Dodge and Burn - Selection Tips and Tricks Please

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/14/2004 12:52:13 AM · #1

I've been wanting to learn to dodge and burn in PS for a while now. I looked up heida's unofficial howto which describes her method for creating stunning and dramatic photos. It is very helpful as a starting point for the technique, but the major stumbling block for me is using PSs selection tools to isolate each element to be adjusted.

Any tips for selecting in PS?

For my selective desat challenge entry, I painstakingly hand selected each color element with the lasso tool at high magnification.

But, that style won't translate well when selecting many, larger elements.

Please help,
Ara

brianlh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

12/14/2004 01:18:08 AM · #2

i too have wondered this. i've found the magic wand, or sometimes the magnetic lasso to be of some help, but they still prove to be imperfect many times.

docpjv

Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS

12/14/2004 01:56:34 AM · #3

thanks for teaching me.

Imagineer

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

12/14/2004 02:05:45 AM · #4

The most useful element for selection is to use layer masks. By duplicating a layer and applying a mask you retain all your pixel data and you can simply airbrush the mask to reveal/hide the area you want.

Have a look in this thread too.

Jon

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

12/14/2004 09:54:29 AM · #5

Largely it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you want to isolate something that already exists in the image, then use the thing that distinquishes it from the surroundings to drive the selection. So if it stands out from the background because of a colour difference, use the select colour range to select the object. If it stands out because of tonality, use the channel that has the most difference to start the selection. Once you've got the basic selection in a mask, using colour range or a channel, use levels, curves, brushes etc to optimise the selection. The key is that if the thing you want to select is defined by something - use that to make the selection. Don't waste your time using lasso tools or magic wands, there are almost always better ways to achieve it, more simply and more accurately, by letting the image do the work.

If you are wanting to do adjustments based on features that don't exist in the image, e.g., dodging/ burning areas that don't currently stand out or are differentiated from the background, then lassos, rectangle tools and paintbrushes are useful A graphics tablet is also a great help for more creative selections.

Let the image drive the basic outline, then use levels and curves, gaussian blur or sharpening to tweak the mask the way that you want it. A gaussian blur gives a smooth gradient over any edge. The gamma slider on a levels adjustment can then be used to shrink or expand that smooth gradient to shift the center point.

This set of images and accompanying comments illustrates how you can use a channel to very quickly create an outline mask, then optimise it with some simple filtering and brush use.

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/14/2004 11:27:12 AM · #6

My approach to dodge and burn is slightly different than heida's because I don't use the dodge and burn tools. You may have seen traditional darkroom printing illustrations where they show portions of the image as +x or -x seconds. I basically create a new layer for each of the +/- areas of the image, use levels or curves to get the exposure I want for that area, and then use a mask to make a portion of the layer visable. This lets me do the burning and dodging work on the layer mask rather than on the image itself. You can use a variety of selection techniques, such as the one Gordon described, to create and fine tune the mask.

12/14/2004 11:56:43 AM · #7

brianlh: thanks, i knew there must be a lasso that "figured out" what you wanted - you named it, and i went looking for and found the magnetic lasso.

gibun: glad you found this thread.

imagineer: that's a great thread, thanks!

gordon: another great thread, thanks! i'd say most of my images are a little more difficult to mask than that example, but it's a good place for me to start when thinking about how to separate areas of an image.

nusbaum: ok, thanks. that sounds better to me because i find it difficult to draw with my mouse. maybe i should think about a tablet too.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

12/14/2004 12:14:28 PM · #8

Originally posted by BikeRacer:

gordon: another great thread, thanks! i'd say most of my images are a little more difficult to mask than that example, but it's a good place for me to start when thinking about how to separate areas of an image.

If you want to show some specific examples that might be good ?

12/14/2004 12:20:37 PM · #9

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by BikeRacer:

gordon: another great thread, thanks! i'd say most of my images are a little more difficult to mask than that example, but it's a good place for me to start when thinking about how to separate areas of an image.

If you want to show some specific examples that might be good ?

This shot:

I played with it after I found the magnetic lasso - still a bit of a pain, but much faster than doing it by hand. After the selecting the duck, I expanded the selection by 1px then feathered it by 2px. Inverted the selection, then Desat and levels to boost contrast on the rocks/water.