Brighten Photos Like a Pro

Step 4

The image should look naturally more vivid. If you want to restore the original saturation, here’s a simple three-step technique to restore the original saturation.

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Darkening the Image

This technique can also be used to effectively darken images. Simply do the reverse:

  1. With the Levels tool, darken the image instead of brightening.
  2. When using the Apply Image tool, leave the Invert option unchecked.

Final Results

Below is a comparison of the original image and the two brightening methods. Using just the levels to brighten the image, the clouds in the background almost disappeared. With the Photoshop technique shown in this tutorial, the sky has brightened slightly but the clouds are still visible.

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More pages: 1 2 3

Written by admin on February 17th, 2008 with 15 comments.
Read more articles on Exposure and Photo Retouching and Photoshop Tutorials.

15 comments

Read the comments left by other users below, or:

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Tutorials Effect
#1. February 17th, 2008, at 6:53 AM.

Very detailed tutorial on how to get the most out of your pictures, goob job! And thanks for the submission on tutorial-effect.net

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Katalog Stron
#2. February 18th, 2008, at 3:11 AM.

This tutorials helps me a lot with brightening my images. Regards.

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com farid
#3. February 18th, 2008, at 10:50 PM.

I try it, I have many photos that in unsatisfy because it’s dark
thank for tutor

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Brone
#4. February 19th, 2008, at 7:04 AM.

Only problem with this tutorial is that there is no Image > Apply Image in CS3.

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com admin
#5. February 19th, 2008, at 5:19 PM.

Photoshop CS3 does have Image > Apply Image. Beside the File and Edit menu is the Image menu. Click on the Image menu then click Apply Image.

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Randy
#6. February 19th, 2008, at 8:01 PM.

umm. yes there is. click on image, it’s the 4th menu item (apply image).

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Rasmus
#7. February 20th, 2008, at 5:02 PM.

I have recommended your post in this collection of inspirational links: Three Quick Links

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Brone
#8. February 29th, 2008, at 1:57 PM.

Very strange. I have CS3 extended and no Apply under Image menu. 4th one is image size… I am not blond just confused :D

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com SniperFox
#9. February 29th, 2008, at 7:21 PM.

@Brone: You’re “Image” Menu should look like this:
http://i31.tinypic.com/34spcav.png

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Brone
#10. March 1st, 2008, at 10:55 PM.

Well in MY CS3 (vers 10.0) it looks like this:
http://i29.tinypic.com/2gu9ma8.jpg

Maybe I need to upgrade it to newer version?

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com SniperFox
#11. March 2nd, 2008, at 2:04 PM.

Hmm..that’s quite weird…

There is a shortcut for it though. Create a new layer [CTRL + SHIFT + N], and then hit:

“CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + E”

That should work for you.

I’m really not sure why you don’t have that option in the menu :/

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Nick
#12. March 4th, 2008, at 8:08 AM.

i heart this tutorial

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com johng
#13. March 30th, 2008, at 4:16 AM.

click on ’show all menu items’ to show the items that are hidden

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com shirin
#14. April 7th, 2008, at 11:29 PM.

thanks.
it helped me a lot.
i was very bad in brighten underexposed

Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com Federico
#15. June 24th, 2008, at 6:38 AM.

Excellent tutorial!.
Thanks for sharing

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