So, what is dodge and burn and where did these terms come from? Here is what Wikipedia says about it:

Dodging and burning are terms used in photography for a technique used during the printing process to manipulate the exposure of a selected area(s) on a photographic print, deviating from the rest of the image’s exposure. In a darkroom print from a film negative, dodging decreases the exposure for areas of the print that the photographer wishes to be lighter, while burning increases the exposure to areas of the print that should be darker.

The same technique can be used in digital photography to achieve similar results, although in Lightroom you can take the process even further by opening up shadows delicately and manipulating the exposure of certain parts of a photograph without ruining any details or colors. It goes without saying that working with RAW images gives a lot more opportunities to recover lots of details, as explained by Nasim in his RAW vs JPEG article.

Here is the before and after comparison of what I have done to demonstrate the Dodge and Burn capability of Lightroom:

The before image is straight out of the camera with no adjustments:

First, I started off with identifying what needs to be done with this photograph and made sketches directly on the image. This method may not be practical while doing batch editing in Lightroom, but could be a good practice when doing selective editing for publishing. Some editing can be done to your personal taste and liking, while some photographs need more careful technical editing. Either way, knowing what you want from a photograph is very important and generally you will develop this skill overtime. Experienced photographers and post-processing gurus typically know right away what needs to be fixed in a photograph, while inexperienced ones generally overlook even important problems. Here is the image with my sketches identifying areas that need to be addressed to my liking:

And here is what each step stands for:

1. Areas where darkening/burning is needed.
2. Areas where lightening/dodging is needed.
3. Areas where dodging/opening up shadows is needed to be performed separately using a new brush. The reason why I took this extra step is due to the way brushes work in Lightroom. In Photoshop you can set different strength for each stroke of a brush, while Lightroom cannot do that. Once you brush an area in Lightroom, you can only set a single value for the strength/opacity of a brush. If you need to set different opacity, you must add a new brush.
4. Finalize/condition the overall look of the photograph.

To selectively dodge and burn the image, I used the Adjustment Brush:

Adjustment Brush has an “Effect” drop down. When selected, it will show the below menu, from which you can locate the Dodge (Lighten) and Burn (Darken) functions for your use:

First, I am going to use the Burn function and highlight where burning is needed. Brush tool marks the stroked area in red (masking), and in Develop Mode preview you can see the results of this action. I set “Exposure” to -0.49 and “Brush Feather” to 80. The size of the brush can be changed depending on the size of the area that you need to select.

Once the above step is done to my liking, I hit Enter on my keyboard and click Adjustment Brush to Dodge the face of my model. Here, “Exposure” is set to 0.78:

The next step is to work on the eyes, legs and deep shadow on the chair by using the same Dodging method as above. The only difference is, this time I set “Exposure” to 0.54:

As soon as I am done with Dodging and Burning the photograph I set the following values:

• Contrast: +10
• Blacks: -5
• Clarity: +5
• Vibrance: +10
• Saturation: +5
• Tone Curve: Medium Contrast
• Green: Hue +24, Saturation -17
• Image Sharpening: 30%

Obviously, these values are what I picked to my liking for this particular image. Play around in Lightroom and choose what works best for your photograph.

And here is Before and After in full size:

Simple changes make huge differences, and that’s without leaving Lightroom!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

If you have more than one computer at your home to work on your photos with Lightroom, you might be wondering if there is a way to share your Lightroom catalog, so that you can work on the same images with the same catalog on multiple computers at once. Unfortunately, the database system that Lightroom runs on (SQLite) limits the catalog to be used on a single computer, on a locally attached drive. Hence, simultaneously accessing a single catalog with multiple machines is not supported and will not work. On top of that, Adobe strictly forbids placing catalogs on network volumes, because it can result in all kinds of Lightroom database corruption issues (placing photographs on a network share is supported). In short, Lightroom is a “single-user” application with no support for multi-user access. While some people have been requesting a “multi-user” edition of Lightroom, Adobe currently has no plans to make such Lightroom version due to potential complexities of such software. True multi-user applications require a server and client infrastructure, which can be too complex for most photographers to set up and use.

So what are the options for using a Lightroom catalog on multiple computers? Let’s take a look at some options:

1. Keep a Lightroom catalog together with photographs on an external drive. As long as the external drive is mounted on each computer with the same drive letter, makes the process very simple to manage. You attach a network drive to one computer, work on Lightroom, then dismount the drive and attach it to another to work from there. A relatively good solution if you have a home and work PC and need to be able to work on the same catalog, but with multiple machines at different times. Lightroom performance is somewhat slow, because the catalog, image previews and photos are all stored on the same drive and external drives are typically slower in comparison to locally attached internal storage. The backup process is also simple – only the external drive needs to be backed up.
2. Keep a Lightroom catalog on a local drive and manually copy the catalog between multiple computers, while storing photographs on an internal/external drive or a network share. Requires designating one computer to be a “master”, which holds the latest and the most current version of the catalog. If another computer makes changes to the catalog, the catalog file must be copied back from that computer to the “master”, since regular backups are performed on the main machine for consistency reasons. Since either machine can potentially add new or update existing photographs (while importing, moving or editing images), photographs must be stored separately in a common location either on an internal/external drive, or on a network share. This method allows to keep Lightroom catalog away from photographs for faster overall performance.
3. Keep a Lightroom catalog on cloud storage such as Dropbox (with cloud storage client installed on each computer), while storing photographs on an internal/external drive or a network share. Requires reliable and high-speed Internet connection when syncing. Dropbox only does incremental copy, which means that newly added data can be synchronized somewhat quickly between computers. However, one needs to make sure that Dropbox is set up to only synchronize the Lightroom catalog (image previews should be excluded via “Selective Sync” feature on all computers). This solution can work relatively well, but there is a risk of having inconsistent data. Each machine writes its own data into the cloud and if the catalog is not fully synchronized between the cloud and the machines (due to slow Internet or Internet service issues), there is a risk of potentially losing data or changes to the catalog file. You must wait for synchronization to complete on all machines (upload and download) after closing Lightroom before opening the same catalog on another one.

Each method works just fine and I have tried all three. The first method was rather slow for me, so I opted for #2, which lets me keep the catalog file in a fast SSD drive, while accessing photos from a mirrored RAID array. The RAID array volume is located on the main computer (as the “D” drive), which is shared with other computers via local network (all computers are connected to a gigabit switch). I mount the network share as the “D” drive on other computers, so that I don’t have to locate missing images each time when I copy the Lightroom catalog back and forth between computers. The #3 method with Dropbox can work well with smaller catalog files, but I just find it easier and faster to copy it from the master computer to other computers over the fast internal network.

No matter how you look at the process, it is still rather painful to use. I wish there was a simpler way to access Lightroom catalogs from multiple machines. Ideally, it would be great if a single catalog could be opened on multiple machines at once. Then all we would need to do would be to place photos in a common location, so that all computers could read from and write to the same photo library. Unfortunately, with the way Adobe stores Lightroom catalog data today, it is impossible to achieve this currently…

1) Features

The Nikon MC-36 can be used as a remote release, a delayed shutter release, programmed as an intervalometer or to activate the bulb function on certain Nikon cameras. For those who may not be familiar with an intervalometer, it can be programmed to take a series of photos, with a preset length of exposure as well as time interval between exposures.

2) Handling

The unit works as one would expect and is straight forward to program using the multifunction button to set a delay if desired, the length of each exposure as well as the interval between the exposure and finally, the number of exposures. It can be set to a predetermined number of exposures (1-399) or it can repeat indefinitely.

The transmitter has an LCD screen which is backlit for operation in low light situations. It fits nicely in your hand and I found the controls to be responsive. The biggest drawbacks are related to the fact that is it a corded (approx.. 33.5 in./850mm in length) remote and unless you set it on a timer, you will have to remain next to the camera to operate it. Furthermore, the cord can move in wind creating unwanted vibrations in the camera. In order to achieve the least amount of vibration possible, a wireless remote used in conjunction with mirror lock-up is best.

3) Build Quality

Build quality is again similar to the ML-3 and other Nikon products with nice fit. I did find the buttons and controls on this device to have the nicest feel of the remotes in this series of reviews.

4) Packaging and Manual

The MC-36 comes with no carrying or storage case, just a simple basic manual describing care and programming.

5) Value

The programability of the MC-36 gives you more control than the previously reviewed Nikon ML-3 or Vello FreeWave remotes. However, it is still expensive for what you get considering it is a corded device, so I rate this as a relatively low value. In an upcoming review we will review the Wireless Vello ShutterBoss controller which has similar features in a wireless design for less money. If you do not mind a cord, then you could consider the non wireless version of the Vello ShutterBoss for less than half the cost of the Nikon MC-36.

6) Conclusion

With good third party wireless remotes such as the Vello Freewave Plus and Vello Shutterboss at a lower price ($59.95 and $99.50, respectively), it is hard to justify purchasing this particular remote at this price.

7) Where to Buy

B&H currently sells the Nikon MC-36 Multi-Function Remote for $124.95 (as of 05/08/2012)

1) Features

The Vello FreeWave Plus is a wireless remote that offers basic shutter release functions in a significant operating range with the ability to fire the shutter in Single, Delay, Continuous, 1 Second Continuous or Bulb modes. Confirmation LEDs on the receiver and transmitter illuminate to confirm pre-focus as well as shutter activation.

It is powered by 2 AAA batteries in the receiver and 2 AAA batteries (included) in the transmitter and operates on a 2.4 GHz frequency. You can buy different cords to use the same remote with numerous camera models rather than buying multiple remotes. You can choose from 16 channels to minimize interference from other devices or other photographers with the same or similar remotes.

2) Handling

The receiver connects like usual to the hot shoe and the transmitter is slightly smaller than the Nikon ML-3 transmitter but it does not have a wrist strap to prevent accidentally dropping it or to free up the hand. The FreeWave Plus operates like many remotes in that you press the shutter release button halfway and the camera will focus (if in autofocus mode) and the all the way down to trigger the shutter. I found that the remote works just like you would expect it to. The highlight here, compared to the similar Nikon ML-3, is that the FreeWave Plus has a much wider range of operation. I was able to fire the shutter from anywhere in my home, including from the basement with the camera upstairs on the second floor. While I did not measure the exact working range of the transmitter with an unobstructed line of sight, I suspect it is close to the reported range. Whatever the exact range is, it is definitely much further than that of the limited Nikon ML-3.

3) Build Quality

It is constructed of plastic with rounded edges and is smooth and comfortable to hold. The cable connection with the receiver is solid. The buttons feel solid and responsive to the touch.

4) Packaging and Manual

No case or protective cover is included and the manual provided is simple, but adequate with its instruction on use.

5) Value

The FreeWave Plus is an excellent value compared to the Nikon ML-3 if you don’t need the Auto Trigger mode that the ML-3 offers. You can buy cheaper remotes online (plenty of cheap models on eBay) but I have had the experience that it only worked with one camera model and broke fairly quickly.

6) Conclusion

The Vello FreeWave Plus, like the Nikon ML-3, is a basic remote shutter release with the main differences being the fact that the Vello FreeWave Plus operates wirelessly on a 2.4GHz frequency while the Nikon ML-3 is an infrared remote and has an Auto Trigger feature. If you don’t need the Auto Trigger feature, then look at the FreeWave Plus with a much better price and more operational range. If you need more control, including the desire to take timed photos, consider a more advanced remote such as the Nikon MC-36 (corded) or the Vello Wireless ShutterBoss remote.

7) Where to Buy

B&H Photo currently sells the Vello FreeWave Plus for $59.99.

*UPDATE* There is currently a $10 instant rebate which ends on May 15, 2012.

Here are some sample images from the camera that I will be using in my upcoming review, all taken in England. As always, EXIF data is embedded to each image with exposure, lens and other information.

As I have already said before, the colors of the Fuji X-Pro1 are stunning. All images are shot in “Vivid” camera mode.

1) Features

The ML-3 is a basic remote and has the following limited operating modes: Single activation, Continuous activation, Delay or Auto Trigger mode. The Delay mode is a 3 second delay before the shutter activates and there is no way to change the length of delay from the remote. You may use the Bulb feature of your camera by setting the remote to “C” for continuous and the shutter will remain open as long as you are pressing the transmission button. In Auto Trigger mode, the shutter is activated when something enters between the transmitter and receiver, breaking the plane of the infrared beam. In this mode, the transmitter button does not need to be pressed and may be useful for wildlife or surveillance. In an effort to prevent inadvertent crossover with other devices, there are 2 channels to select from. Both can easily be selected on the transmitter and receiver. As this is a basic remote, there is no intervalometer.

2) Handling

The ML-3 is an infrared remote and does not use radio frequency transmission so you have to be in the “line of sight” and according to the manual, the transmitter must be on a line within 10º of either side of center of the receiver and within 8m/26ft for it to work. In real life use, I found its range to be close to the reported 10 degrees either side, it might have been slightly more but not by much. The transmitter really has to be in line with the receiver or it will not function. Nikon has made the receiver swivel so that you can be off to the side and still have the remote function by maintaining a direct line. The ability to have the receiver swivel also may slightly decrease chances of breakage should the receiver be inadvertently bumped. And just like any other infrared transmitter, this one is also prone to problems when using the remote in daylight conditions, where the sun rays can severely interfere with the infrared signal.

3) Build Quality

The remote is made of plastic and like most Nikon equipment and accessories, fit and finish of the ML-3 is nice. The transmitter fits well in the palm of your hand and there is a wrist strap to decrease the chance of accidently dropping the transmitter. The transmitter uses 2 AAA batteries (not included) and the receiver is powered from the camera body. The control buttons feel solid and responsive to the touch.

4) Packaging and Manual

Included is a small, odd shaped case to hold the transmitter, receiver and cable. The manual is adequate, nothing very exciting since the remote has limited basic function.

5) Value

Based on the functions, the limited operational range and the $200 price tag, this isn’t really a good value. There are third party remotes that offer as much or more functionality at a fraction of the price. The one feature that the ML-3 has that may appeal to some is the Auto Trigger feature.

6) Conclusion

The infrared Nikon ML-3 Compact Modulite Remote works, but the limited feature set, limited working range and the fact that you need to have a direct line of sight for it to operate, makes it less appealing than many third party wireless remotes. After factoring in the cost, I would suggest considering other alternatives such as the Vello FreeWave Plus.

7) Where to Buy

You can purchase the Nikon Ml-3 Remote from B&H for $199 at the time of this post (05/07/2012).

The AEO Photo Lightning Strike Pro makes capturing a photo with lightning easy – and potentially safer. Without a lightning strike trigger, one would either utilize a long exposure and hope that you capture the moment or you would have to hope your shutter finger is fast enough to react to the first millisecond of flash. Now, there is an easier and better way to capture lightning strikes with your camera. It is so easy in fact, that the first time I tried to use it, I set it up on my backyard deck, and since the sporadic lightning occurring was more of a flash in the clouds as opposed to a bolt, I left the set-up on the tripod and did a few minor chores around the house. After about 10 or 15 minutes, I came back to check the pictures. What I found was that amongst a number of shots of a cloudy but lit up sky, was one shot that included a lightning bolt. Kind of like those commercials on television, you can set it and forget it, it is that easy. Not only easy, but it is also safer than standing outside exposed to the elements while trying to grab a photo.

AEO Photo manufactures 3 different models, a basic model the Lightning Strike!, the Lightning Strike Pro that adds sensitivity adjustment to give the user some flexibility and more control and finally, the Lightning Strike! MT which adds a motion sensor to the trigger for wildlife photography. Let’s take a closer look at the middle model, the AEO Lightning Strike Pro.

1) Handling

The Lightning Strike Pro is simple and straightforward to use and mounts to your camera’s hot shoe and communicates to the camera by a cable. In the case of the Nikon D300, it connects via a 10-pin cable. The design of the Lightning Strike Pro will allow you to buy cables to suit your needs so that should you change camera models or if you have multiple cameras, you need not replace the entire unit, just the relatively inexpensive cable to fit the appropriate camera.

The sensor is placed on the hot shoe with the sensor facing forward and the cable attached to the unit and the camera. It is best to shoot in manual mode and I found shooting from f/5 for 4 seconds to f/7 for 5 seconds was an acceptable range at night. You should set your ISO as low as possible and if your camera has a Long Exposure Noise reduction setting, then adjust it accordingly. Set your camera to manual focus and set the focus to infinity. Double check ahead of time that your lens is actually focused on infinity when it says it is as it could be slightly off. You then turn on the switch at the top of the sensor, one frame will fire and then you are set to watch the show. Should you find that you need to adjust the sensitivity of the trigger, there is an adjustment screw on the side of the unit. I found that my unit worked excellent with no adjustments needed in daylight, dusk or night scenes, but should you need it, it is there.

The trigger will fire in the first 0.1 milliseconds of the lightning flash and will activate the shutter. Of course your camera will snap the photo immediately, depending on your camera’s normal lag.
Overall, this unit worked excellent out of the box, it consistently triggered only when it was supposed to. I did have a brief period in which it did not fire correctly, but I believe that when I moved locations, the cable connection came loose. The unit worked again flawlessly after that.

2) Packaging and Manual

The Lightning Strike Pro comes packaged in a Micro Pelican Case that is custom fit with foam to cradle the unit and its cord beautifully. In fact, all photo equipment manufacturers would do well to provide protective packaging as nice. The only negative to it, is that for the space challenged equipment bag, it might take a bit more room than one would like. I can see many photographers taking it out of the plastic case and just putting it in an equipment bag to save space. A nice touch would be an additional small, lightly padded pouch (think neoprene) that protects without taking up as much space.

As for the manual, well there is good news and bad news. First, the good news, the trigger is extremely easy to operate and so a lot of operational instruction is not needed. The bad news is that there isn’t much in the way of a manual, it is just a single sheet of paper with straightforward instructions and a few tips. While this is adequate, maybe a little more information would be helpful in case someone is trying to troubleshoot.

3) Build Quality

The AEO Lightning Strike Pro Trigger is well built, it is plastic, but all the parts seem to fit well and be constructed nicely. The on/off switch seemed small to me at first but there is a method to the manufacturer’s madness. In an earlier version, the switch was larger and although it was easy to find and use, that ease of use made it easy to be accidently turned on while in a camera bag, thus resulting in drained batteries. AEO Photo has since redesigned the switch to minimize the chances of this happening.

4) Size

The Lightning Strike Pro Trigger is light so weight is not a problem. As for the size, it has a low profile when seated on the hot shoe. However, it does hang off the back of the camera rendering the viewfinder difficult to use as your forehead and the back of the unit battle for the same space. Luckily, you do not need to use the viewfinder much because you will likely have this mounted on a tripod with the camera set to fire. The only time you need the viewfinder is to recompose as the storm moves.

5) Value

First off, anything that increases your safety has a value. As for value relative to similar products on the market, I compared the cost of the AEO Lightning Strike Pro with others and found it less expensive making it a good value considering it does what it claims.

6) Safety First

It goes without saying, lightning is a deadly beauty and so in your excitement to capture an interesting scene, PLEASE DON”T FORGET TO BE SAFE! Position yourself a safe distance from the strikes and pay attention to surroundings that might attract a strike and avoid unsafe areas. Here is more information on lightning and safety tips.

7) Conclusions

At the time of this review (May 2012) AEO Photo has just announced new 3rd versions of their triggers which will have improvements, chief among them, a reduction in size.

I found the Lightning Pro Strike Sensor to work as advertised, it was both accurate and reliable and allowed me to shoot from the relative safety of a car or building. It isn’t as cheap as just repeatedly pressing the shutter with long shutter speeds but it is just as fun and prevents taking scores of frames with no lightning in them. My only regret is that I didn’t have more storms to take photos of before this review. So if adding some lightning shots to your landscapes interests you, consider adding a Lightning Strike Pro trigger to your camera bag. Have fun and be safe!

8) Where to Buy

B&H Photo currently sells the AEO Lightning Strike Pro as reviewed here for $239.95. (as of 05/04/2012)

Folks at LensRentals.com had a chance to disassemble both an original and a “fixed” Canon 5D Mark III and they discovered that Canon used a black tape over the camera components, which essentially takes care of the problem completely. Here is a picture of the black tape covering the components:

For more information, see this article on LensRentals.com.

I am currently working on the Canon 5D Mark III review and I am planning to publish it by the end of next week. Aside from the above issue (which is really not that big of a deal), I really like the camera so far. I was really hoping to get a sample of the new Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II lens, but it is nowhere to be found. Once the review is published, I will be working on reviewing the Canon 50mm f/1.2L lens, along with the Canon 24mm f/1.4L. Expect some comparisons to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and Nikon 24mm f/1.4G.

Here is what you need to do to enter the giveaway

1) “Like” the Mansurovs Facebook Page:

2) “Like” B&H Facebook Page:

3) Leave a short comment below on our website (make sure to type your real name and email address) with what you are planning to do with the D3200 once you win it. For example “I am planning to photograph birds with this camera” is sufficient.

That’s really it! Only one comment per person. More than one comment will result in disqualification.

We will choose and notify a winner on June 1, 2012.

* For anyone residing outside of US and Canada, the winner will be responsible for shipping and VAT charges.

Adobe has released an update to Lightroom 4 and Camera RAW that fixes some bugs and adds support for some new cameras and lenses. Lightroom has been updated to 4.1 Release Candidate 2, while Camera RAW 6.7 is now final and stable.

It is always a good idea to update to the latest versions of both Lightroom and Camera RAW, so that you work with the latest and greatest software with the fewer bugs, RAW support for more cameras and more lens profiles so that you could fix optical issues such as distortion and chromatic aberration with a single click using the Lightroom “Lens Corrections” module. Every once in a while a beta release might contain bugs, but if it is anything serious, Adobe will typically pull it out quickly and replace it with a better version.

Here is the list of cameras and lenses that are added with the Lightroom 4.1 RC2 release:

1. Canon EOS 5D Mark III
2. Canon EOS 60Da
3. Fuji FinePix F770EXR
4. Fuji FinePix F775EXR
5. Nikon D3200
6. Olympus OM-D EM-5
7. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5
8. Pentax K-01
9. RICOH LENS A16 24-85mm F3.5-5.5
10. Samsung NX20
11. Samsung NX210
12. Samsung NX1000
13. Sony Alpha NEX-VG20
14. Sony SLT-A57

Note that the Nikon D3200 is now officially supported.
See this page for a full list of bug fixes.

Camera RAW 6.7 adds support for the following cameras:

1. Canon EOS 1D X
2. Canon EOS 5D Mark III
3. Canon PowerShot G1 X
4. Canon PowerShot S100V
5. Fuji FinePix F505EXR
6. Fuji FinePix F605EXR
7. Fuji FinePix F770EXR
8. Fuji FinePix F775EXR
9. Fuji FinePix HS30EXR
10. Fuji FinePix HS33EXR
11. Fuji FinePix X-S1
12. Nikon D4
13. Nikon D800
14. Nikon D800E
15. Olympus E-M5
16. Pentax K-01
17. Samsung NX20
18. Samsung NX210
19. Samsung NX1000
20. Sony Alpha NEX-VG20
21. Sony SLT-A57

Now here is the sad part that you might not like – Camera RAW 6.7 is the FINAL version of Camera RAW for CS5. This means that going forward, you will not be able to install any future Camera RAW versions unless you update to Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Here are the links to download Lightroom 4.1 RC2 and Camera RAW 6.7:

1. Lightroom 4.1 RC2
2. Camera RAW 6.7