Here we have that image and maybe we need to adjust some brightness or exposure for that image. And before we do that, let's even analyze our image better. Opening our histogram. If you don't have that one open, please go to Window, you will find histogram. Probably you have that one on colors like that, where you can see all color values. However, now we're focusing on brightness.

So let's select luminance. And also make sure you have the same view as mine expanded view and click that refresh button to have your histogram updated. Now as you can see, this image is missing white ranges and also black ranges on right and left and we don't have the best mid tones as you can see, so let's maybe add levels to start fixing exposure for that image. Here we have auto setting we can be clicking that one and instantly Photoshop is clipping Z's areas in here black and white. So if I undo that you can see the changes within our sliders. And also for auto we have different presets we can be selecting from.

So instead of clicking auto directly you can be pressing Alt or Option key, then clicking auto. You have these algorithms in here can be selecting from them. And you can see the difference between these 202 settings. This one also have more options in here so it's claiming point one zero of your shadows. And the same as well for your highlights. You can be controlling that preset or customize it or you can be trying that one or even that one.

You can keep trying different algorithms every time and eventually if you like any of them, you can save that one as default. However, I'm gonna set it back to enhance brightness and contrast. Now we have our auto settings of Lytle can be dragging that slider all the way toward black points to increase brightness for our image. So now we have a brighter image who can be checking that one all 10 reverse our labels. Now we can be dragging these sliders once again. And also you can be clicking Alt or Option key to check what you are claiming within your image.

So if we press Alt, now we can see what we are losing was in our image. So if I keep advancing like that, now we are losing these details in our image. Even if I go further like that, these areas are turning into a black color. So we're losing all the details within these areas. So I'm gonna drag that one all the way, maybe to here, pressing Alt or Option to check what I'm losing or destroying within the image. And the same as well applies within our word slider.

If I start dragging that one, I'm claiming that area which is doesn't include any values. However, if I start dragging even further like that, and start pressing Alt, I'm getting the black image. going even further, I'm losing details in the sky, all these areas are turning into white. So try to be careful when you're claiming your white and black as well, I'm going to be slightly dragging that slider all the way to here, that will be brightening our image. And if I read it that way, it will be darkening our image or dimming that one. However, in that case, we don't have overexposed image we need to be increasing brightness.

Just as a bit like that. We can be using curves instead of levels as well to increase exposure or reduce levels in our image. And using both of them can be doing the same job however, curves can be more detailed. And it's usually used by photographers for more details within the images. So let's maybe disable that one. Applying curves.

Here we can be clipping our black and white areas as well. Increasing mid tones in that area. And maybe you can be bringing some of these values a little bit slightly like that rowing a similar S curve. And also can be using the photon here to control these variables in our image. So if I click that one, and start moving within our image, you will see that we have that dot moving within our curve. So here we are selecting black areas, or dark areas in our image.

We can be increasing that one a bit. Maybe like that, or reduce it like that. Or let me even on loser and use auto settings pressing Command different presets or algorithms as well. Just like labels, we have that white area clipped for us we can be clipping the black area as well. And we can be pressing all to see what we are destroying or losing within our image. So if I go all the way to here we have black areas within our image like that.

Also can be everything as well different colors red, green, or blue and instead of RGB, however, now we're talking about brightness. And we'll cover these colors using our color adjustment layers. And of course, within our RGB even within our auto settings, we can be adjusting these values so maybe you can be dragging that one a little bit higher for a brighter image. Now moving to another image. Here we have that one taken in Central Park as well. However, it looks really big to me and this one Let's apply levels right away.

And let's refresh our histogram, maybe leaving some blank values, pressing all to see what I might be losing. Now we might be losing some of the statue. So let's be careful with that. And also may be a little bit before it as well. Just a little bit like that. I'm going to be broadening our image, dragging our slider.

Now let's even add some color vibrance for our image because it looks really big in that area. So cranking that one up. And maybe also a little bit of saturation, maybe a little bit more. Now let's even add more contrast to our image. There are too many ways to apply contrast to our image. So we need to be converting our image into a Smart Object.

So let's right click on image, Convert to Smart Object, then let's go to Image, Adjustments. Brightness and Contrast can be increasing contrast a bit like that. Or instead we can be duplicating our layers. So I'm going to be pressing pencil, and we're going to be pressing Command G, or Ctrl G, to have a duplicate of our layer. They're changing Blending Mode to Soft lights, or even overlay for a stronger contrast within your image. However, let's keep it on soft light for that one, and let's bring opacity for that layer all the way to here.

Or instead of using Adobe cut layer, we can be using criminal filters. So let me disable that one. And I'm selecting my layer once again, going to filter we have that one as a Smart Object already. So we're going to be applying Camera Roll filter. Now we have our original image in here and also can be controlling or dragging these areas in here to left and right to clip these areas. However, I'm going to undo that because we are already using levels.

However, now I'm gonna be increasing clarity for that image, which is similar to contrast as well. And the haze as well. Of course, here you have more control over your highlights, shadows, whites and blacks as well. So you have even better control in here so you can be increasing highlights or even reducing them a bit. And same as well for shadows. Then you can be applying that.

Now we have a much better details within our image, especially for the trees on the sky. And here's another technique realize you can be adding a layer on top of your original layer, just an empty one to preserve your original layer, then we can be using sharpen tool. And make sure you're using a soft brush, a mod or normal and we have a strength of 30%. You can be increasing that one or reducing that one, pressing 432 or whatever you would like. And make sure you're checking sample all layers and protect detail. And also if you're using a tablet, you can be clicking that one to apply pressure sensitivity within your tablets.

Now let's maybe apply some strokes over these areas. To gain even more details for the trees maybe as some touches through the sky Now this looks like a completely different image to me. Just by enhancing exposure contrast and adding some color vibrance we have a completely different image. And here's also another results you can get by applying different values for the same filters depending on what you prefer and what effect you're going after you can be getting different results using exactly the same filters and same adjustment layers. moving to another image, in that image using levels or curves will not be giving us best results. However, instead we're gonna be using shadows and highlights, which is not existing as an adjustment layer, however, can be converted or layer into a Smart Object to preserve our layer.

So here as you can see, we have lot one already as a smart object and we can be going to image adjustments, then selecting shadows highlights. Now instantly we're getting some details from that are however, can be Using even more shuttles to get more details from the hour, maybe you're getting a little bit of noise as well. However, this one was completely black. So that's amazing for us. We can be hiding that noise later using some filters, maybe floor filters or something like that. And also for highlights, we can be controlling highlights for our image.

However, for that image, you don't really need to increase highlights, but just in case you're getting some glowing areas like that line in here you can be showing more options and reducing radius for highlights. So I'm going to be reading that one. And now we're losing that glow in here or that halo around our arch to increase the radius. Once again, we're going to see that glowing light in here. However, in our case, we don't need really highlights. So I'm going to be bringing that one to zero again as toes also can be trying to play around with these settings in here.

For color, mid tone, or even tone, if you're using highlights, how we're now going to be keeping that one as this and applying maybe vibrance to our image to add some color within our art. And now let's maybe say we need to remove our shadow highlights effect on the sky or the clouds, we can be selecting our Smart Filter, then we can be selecting our gradient tool here, having black and white, then can be drawing a gradient, that direction to reveal the port from the sky. Or even can be drawing subgradient higher or even from here to have maybe that shadow effect within your art. And you can do the same technique to any adjustment layer you're applying. So let's maybe add a color filter from here or Photo Filter. We're going to be increasing density for that one.

Of course You can be selecting from any of these filters and still forming filter you can be trying reds or any of these colors Sebby as well the bread or it can be selecting a custom color from here if you like. So let me select warming filter and we're going to be applying our gradient as well. So now we have that color filter only applied on that hour and also you can be reducing density for your mosques as well. So selecting or mosque for maybe shadow highlights, then you can be double clicking your mouse. Now we have density for our mosque we can be reducing that one a bit. Now we have shadow highlights also upload on our sky because we have 55% only applied from that filter mask.

The other adjustment layers in here are pretty much straight. And most of them are existing on the your image adjustments. You can be experimenting with them anytime you can be inverting your image, which will be inverting your images color. And same as well for the settings in here. So let's maybe apply some of them. Here we have invert, which is inverting colors as you can see, or you can be adding posterize.

So let me undo that. Selecting this one, which is rarely used by designers these days. As you can see, it's not really amazing. Over we can be changing these values from here, four different effects within our image or we can be removing that one. And applying exposure will can be customizing exposure as well. However, it's not really effective as using Levels and Curves, or even shadows highlights so we have exposure slider We can be increasing that one a bit.

Or instead you can be selecting from a preset. So for instance, you can be selecting plus one or minus one, and so on and so forth. So let's select maybe plus one. Now you have that preset was plus one for exposure. Maybe if you like that exposure setting on the arch, you can be removing that area by using the gradient tool as well. So selecting that gradient tool, and rolling a gradient like that, however, it's totally up to you if you'd like to have more details of your image or not.

So let me remove that one. Now it's your turn, guys, you will find these images in your resources, start applying your preferred techniques and methods and I'm sure you will be coming up even with better results than mine. Hope you enjoyed that one and let's dive in next video.