tones, and also deepens the colour within those tones.
• Bright Highlights: Adds extra brightness to the brightest part of the image.
• Lighten Shadows: Automatically recovers shadows if they are getting too dark.
• Protect Shadows: Places a Darks mask on a Levels layer so that you can manually recover the shadows.
• Fake HDR: This both recovers highlights and shadows.
• Orton Effects: All four of these add a dreamy Orton effect to your image. Don’t forget to lower the opacity of the layer if it looks to strange.

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