Adjusting Brightness and Contrast

When there is too much light, a photo may be overexposed, which means that some pixels in the photo are completely white when they should be a shade of gray or colored. When there is inadequate light, the photo may be underexposed, which means that some pixels in the photo are completely black when they should be gray or colored.

The Brightness/Contrast function adds and removes light from all pixels in a photo equally. It is a great way to quickly increase or reduce the overall brightness in a photo.

To Adjust the Brightness and Contrast:

1. Select the Selection Tool and click the photo.
2. In the Menu bar, click Adjustments | Light | Brightness/Contrast.
3. In the Editing window, on the Settings tab, drag the Brightness slider to the left to remove light and to the right to add light.
4. Drag the Contrast slider to the left to reduce contrast and to the right to increase. Contrast is the amount of difference between the lightest and darkest pixels in the photo. However, contrast also affects colors. You will want to increase contrast in dull photos and to reduce contrast in bright photos.
5. Press OK.

See Also:

• Working in the Editing Window
• Automatically Correcting Lighting