How Do I Lighten a Photo in Adobe Photoshop?

Use "Levels" in Adobe Photoshop to lighten up a dark photo.

Cameras have become smaller and more efficient. They produce high quality images, but not every photo turns out just as you want it; some are blurry, oversaturated, grainy, bright or dark. Not long ago, these images were unrepairable, but Adobe Photoshop provides the capability to fix many of the issues with photos that would otherwise make them unpublishable. Using Adobe Photoshop tools, you can lighten a photo that is too dark to view properly.

Instructions

Hue/Saturation

1. Open the image in Photoshop by clicking "File," then "Open" and selecting the image you want to modify. If you're editing one image from a large batch of photos, rename it so you can find it easier.

2. Click "Image," followed by "Adjustments." Then click "Hue/Saturation."

3. Check the "Preview" box in the lower right corner of the window below the "Colorize" box. This allows you to instantly see any changes to the image as you adjust the sliders.

4. Left click and hold the pointer of the "Lightness" adjustment bar, then drag it to the right to lighten the image. You can also edit the number in the box above the bar to make more specific or incremental changes.

Levels

1. Click "Image," open "Adjustments," and then click "Levels."

2. Check the "Preview" box if it is not already checked.

3. Click and drag the middle slider and the right slider to the left to brighten the image. You may need to experiment. While the Hue and Saturation tool brightens the entire image, the Levels tool lets you brighten and darken different parts of the image, from light to dark portions. You can drag the right slider to the left, and then experiment further with the left if you need to. They all move independently. If you are just trying to brighten the image, you shouldn't need to touch the left slider.

References

• Adobe: Key Concept: Lighten