Dodging and burning

Darkroom techniques for controlling the brightness of parts of a print. Dodging means holding back light from an area so it becomes lighter. Burning means giving an area extra light so it becomes darker.

Printers use their hands, cards or small tools on a wire under the enlarger. Digital editing programs such as Photoshop have dodge and burn tools named after the darkroom methods.

Martin Kaninsky

Martin is the creator of About Photography Blog. With over 15 years of experience as a practicing photographer, Martin’s approach focuses on photography as an art form, emphasizing the stories behind the images rather than concentrating on gear.

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