Dodge and Burn in Photoshop: The Non-Destructive Method That Actually Works

Dodge and Burn in Photoshop: The Non-Destructive Method That Actually Works

A student once told me that curves were better than dodge and burn for sculpting light. I disagreed. He pushed back. We ended up going three full tutorial videos deep into the argument before we landed somewhere we both respected. His point was valid, by the way. Curves give you precise tonal control across the whole image. But dodge and burn gives you something curves can’t: the ability to paint light and shadow exactly where you want them, pixel by pixel, with a brush in your hand.