The is a tutorial on using Photoshop to correct low contrast images. I am using a photo that SubieBoobie posted in a Fix it please thread, since it is a good example. In each photo, in addition to the adjustments mentioned, I fixed the eye of the horse in the foreground.

This is the original photo.


One way to make the correction is to simply adjust the contrast level in Image/Adjustments/Brightness-Contrast. This is the result.


Another way to make the corrections is by using the tools in Image/Adjustments/Shadow-Highlights. This is the result of that adjustment.


A better way to do it is to adjust the levels in Image/Levels. This is the dialogue box that opened in Levels for the horse photo.


I adjusted the levels for the shadows (the bar on the left) and highlights (the bar on the far right) until the bars reached the points on the graph that began to curve upwards. I then adjusted the middle bar, which adjusts the midtones. This is the graph after the adjustments were made.


This is the resulitng photograph.


This is an edit using curves. The curves graph from top to bottom adjusts highlights, lights, darks and shadows. This is the curve graph after the edit.


This is the resulting photo


With CS3, a JPEG file can be edited in Camera RAW 4.0. First open Bridge at File/Browse. Then right click on the jpeg image in Bridge. The is what you will see.


The left click on Open in Camera RAW. This is the result.


In Camera RAW, I adjusted the Temperature, Fill Light, Blacks, Clarity and Vibrance levels. This is the result.


These are the photos to compare the results.

1. Orignal Photo


2. Contrast Level Adjusted


3. Shadow/Highlight Tool Adjusted


4. Levels Adjusted Photo


5. Edited with Curves


6. Edited in Camera RAW

Originally Posted by emorphien

Yeah the last one doesn't work out too well. Curves is another approach, but more complicated/trickier to learn to use than levels.

I did not make a very good edit in RAW. I substituted a new edit in RAW, and added an edit using Curves. I think an edit using Levels is a good way to go for the particular photo, given the nature of the Levels graph, even though use of Curves is more versatile on more types of photos.

OMG! Thank you so so so very much!! Just playing around with your tutorial this is what I got....

Original


Playing around and editing in RAW...



THANK YOU!! I'll reference back often....

Okay, more playing around.

Original


and the PS version using the levels and selective color...



It's better yes, but still with the white balance at of whack on the original it was hard to fix. I didn't like the shadows on the two people on the lower corners so they got cropped out.

Am I in the right direction?

I did. And color balance just distorted the picture way too much.

Originally Posted by emorphien

There's just not enough information stored in the JPEG to save it from such a low contrast/compressed histogram. A RAW file might make for a different story.

This is an example of two edits from a compressed but higher resolution JPEG image as well as an edit of the uncompressed RAW image. Although an edit from an uncompressed file may be more desirable, it is not always possible. I like editing a compressed JPEG image in RAW if an uncompressed RAW image is not available. A difficulty editing the horses photo was that the downloaded image was low res.

Low contrast image with no editing


JPEG image edited in CR3 using Levels and Curves


JPEG image edited in Camera RAW


Uncompressed RAW image edited in Camera RAW

Originally Posted by SubieBoobie

Okay, more playing around.

Original


and the PS version using the levels and selective color...



It's better yes, but still with the white balance at of whack on the original it was hard to fix. I didn't like the shadows on the two people on the lower corners so they got cropped out.

Am I in the right direction?

This is edited photo you posted. It has some blown highlights.


This is the photo edited in Camera Raw. Note the difference in the window, light fixture and wine glasses


These are the settings I used. I drew arrows pointing toward triangles on which you can click with your mouse. Blown shadows will show up in blue. Blown highlights will show up in red. Note that I moved the Recovery bar to 100%. The Recovery bar is used to recover blown highights. Note the light fixture and window still have some red (which denotes blown highlights), but most of the highlights have been recovered.

Yeah, this one I didn't do in RAW (I don't think?).

Thank you for this tutorial, it really helps me a lot more in PP. I haven't officially bought CS3 yet but if you keep up these great tutorials with screen shots, I will definitley get it. Thank you so much again!