THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU’LL EVER DO TO A PHOTO
O
n the previous pages we demonstrated how a
histogram displays the range of tones (or levels) in
an image. We then used the Auto Levels command
to remap the washed-out shadows of an over-
exposed image to the darkest level of 0. This created a shot
with a healthier spread of shadows, midtones and highlights.Sometimes the Auto Levels command won’t produce the
desired results. You may want to see more midtone detail or
create dramatic black shadows, for example. Here’s how to
manually make tonal adjustments using the shadow, midtone
and highlight controlling sliders in the Levels dialog. You’ll
then be able to take total control over tones.Manually re-map the levels in a photograph
to create a healthier spread of tones
4
Clipping warnings
If you drag the black slider further right you risk
creating clipped (under-exposed) shadows that
feature no detail. To avoid clipping the shadows, hold
down Alt as you drag the slider. If you go too far you’ll
see clipped areas as patches of colour. Click OK.3
Darken the shadows
The three sliders take the original (input level)
tones and give them stronger output levels. To
darken the shadows, drag the black slider to the right
until it touches the graph. Tick and untick the preview
box to see a before and after version.2
Understanding Input Levels
The histogram has three Input Levels sliders below
the graph. The black slider enables you to adjust
the shadows. The grey slider lightens or darkens the
midtones. The white slider enables you to adjust the
highlights. As a rule, leave the Output Levels alone.1
Open the Levels command
If you followed the steps on the previous spread,
press Cmd/Ctrl+Z to undo the effects of the Auto
Levels command. Otherwise, load ty_elements08.jpg.
Go to Enhance>Adjust Lighting>Levels. This displays
the histogram of our over-exposed shot.