Photoshop How To

Dodging and burning is one of the oldest darkroom tricks in the book. But did you know that you can also employ this technique, which lets you selectively tweak exposure in a photo, using Photoshop?

If you didn’t or even if you did but need a refresher course, watch Aaron Nace’s tutorial below titled “Simple Dodge & Burn in Photoshop.” In the below video, Nace of Phlearn shows you how to use Curves in Photoshop to quickly and easily dodge (lighten) and burn (darken) specific areas of an image.

As you’ll see, the final effect helps add dimension and depth to his portraits, drawing more attention to the subject. If you’d like to follow along with Nace as he explains simple dodging and buring in Photoshop, you can download his sample image here. 

Check out more great photography videos on Phlearn’s YouTube channel. Speaking of the darkroom, if you’re interested in traditional analog photography and classic silver halide techniques, read our story from this week on how to set up your own darkroom at home.