Doging Burning with Lightroom - Can it be same as PS?

[blwegrzyn]

Is there a way to dodge and burn in Lightroom in a same way as in Photoshop?

What should i use to doge or burn mid-tones in LR?

Is the below table correct understanding of how both applications work?

For me it seems like the dodging or burning with exposure or layers affect exposure in whole while old style PS tools affect shadows, highlights or mid-tones only.

Action	Lightroom	Photoshop
Dodge Highlights	make local adjustments with Increased highlights slider	Dodge Highlights
Dodge Shadows	make local adjustments with Increased shadows slider	Dodge Shadows
Dodge Mid-tones	???	Dodge Mid-tones
Burn Highlights	make local adjustments with decreased highlights slider	Burn Highlights
Burn Shadows	make local adjustments with decreased shadows slider	Burn Shadows
Burn Mid-tones	???	Burn Mid-tones
Dodge Exposure	make local adjustments with increased exposure slider	Use layers and paint brush with white
Burn Exposure	make local adjustments with decreased exposure slider	Use layers and paint brush with black

[JP Hess]

The best tool to use in Lightroom would be the adjustment brush. You can adjust exposure, highlights, shadows and a number of other settings. Just dial in the adjustments you want to make and then brush across the area you want to affect.

[blwegrzyn]

My table above refers to adjustment brush in Lightroom.

[JP Hess]

I guess you have to use some reverse logic in Lightroom. To dodge the mid tones, if that means to make them lighter, you would adjust exposure, shadows and blacks. You would increase those settings and then brush over the midtone area that you want to lighten. To burn the mid tones you would make the adjustments just the opposite.

To answer your original question directly, there is no specific dodge and burn tool in Lightroom. You use the brush adjustments to accomplish the effect you are looking for. You probably already realize this. But after you have brushed an area you can go back and adjust the sliders even more as long as you have the area brushed still highlighted.

[blwegrzyn]

i hoped there is an easy answer to this like use that much of this and that and adjust the brush.

[JP Hess]

As far as I can determine, every image is different. You have to make the adjustments according to what the image needs. It's basically the same idea as dodging and burning in Photoshop. As far as Lightroom is concerned, I sometimes do the brushing with no adjustments having been made and then move the sliders to get the results I'm looking for.

[blwegrzyn]

Correct but in ps you just pick the tool and adjust the brush settings.

[JP Hess]

I don't understand the problem here. In Lightroom, you can pick the adjustment brush tool and then adjust the sliders. You can control the density and the flow as well as all of the adjustments that are available. You have to think a little differently because in Photoshop you dodge to make things a lighter but in Lightroom you would increase exposure or shadows or highlights  or whites to achieve the same effect.

[blwegrzyn]

For me the end result seemed to be a little better with the use of the photoshop.

Lightroom has more sliders for the brush but effect is not the same.

I guess i am not at the point where i can use Lightroom as effectively as the Photoshop for local adjustments.

I am trying to learn how to do it in Lightroom so i can only use Photoshop for crucial and more complicated retouching.

What would be a good starting point settings for the brush to adjust the mid-tones to clone that function from the Photoshop?

Lets say i want to clone midtone adjustment such as:

10% exposure

0% hardness

[Todd Shaner]

Because LR's Global and Local LR adjustment controls work differently and are completely non-destructive there is no direct correlation to PS's controls. As JimHess mentioned you can go back and change any of the Global or Local settings, which provides much more adjustment flexibility. The best suggestion is to forget about your PS workflow and look at some LR tutorials to see what works best for your imaging objectives. Your options are virtually limitless, but it's going to be a different workflow than PS.

lightroom adjustment brush - YouTube

[blwegrzyn]

I am aware that there are videos about the brush tool but i cannot find any talking about the midtones.

So my question is how do you burn or dodge the mid tones without affecting shadows and highlights?

If my question is not proper or does not make any sense please let me know.

[Todd Shaner · Accepted solution]

blwegrzyn  wrote

So my question is how do you burn or dodge the mid tones without affecting shadows and highlights?

The LR Exposure control targets the midtone area. If you hover your mouse pointer in the Histogram over different levels it will show the control that for that area.

[blwegrzyn]

Perfect.  This is exactly what I wanted to know.

thank you

[Todd Shaner]

blwegrzyn  wrote

Perfect.  This is exactly what I wanted to know.

thank you

You can download a tutorial I created on the PV2012 Basic panel Tone controls that may be helpful. These 'Global' controls should be adjusted first to obtain the best overall image prior to applying spot corrections with the 'Local' controls. When properly applied it reduces the need for spot corrections. In fact the PV2012 Highlights and Shadows controls can achieve an HDR rendering effect when pushed to the max (-100, +100). More info here:

Dropbox - Lightroom PV2012 Basic Tone Control Adjustments.pdf

[blwegrzyn]

Thx I read your document.

[cmgap]

Here are a couple of iterations using a number of global adjustments. No dodging and burning.

[blwegrzyn]

cmgap  wrote

Here are a couple of iterations using a number of global adjustments. No dodging and burning.

DId you use lots of clarity in your adjustments?

Did you use any curves?

My interpretations is more blend then yours. Yours have more punch but is still nicely balanced.

[cmgap]

I made (8) adjustments. The screen shots for 6 of them are attached. I also used the Transform tool to correct the perspective on the right side (straightening the building) and also not shown is the crop to take away the distracting highlight in the foreground. Your eye will always go to the brightest part of the image first and you've got a nice perspective using the leading lines to work with. This is a top to bottom workflow in the develop module... if this were for exhibition I would perhaps move on with targeted adjustment brush edits on specific areas.

[blwegrzyn]

thx for sharing. for me clarity and sharpening is too aggresive

[cmgap]

Do you have an image that you can upload here to use as an example? We can take a look at what you would like to accomplish and give you suggestions based on that. The reality is that there is no one size fits all. A tool that will achieve the results you desire on one image may not work on another. The key is to learn when to use what tool and sometimes it takes some time and a number of attempts to get optimal results.

[blwegrzyn]

linked is the image i was working on and main reason i asked that question:

Dropbox - _DSC7018.dng

It is not a perfect image but my main goal was to recover some details and somehow show the buildings nicely and restore some sky.

[Rob_Cullen]

I had a go- (quick and 'dirty' )

Brush: Plus Exposure on buildings, (Dodge)

Gradient: Minus Exposure across foreground

Gradient: Plus Exposure across sky (and used Gradient 'Erase' Brush to delete Gradient from buildings)

[blwegrzyn]

thx, mine interpretation turn out to look like this:

[JP Hess]

Here is my quick go at it:

[blwegrzyn]

Thx for trying to process the image.