Photoshop Tutorial: Shine light on a dark photo to reveal its details

Dark photos can be a real problem, especially when you want to share them with others. They can be hard to see, and they can make your subjects look washed out and dull. But don’t worry, there is an easy way to brighten up a dark photo and make it look its best: using Adobe Photoshop.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to use Photoshop to brighten up a dark photo and reveal its hidden details. We will use a variety of tools and techniques, including the Levels and Shadows/Highlights adjustment layers, the Dodge and Burn tools, and the Spot Healing Brush tool. By following these steps, you can easily brighten up any dark photo and make it look stunning.

What you will need:

• Adobe Photoshop
• A dark photo

Step 1: Open the photo

1. Open Photoshop and open your dark photo.
2. If the photo is not already a Smart Object, right-click on the layer and choose Convert to Smart Object. This will give us more control over the adjustments we make.

Step 2: Add a Levels adjustment layer

1. Click on the Create new fill or adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
2. Choose Levels from the menu that appears.
3. This will create a Levels adjustment layer above your photo layer.
4. In the Properties panel, you will see a histogram that represents the tonal range of your photo.

Step 3: Adjust the black and white points

1. Drag the black slider to the right until only the blackest pixels in your photo are pure black.
2. Drag the white slider to the left until only the whitest pixels in your photo are pure white.
3. This will brighten up your photo and make it more contrasty.

Step 4: Adjust the midtones

1. Drag the gray slider to the left until the midtones in your photo are brighter.
2. This will further brighten your photo and make it look more natural.
3. You may need to adjust the black and white points again to get the desired look.

Step 5: Use the Shadows/Highlights adjustment layer

1. Click on the Create new fill or adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
2. Choose Shadows/Highlights from the menu that appears.
3. This will create a Shadows/Highlights adjustment layer above your Levels adjustment layer.
4. In the Properties panel, you can adjust the Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights sliders to brighten up the shadows, midtones, and highlights in your photo.

Step 6: Use the Dodge and Burn tools

1. Select the Dodge tool from the toolbar.
2. In the Options bar, choose a soft brush tip and set the Range to Midtones.
3. Click and drag on the dark areas of your photo to brighten them up.
4. Select the Burn tool from the toolbar.
5. In the Options bar, choose a soft brush tip and set the Range to Midtones.
6. Click and drag on the bright areas of your photo to darken them down.

Step 7: Use the Spot Healing Brush tool

1. Select the Spot Healing Brush tool from the toolbar.
2. In the Options bar, choose a soft brush tip and set the Mode to Content-Aware Fill.
3. Click and drag on any areas of your photo that have blemishes or imperfections.
4. The Spot Healing Brush tool will automatically fill in these areas with pixels from the surrounding area.

Step 8: Save the photo

1. Once you are satisfied with the results, you can save your photo.
2. Choose File > Save, or press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac).

Additional tips:

• If you are not sure how to use a particular tool, you can always consult the Photoshop Help documentation.
• There are many other ways to brighten up a dark photo. Experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you.
• If you are still having trouble, you can always hire a professional photographer or graphic designer to help you out.