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Photography Question 

Oliver Anderson
 

Photo shop questions


 
 
I have some photos that are too dark, can I lighten up easily using photo shop?


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November 16, 2004

 

Bunny Snow
  I am a beginning Photo Shop user and while there is tons of stuff I don't know how to do, this is not one of them.

I Adobe Photo Shop is outdated, but I can still lighten pictures that are too dark by:

First: Go to Image and duplicate the picture.

2. Go to Image and click on Adjust > Levels. Move the arrow to the right or left to adjust the lightness or darkness of your image. Click on OK, if it's where you want it.

3. If that doesn't work, or you need more, go to: Curves. This may not be the proper way to use curves, but I play with the red, green and blue channels, by raising or lowering the line with my mouse. Raising the line at a given point, darkens the image; lowering a set point lightens the image for that color channel.

If I want to go back to the beginning, of that segment of alteration, I click on CANCEL. On the other hand, if it's where I like it, I click OK.

There is a CURVES Tutorial which describes a very different procedure online at: http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorial/curves/
and more about using Photo Shop tools at:
http://www.pdesigner.net/photoshopcs/1_8_9_0.html

One can also alter the brightness or contrast by going back to ADJUST and clicking on the BRIGHTNESS OR CONTRAST OPTION. And, then finishing it off the same as the last paragraph.

You may find that your hue or saturation, or is not to your taste. That can be altered also, using the methods above.

So, yes. You can easily lighten up photos in photo shop. However, it takes more techniques than I know to make the images look as beautiful as those published on this web site.

Hope that helps.


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February 18, 2005

 
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