Levels

1. Open your image
2. Click on "Image>Adjustments>Levels"
3. Adjust the sliders to the endpoints of the histogram
4. Click "OK"

Using Curves for Contrast

1. Open your image
2. Click on "Image>Adjustments>Curves"
3. Apply three points to the "curve" by clicking on the curve
4. Adjust the bottom point to adjust contrast in the darker areas
5. Adjust the top point to adjust contrast in the light areas
6. Adjust the middle point to adjust the midtone contrast

Haze Filter

1. Open your image
2. Click on "Filters>Unsharp Mask"
3. Enter 15-30 for the amount
4. Enter 250 for the radius
5. Click "OK"

Fix a color cast

1. Open your image
2. Click "Curves".
3. Click "Options".
4. Click "Find Dark & Light Colors", and "Snap Neutral Midtones".

OR, just use "Image>Adjustments>Auto Color"!

Adjust Color Balance

1. Red - Cyan
2. Green - Magenta
3. Blue - Yellow

A Better Way to Dodge and Burn in Photoshop

In Photoshop we are given a dodge and burn tool in the Tool Menu. Unfortunately the results are usually crude and look heavy handed. Here is a better way. It simply involves adding an overlay layer of 50% gray.

1. Open your photo.
2. Select "Layer>New Fill Layer". Select color:gray, mode:overlay, opacity:50%.
3. Now make sure the Color Swatch Boxes in the bottom of the Tool Menu Box have white and black selected. The white will be used for dodging and the black for burning in.
4. Select the brush tool from the Tool Menu Box. Then select a large blurred edge brush size. Start with an opacity around 15%.
5. Using the brush with the white swatch selected will artfully dodge your photo. Using the black you will burn in where needed.
6. When finished, select "Layer>Flatten Image".

Extending Dynamic Range

1. Shoot two frames of the same scene. One exposed for the highlights and one for the shadows. (Or scan a slide twice with two different exposures during scanning.)
2. Open both images in Photoshop.
3. Select the darker image and then copy it ("Select>Select All"; "Edit>Copy"). Close this image as you no longer need it.
4. Select the lighter image and press Ctrl-V to paste the darker image into it. The lighter image becomes the background and the darker image is Layer 1.
5. Select Layer 1 and then click on "Layer>Add Layer Mask>Hide All".
6. Now select the "Paintbrush Tool" and choose a fairly large brush.
7. Start painting over the light part of the image. You are removing the overexposed layer and revealing the darker image underneath. Don't worry about overdoing it because once the light layer is removed the process stops. Be careful not to get too close to the dark area with the large brush. Also, make sure that you don't miss any areas that you want to include.
8. Change to a smaller brush and increase the magnification. Very carefully erase the light layer along the edge of where the dark area meets it. If you make a mistake, use the History Palette to go back.
9. The only drawback with this method is that it requires sometimes finicky painting, and this can become difficult if the dark and light areas aren't large and easily paintable. The advantage is that it gives you very precise manual control of what gets blended and what doesn't.

Make Those Colors POP!

Method #1 (Using "Blur")

1. Duplicate the background layer
2. Select the new layer
3. Click on "Image>Adjustment>Hue and Saturation>" and increase the saturation to around 60-70 (image will look absolutely trashy)
4. Go to "Filter>Noise>Median"(select around 6)
5. Got to "Filter>Blur>Gausssian Blur" (select around 4)
6. Set the blend mode to color and dial in the opacity as to your liking

Method #2 (Using "Equalize")

1. Duplicate the background layer
2. Select the new layer
3. Go to "Image>Adjustments>Equalize"
4. Go to "Edit>Fade Equalize" and set the Blend Mode to Soft light ~50%
5. Go to "Layer>Flatten Image"

Method #3 (Using "Apply Image")

1. Duplicate the background layer.
2. Select the new layer.
3. Go to "Image>Apply Image".
4. In the "Apply Image" dialog, choose Channel: Blue, click Invert, Blending: Hard Mix.
5. At 100% opacity this will show you the colors you will be superimposing on your photo. Now bring the opacity down to 15-25% to see the effect. (Adjust to taste)
6. Sometimes the green channel is a better choice than the blue.

Embossing Your Copyright in PhotoShop

One of the many options that photographers use in the attempt to protect their images online is by stamping their image with either a copyright symbol (©) or their logo. The embossing tool in PhotoShop is the most professional way to do this.

1. Open the image you want to stamp.
2. Create a new layer.
3. Either type in "©" using the text tool or paste in your logo.
4. Select the logo/© layer and choose "Select>Load Selection".
5. Select "Blur>Gaussian Blur" filter and set the Radius to 4.
6. Click on "Filters>Stylize>Emboss". Enter an angle of 135, a height of 4 pixels & an amount of 200 percent.
7. Make sure your logo/© layer is still selected. Select "Hard Light" from the Blend Mode list on the Layers palette.
8. Adjust the transparency of the logo/© until it creates the effect you want.

Note: To type the copyright symbol © on the PC hold down the ALT key and type "0169" on the numeric keypad. On the MAC hold down the ALT/OPTION key and press "g".

Matting and Framing an Image

1. Set image size.
2. Click "Image".
3. Click "Canvas Size".
4. Click on color swatch and select a light grey (matte bevel).
5. In the "New Size" box add 0.2 inches to both measurements. Click "OK".
6. Click "Canvas Size".
7. Click on color swatch and select white or off-white (matte color).
8. In the "New Size" box add 2.5-3.0 inches to both measurements. Click "OK".
9. Click "Canvas Size".
10. Click on color swatch and select black (frame color).
11. In the "New Size" box add 0.5 inches to both measurements. Click "OK".

Color to Black & White

2. Click on the "Channels" tab.
3. Click on each channel to see it. (This is like looking through red, green, or blue filters)
4. Create a "Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer". Click on "Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Channel Mixer".
5. Click the small "Monochrome" box.
6. Adjust sliders to zero and then to taste. Click "OK".
7. Click on "Layer>Flatten Image".

Sepia Toned B&W

1. Open your file and convert to B&W as above.
2. Click on "Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation
3. Click the small "Colorize" box
4. Adjust the "Hue" slider to an appealing orange color.
5. Adjust the "Saturation" slider to adjust the amount of the toning.
6. Click "OK"