Dodge and Burn onto a layer

[SixtiesLin]

Hi,

I have recently completed a trial day for the role of Junior Retoucher at a top high end retouching company.

My test work involved lot's of skin clean up which required the use of dodge and burn to even out the skin tone.

I have previously been taught to either work on a 50% grey layer or two curve layers (one for D, the other for B) to achieve this, but the company insisted that dodge and burn is applied directly to the layer.

I find this method difficult to control the colour in the skin and I cannot undo. However, they insist and if I get the job, I would have to work this way.

Is this an industry standard to D&B directly onto a layer?

thanks!

[insmac]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

In each field companies try to build a workflow and proceed with it and that's seemingly the case - I think they've been doing it all along for some reason and insist you follow the path even though you're surely going to match the results going with your preferred tools.

I find it odd, though. I cannot find a single logical reason to make the non-destructive technique the other way round with no chance to roll back if something goes sideways. The flexibility of using a separate layer or two is just beyond every single explanation for the direct application. Except one - maybe just for you to master the technique without a margin for error.

[skoobey]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

@insamc

For smoothing the skin? Sure, it's a GREAT way, because you can control whether you dodge lights, midt ones, or shadows. and it doesn't really affect the color that much as it is local. It's done all the time, especially for texture with demanding transitions.

[cricket1961]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

There are so many ways to do the dodge and burn technique, all of them valid.As insmac said, each company has its reason for their own particular workflow. Logical or not.

[edgework]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

I've never gone into a company and said to myself after a day or two, "Gosh, this system sure makes a lot of sense." Systems and workflows don't evolve according to logic and planning. They're a hodgepodge of workarounds, patches, improvisations and mistakes that have been repeated long enough to become established procedure. Nothing's more annoying than a new guy showing up, looking around aghast at the clumsy inefficiency and stating, "Why don't you do it THIS way...?"

Nevermind that you are right, and that whoever evolved this technique probably did so back in the dim mists of time before Photoshop had layers. It might not work, but, at least to those already there, it's familiar and that's what counts.

But, gosh, it sure sounds like a stupid way to work.

[cricket1961]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

I was that new guy at one point. Lol...

[klev]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

I actually think tools for making intuitive brightness adjustments are an area where photoshop lagged for a very long time, although the brightness/contrast algorithm used in newer versions is a better tool for that than curves. It's much more stable, which can translate to less time spent.

[Flashtones]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

I actually think tools for making intuitive brightness adjustments are an area where photoshop lagged for a very long time, although the brightness/contrast algorithm used in newer versions is a better tool for that than curves. It's much more stable, which can translate to less time spent.

I don't use the brightness/contrast adjustment much. What do you mean by more stable: less likely to mess with saturation?

[klev]

Re: Dodge and Burn onto a layer

I don't use the brightness/contrast adjustment much. What do you mean by more stable: less likely to mess with saturation?

Basically yeah. It's not quite as simple as that, but that algorithm seems to apply equal coefficients to each channel, and I find the results to be extremely predictable. I don't mean that something should always remain at a precise distance from r=g=b when it's scaled, but I found the behavior to be predictable when making small steps as would be typical in most burn/dodge work. Does that make sense? I have many examples of strange color mappings, haloing artifact differences between anti-aliasing algorithms, and other things. It goes along with being really really nerdy.