How to Make Colors Brighter in Photoshop
Photographers are often frustrated when bad lighting or shading conditions hinder the compositions they work to create or capture. Many otherwise fantastic photos have come out poorly because colors are dull or washed out. Adobe Photoshop can solve these problems, helping create photos that look the way you meant them to. Using the program's selection and image adjustment tools, your photos can look better in a matter of minutes.
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Instructions
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1
Run Photoshop and select "File > Open" from the application menu to find and open the image you would like to brighten.
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2
Select the "Layers" palette on the right side of the window and select "Layer > Duplicate Layer" from the application menu to create a copy of the image. This will allow you to make your brightness adjustments without altering the original image, which makes it easier to delete or alter your adjustments later on.
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3
Select the "Magnetic Lasso Tool," beneath the "Lasso Tool" in the Tools Panel on the left side of the window. You will use this tool to make a selection of the specific color area you would like to brighten.
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4
Click on the edge of the area you would like to brighten and move your cursor along the edges, clicking at any sharp corners or direction changes to add an anchor point. This keeps the lasso attached to the color area. Trace with the cursor all the way around the area until it gets back to the original point. The cursor will display a small circle next to it when you have arrived back at that point. Click to close the lasso and make a selection of the area you traced.
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5
Select "Image > Adjustments > Brightness/ Contrast" from the application menu. Check the "Preview" box in the resulting dialogue box and drag the "Brightness" slider to the right until your selection is bright enough for you. Adjust the "Contrast" slider as desired to blend the newly brightened portions of the image according to your tastes.
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6
Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each object you want to brighten.
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7
Save your brightened image by selecting "File > Save As" from the application menu and entering a new name and location for it in the resulting dialogue box. Click "Save" when you are finished.
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Tips & Warnings
You can apply brightness adjustments to an entire image by skipping the "Magnetic Lasso Tool" steps in the process. You also can select all instances of a specific color or color range by selecting "Select > Color Range" from the application menu and clicking on the portion of your image displaying the color you want to brighten. Brighten the selection using the same process outlined in Step 5.
References
- Photo Credit Bright Berries image by Gary Chorpenning from Fotolia.com
