Dodge and Burn Tutorial - Recommendations?

[TheBigE]

All,

I am looking to see if anyone has any good recommendations for a Dodge and Burn Tutorial - perhaps a bit more on the advanced side and looking at different techniques. I am looking for something a bit more than just the "process" but also some discussion about what to capture in camera and more of the articstic side of Dodging and Burning.

I would like to study the technique a bit more and I think it can really be a beneficial post processing technique...right now I mainly just brighten the areas I was to be the Highlight of the image - but I feel there is much more to it than this and much more potential to give the image a different mood/feeling.

I am not necessarily looking for something free, and would be willing to pay for a good training course or tutorial if it has good reviews.

Any recommendations or photographers whose works shows this technique well?

Thanks
Erik

[pnodrog]

It will depend a bit on the software you are using.

You ask about photographers work that shows the work well. However a problem is that unless you see the original photograph, if they have done it well you will not know exactly what or if anything has been done....

[Manfred M]

As you are a Lightroom / Photoshop user, this will be easier than for someone that uses other software.

A 100% critical tool that all retouchers use is a pressure sensitive tablet, rather than a mouse. Wacom is the most popular one out there an I have been using one for many years. If you are feeling especially rich; the Wacom Cintiq is what the high end pros use, but they are extremely expensive.

All of the better techniques I have seen use Photoshop adjustment layers for both the burning and dodging as well as the associated issues to control saturation.



The best one I have found is put out by the Retouching Academy; normally it sells for $US 169, but there is a special on right now for $US 125.:

http://retouchingacademy.com/product...-video-course/

It concentrates on how to retouch fashion and beauty images, but the techniques that are used can be applied to any image. I have evolved a bit on the technique shown here, but the basics are there.

[Dave Humphries]

There are far too many ways to do this Erik
Which is no doubt what's prompted this thread.

I'm still learning myself, experimenting with targeted adjustment brush in ACR (or LR) versus layers in PS.
With the latter (PS), some suggest using separate layers for dodge and burn (painting on mask to apply with white), while others have a single layer with a grey mask and paint white for one thing and black for the other. I'm sure the layer blend mode is relevant too.

I'm still trying to decide which is best, or whether certain methods suit some types of image better than others.

Any of the above are better than what I was doing 'last year', which was often using the dodge or burn tools destructively on a pixel layer

So I'll be interested in how this turns out and I'll contribute anything I find.

Cheers, Dave

[rpcrowe]

In addition to the very good dodge and burn capabilities of Photoshop CC (I don't, by preference, use Lightroom) another capability is in using the NIK Software Viveza Control Point and Brush Capabilities. In fact, you have controls using Viveza beyond just adjusting density.

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...viveza+brushes

[TheBigE]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I want to try and stay in PS for the moment and use it (vice LR) for Dodging and Burning, but willing to learn all methods to understand which is the best.

Manfred, I looked at the course at retouching academy and I am interested, it would be nice to see some more reviews or feedback on the course for the money. How are the instructors? How is the training overall? I looked for some clips but did not see anyone other than the general "trailer"

I will dig a bit more and probably give the course a try.

[TheBigE]

In doing some more searching I found this site

http://www.ryandyar.com/instructional-videos

[Manfred M]

Manfred, I looked at the course at retouching academy and I am interested, it would be nice to see some more reviews or feedback on the course for the money. How are the instructors? How is the training overall? I looked for some clips but did not see anyone other than the general "trailer"

I will dig a bit more and probably give the course a try.

Erik - I am recommending it because (1) I bought it, (2) Michael Wolosyknowicz is a well known high end retoucher and educator and (3) He has also done a number of articles for fstoppers. Go to the fstoppers.com website and enter his name; lots of articles there by him.


https://fstoppers.com/search?t=artic...icz&gsc.page=2

[Black Pearl]

I use the Dodge/Burn tool in Photoshop (with a mouse) on just about every monochrome image I produce, however I do it by eye to my liking and most of what I like comes from years doing the same in darkrooms with bits of card and wire. All I would say is to read a quick 'how they work' guide then just play and get a feel of what can be achieved.

[jisner]

All,

I am looking to see if anyone has any good recommendations for a Dodge and Burn Tutorial - perhaps a bit more on the advanced side and looking at different techniques.

Look at the technique known as "Luminosity Painting." It is a specialized form of burning and dodging that paints black or white through an active luminosity mask selection.

http://www.naturephotographers.net/a.../tk0908-1.html

[Geoff F]

I found the Ron Bigelow articles to be helpful for so many editing ideas.

http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

Although maybe he goes fairly quickly from basic to advanced level I found these were written in a more understandable way than many others.

Possibly some items sound a bit dated now, as cameras and editing software have changed remarkably over the past two years, but the basic editing principles are very similar.