How to Brighten a Person in Photoshop

If you can't get the right lighting, correct the photo in Photoshop.

Photoshop is a software program that allows you to manipulate photos in hundreds of creative ways. When it comes to photographs of people, Photoshop allows you to remove red-eye, wrinkles, blemishes and bad lighting. To brighten a person in Photoshop, you have to manipulate the color settings, which distinguish the person from the background in the photo.

Instructions

1. Open the photo you wish to brighten in Photoshop. Press "Control" and "L" simultaneously on a PC or "Command" and "L" on a Mac. To accomplish the same result, go to the toolbar at the top of the page, click on "Image," "Adjustments" and then "Levels."

2. Click "Auto Levels" in the "Levels" tab, and Photoshop will automatically adjust the brightness level of the photo according to the information in the photo.

3. Click "Levels" to open the "Levels" dialog box. The slider on the far left controls the shadows in the picture. The middle slider controls the midtones, and the slider on the far right controls the highlights. The sliders will range in color from black to gray to white. If a slider is completely white, it needs to be adjusted until it turns gray or black. This indicates good color of all subjects in the photo.

4. Pull the light gray or white sliders to the left and the image will begin to brighten. Click "OK" to save brightness changes.

5. Go back to the "Image" tab on the toolbar, click it and then click "Adjustments" again. In this tab, click "Brightness/Contrast." Pull the brightness slider to the right to make the subject brighter. Pull the contrast slider to the right as well to strengthen the shadows and maintain a clear, professional-looking image. Click "OK" to save the changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't overmanipulate brightness and contrast in a photo. This will wash out the image.

References

• "Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers"; Martin Evening; 2008