There are many ways to adjust an image in Photoshop, but the most common and basic way is to use the Adjustment Layers tool. This tool can be found in the ‘Layer’ menu at the top of the screen, or by clicking on the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.
Once you have selected this tool, a list of different adjustment options will appear. The most commonly used are ‘Brightness/Contrast’, ‘Levels’, ‘Curves’, and ‘Hue/Saturation’. Each of these adjustment options has its own set of controls that can be used to fine-tune the image.
The first step is to decide which adjustment you want to make. For example, if you want to increase the overall brightness of the image, you would select the ‘Brightness/Contrast’ option.
If you want to change the color balance, you would select ‘Hue/Saturation’. Once you have selected the desired adjustment, you can then begin to tweak the settings to get the look you want.
Brightness/Contrast: This adjusts the overall brightness and contrast of an image. The ‘Brightness’ slider increases or decreases the overall brightness of an image, while the ‘Contrast’ slider does the same for contrast.
Levels: This adjusts the black, white, and midtone levels of an image. The ‘Black’ slider sets the new black point, while the ‘White’ slider sets the new white point. The ‘Midtone’ slider adjusts all tones in between black and white.
Curves: This is a more advanced adjustment that allows you to make subtle changes to an image’s tonal range. The Curves dialog box has a graph that represents all tones in an image from dark to light. By adding points to this graph and adjusting their positions, you can change how an image’s tones are distributed.
Hue/Saturation: This adjusts the hue (color) and saturation (intensity) of an image. The ‘Hue’ slider changes the overall color of an image, while the ‘Saturation’ slider increases or decreases the intensity of colors.
Once you have made your adjustments, you can then fine-tune them by using the various controls that are available for each adjustment option. For example, with Brightness/Contrast, you can adjust not only the overall brightness and contrast, but also specify which tones in an image should be affected by these changes.
With Levels, you can choose which black or white point should be clipped (removed). And with Curves, you can choose how aggressively your changes will be applied.
After making your adjustments, be sure to check your work by zooming in on various areas of your image. This will help you spot any areas that may need further tweaking. When you’re happy with your results, simply click on the ‘OK’ button to apply your changes.
In conclusion, adjusting images in Photoshop is a fairly simple process that can be accomplished by using the Adjustment Layers tool. By selecting the desired adjustment and tweaking its settings, you can easily change various aspects of an image.
