Adobe Photoshop Intermediate (2023): Fixing Exposure Problems

Name: Adobe Photoshop Intermediate (2023): Fixing Exposure Problems
Author: Jeff Drylewicz

Learn how to use adjustment layers and the Camera Raw filter to correct exposure

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 6 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello, welcome to Knowledge City's intermediate course in Adobe Photoshop. My name is Jeff Dryluitz, and today I'll be teaching you how to utilize the exposure adjustments to fix the exposure of an image. So some common exposure problems one might come across are a backlit subject, whites that aren't white or overexposed highlights, kind of like this one, to name a few. So to work with the exposure in an image, our first option is we can go up to Image in our dropdown menu, go down to Adjustments, choose Exposure. So now our Exposure dialog box pops up here. And what we can do here is obviously we've got some presets that you can just try right off the bat. They may or may not work for what you need right now, and obviously none of these are fitting what I need. So I've got some sliders to work with to customize this. So my first slider is the exposure. This one covers the overall lights, darks, and midtones of the entire image all at once. So this is one you want to use somewhat in moderation and obviously too far down or too far up, it just completely washes out or darkens your picture. Next down we have Offset. This allows you to adjust the shadows within an image, with very minimal effect on the highlights. So this picture you can see, alright, that's having a much better effect now than what we needed before. Now see those shadows are really lightening up, or we are darkening them a bit. Lastly, the final slider here is the Gamma Correction. Gamma Correction controls the overall brightness. So that is handling all those areas that the highlights in them. So I can either bring them up way too high, or drop them down, or just try to find exactly where I need this to be. As you see, I'm just kind of working them all in conjunction with one another to get a much clearer picture with a much better exposure. Now, the drawback with using this command, if I were to hit OK, the drawback here is that it is a destructive editing technique, and that permanently alters these pixels. So once I save, these pixels are changed. So if I wanted to go back and change this later, I cannot do that. Now, we have a non-destructive editing method to work with instead here. So I'm going to just undo what I did with command Z. And what I can do instead is I can come down to my adjustment layer. So in my Layers palette, I can come down to the adjustment layers, and I can also click on exposure. And you'll see it has all the same options here as we did when we did image adjustments and chose exposure. So we've got our presets again, and we know we didn't want to use those before. And again, we've got our exposure for the entire image, the offset, which adjusts the shadows and the gamma correction, which adjusts the highlights. So again, I can do those same settings I did before. Work the shadows and the highlights. Bring the exposure up a little bit. Bring those shadows down and get a much more balanced photo here of my white fence. So now we've got our sliders where we want them to go. We can see that we're ready to go. And that is all for our dive into the exposure options in our next lesson. We will learn about fixing exposure with the levels command and adjustment layers well. Thanks for watching.

Intermediate Provider : Jeff Drylewicz 6 Lessons · 23m in English

Course Description

In this course on Adobe Photoshop, you will learn how to correct exposure problems by utilizing a variety of adjustment layers and the Camera Raw filter. Within these options, you will also learn a variety of methods for removing noise from an image, as well as explore how and where to locate the levels, curves, and exposure options.

Later in this course, we’ll also show you how adjustment layers allow the user to make nondestructive edits to their photos, designs, and artwork to provide better flexibility for future edits. Knowing how to make nondestructive edits is a crucial skill to have, whether you’re a professional designer or just a casual Photoshop user. These skills are essential for projects that require collaborative editing without making any permanent edits. By the end of this course, you will be able to confidently select which adjustments will work best for your project needs.

What You'll Learn

Correct exposure problems using adjustment layers and the Camera Raw filter
Apply nondestructive editing methods to photos, designs, and artwork
Locate and use the levels, curves, and exposure options in Photoshop
Remove noise from an image using noise filters and the Camera Raw filter
Use adjustment layers to apply edits, including adding color to a flat sky
Select which adjustments work best for a given project's needs

Key Takeaways

Exposure problems can be corrected using a variety of adjustment layers and the Camera Raw filter.
Adjustment layers allow nondestructive edits, giving better flexibility for future edits.
Nondestructive editing is essential for projects that require collaborative editing without permanent changes.
The course covers the exposure, levels, and curves adjustment layers as well as noise removal with the Camera Raw filter.
Knowing how to make nondestructive edits is a crucial skill for both professional designers and casual Photoshop users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is suited for anyone working in Adobe Photoshop, whether a professional designer or a casual Photoshop user, who wants to correct exposure problems and make nondestructive edits.

What will this course teach me?

You will learn to correct exposure problems using adjustment layers and the Camera Raw filter, remove noise from images, locate the levels, curves, and exposure options, and use adjustment layers to make nondestructive edits.

What topics do the lessons cover?

The lessons cover the Exposure, Levels, and Curves adjustment layers, the Camera Raw filter, noise filters with the Camera Raw filter, and adding color to a flat sky.

Why is nondestructive editing important in this course?

Nondestructive edits give better flexibility for future edits and are essential for projects that require collaborative editing without making any permanent edits.

What will I be able to do by the end of the course?

You will be able to confidently select which adjustments will work best for your project needs.