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Adjust exposure in your images with Dodge and Burn

Learn how to use the Dodge and Burn tool in Photoshop on your iPad

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The Dodge tool and the Burn tool let you set the right exposure by brightening (dodging) or darkening (burning) specific areas in your image. These edits are destructive in nature.

To work with the Dodge tool and Burn tool, do the following:

  1. Tap the Dodge tool from the toolbar or long press the Dodge tool to reveal more tool options and select the Burn tool.

  2. In the floating tool options bar that opens, choose a brush size, exposure, and hardness for dodging or burning.

  3. In the tool options, tap the three dots icon to bring up the Dodge settings or Burn settings panel. 

  4. In the Dodge settings or Burn settings panel. Here you can set the range from the Range drop-down:

    • Shadows- Changes the dark areas
    • Midtones- Changes the middle range of grays
    • Highlights- Changes the light areas

    You can also use the Roundness and Angle sliders to specify the roundness and rotation angle settings of the brush strokes.

    Enabling Use pressure for size varies the diameter of the brush stroke based on the brush pressure applied. By default, this option is turned off.

    Enabling Protect Tones minimizes clipping in the shadows and highlights and prevents colors from shifting hues. By default, this option is turned on.

  5. Paint over the image area you want to lighten or darken. The more you paint over an area with the Dodge or Burn tool, the lighter or darker it becomes.

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