Which tool is used to increase brightness in a localized area without affecting the rest?

• A. Dodge Tool
• B. Burn Tool
• C. Sponge Tool
• D. Clone Stamp Tool

Answer: (A)

Dodge Tool lightens the pixels in the area you brush over, leaving the rest of the image unchanged. This makes it ideal for bringing out details or adding light to a specific spot without affecting the whole photo. You control how strong the change is with the brush size, the range (shadows, midtones, highlights), and the exposure setting—the lower the exposure, the subtler the brighten effect.

The other tools don’t fit this purpose. The Burn Tool darkens targeted areas, the Sponge Tool changes saturation rather than brightness, and the Clone Stamp Tool copies pixels from one area to another without inherently altering brightness. So for localized brightness, the Dodge Tool is the best choice.