Editing a image with low contrast
This is a step by step explanation of the systematic approach to image editing. This time we look at the low contrast image of the little girl.
Here is the list we will follow:
- Edit Highlights using Curves and Selection
- Enter black / Enter white using Curves
- Tone using Curves
- Contrast using Curves
- Colorcast using Curves
- Color-correction using Hue/Saturation, Selective Color, Replace Color, Path, Layer Mask.
- Restoration using History brush.
- Sharpen using Unsharp Mask.
This is the order you should follow editing most images. All list items should be considered. Act on those that are appropriate and skip if there is no need to adjust.
And here is the image:
Step by step editing:
Start by opening the image and the curves dialog box.
Choose menu and submenus:
1. The Curve dialog box opens.
2. The first thing you have to consider is if there are highlights present or if the lightest part of the image needs editing. In this case you do not need to change this at all. So you skip this and go right to selecting the black point. You are looking for a part of the image that is the darkest and at the same time most neutral (closest to gray). The Curves panel can help you with that. Try to adjust the curves start and end position like this.
3. Click on the eyedropper in the Curves panel
and click in the darkest part of the image.
4. Now you have a image which contains tones from light to dark. It is way too dark now but that we will fix.
5. Next step is tone edits. Ask yourself this: is the image all over too dark or to light? In this case it got too dark so you place the cursor on the middle of the tone curve and drag down and to the right to lighten the mid-tones. Then click O.K.
6. Using "Unsharp mask" is an optional step, I find that most images can benefit from getting sharper. If you do edits for printing press you should always sharpen, since the finished print will be less sharp.
7. The final result.
