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Adjusting Brightness by Dodging and Burning

In a traditional darkroom, photos are created by shining light through film onto light-sensitive paper for a period of time. That period of time determines the lightness and darkness of the photo. If the paper is exposed to light for a shorter period of time, the photo is lighter. If the paper is exposed to light for a longer period of time, the photo is darker.

However, some parts of a photo may be much darker or much lighter than other areas of the photo. Photographers in a traditional darkroom could lighten and darken these areas by reducing or increasing the time that the areas were exposed to light. They did this by moving their hands or another object above the light-sensitive paper, effectively blocking light to some areas of the photo (dodging), while allowing light to other areas of the photo (burning).

You can do the same thing with digital photographs. You can use the Dodge Tool to lighten dark areas of a photo and the Burn Tool to brighten dark areas of a photo.

To Dodge and Burn a Photo:

In the Toolbar, under Fix, select the Dodge Tool or the Burn Tool from the drop-down menu .
In the Properties bar, set the Dodge and Burn options as described in the table below.
Click and drag across a specific area of the photo.
Click Done.

Dodge and Burn Options

Brush Options	Select brush options: In the Properties bar, click the Brush Options icon. Drag the Hardness slider to the left to soften the brush or nib and to the right to harden. Drag the Roundness slider to the left to flatten the brush or nib and to the right to make the brush or nib round. If you flattened the brush or nib, you can drag the Angle slider to the left and right to change the angle of the brush or nib.
Brush Size	Click the drop-down arrow beside the Brush Size box and drag the slider to the left or right until the brush or nib is the desired size.
Spacing	Click the drop-down arrow beside the Spacing box and drag the slider to the left to create a smooth, continuous stroke and to the right to create a dotted stroke.
Exposure	Click the arrow beside the Exposure box and drag the slider to the left to reduce the amount of light that is blocked and to the right to increase the amount of light that is blocked
Mode	From the Mode drop-down, select Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights. If you selected the Dodge Tool, select Shadows to add the least amount of light to the photo, Midtones to add a medium amount of light to the photo, and Highlights to add the most amount of light to the photo. If you selected the Burn Tool, select Shadows to add the least amount of darkness to the photo, Midtones to add a medium amount of darkness to the photo, and Highlights to add the most amount of darkness to the photo.
Fade	Select fade options: Select Size to create the impression that a stroke is shrinking, as if you are slowly lifting the brush or nib off the work area. Select Opacity to create the impression that a stroke is fading, as if the brush or nib is slowly running out of ink. Select Size and Opacity to create the impression that a stroke is shrinking and fading.