Photoshop Support - Main Photoshop News Photoshop Tutorials Photoshop Tools Photoshop Resources Photoshop Site Map
photoshop tutorials
photoshop tutorials - top logo
free Photoshop tutorials from Jennifer Apple

free Photoshop tutorials from Jennifer Apple
back to Photoshop tutorials by Jennifer - main page
Buy. Download. Create. Get Adobe Photoshop now at the Adobe Store.
Find Photoshop CS4 tutorials and videos on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page.
Try before you buy. Download any Adobe product for a free 30 day trial.

How To Fix An Underexposed Photo

The easiest way to avoid underexposed photos is to adjust your aperture settings, your shutter speed and your film speed when shooting. That's sounds pretty easy, right? Forget it. Photoshop was invented for the "I-can't-find-time-to-read-the-manual" photographer. Who cares if it's too dark or too light, we've got Photoshop!

So how easy is it to fix an underexposed photo? Very easy. Open your photo up and choose Image> Adjustments> Shadow/Highlight (CS-only. For pre-CS look below). You'll see an immediate change in your photo and it will probably be too extreme, but don't panic. Photoshop ships with defaults that are often way over the top. Just play with the Amount Slider and the Tonal Width Slider until you find just the right balance. And you're done!

Adobe Photoshop tutorial - How To Fix An Underexposed Photo

The above photo is underexposed. The chocolate strawberries look like chestnuts. Below is the same photo after applying the Shadow/Highlight filter.

Adobe Photoshop tutorial - How To Fix An Underexposed Photo

Fixing Underexposed Photos, Pre-CS — The Layer Sandwich Trick
If you don't have CS, then the following trick will help you achieve similar results. I actually find this method produces better results.

Step 1 — New Layer
Open your photo and make a copy of the Background Layer by choosing Layer> Duplicate Layer, or by dragging it to the New Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.

Adobe Photoshop tutorialStep 2 — Change The Blend Mode
In the Layers palette change the Blend Mode of the new layer from Normal to Screen. This will lighten the photo uniformly.

Step 3 — Repeat
Now repeat the entire procedure again. Create a new layer, change the blend mode to screen, and then take a look at the result. Continue doing this until you go from "oh-my-god it's almost perfect" to "oh-my-god I've ruined it!"

Step 4 — Lower The Opacity
Now leave that last layer active even though it's taken you too far and lower the Opacity using the slider at the top right of the layers palette. This lowers the intensity of the effect. When you've found the right amount, you can flatten your image.

Step 5 — Flatten And Save
Choose Layer> Flatten or use the palette’s flyout menu and choose Flatten Image. That's it. Save your file (File> Save) and you're done.

Adobe Photoshop tutorial - How To Fix An Underexposed Photo

Need To Fix An Overexposed Photo?
The technique is similiar. Read my "How To Fix Overexposed Images" for details.

Now I'm going to go and eat all those chilled chocolate-covered strawberries...

 tutorial and images © Jennifer Apple of PhotoshopSupport.com

Photoshop CS4 & Photoshop CS4 Extended - Best Deals From Adobe

Photoshop CS4 & Photoshop CS4 ExtendedPhotoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended feature a newly refined, tab-based interface in a single, integrated window, with self-adjusting panels arranged in docked groups. Automatically keeping tools well organized and away from your work area means you get greater efficiency, less clutter, and better results, faster than before.

Delivering all the features of Adobe Photoshop CS4 software, including the new Adjustments and Masks panels, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended also provides breakthrough 3D editing and compositing power to paint directly on 3D models, create 3D animations, convert 2D images to 3D objects, and more; richer motion graphics editing; and more powerful and flexible image analysis and tracking. Learn more on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page. To download the free trial, see details on our Photoshop CS4 Free Trial Download Page.

Find upgrade options and package deals at the Adobe USA Store. Teachers and students get special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. You can also buy in your country currency and language at the following Adobe International Stores:
Adobe United Kingdom  |  Adobe Germany  |  Adobe France  |  Adobe Eastern Europe

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium - Complete CS4 Bundle

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium - Complete CS4 BundleAdobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium software is the designer's dream toolkit for print, web, and mobile publishing. Creativity is rarely confined to one medium, so put your vector illustrations in motion, moving fluidly between Adobe Illustrator CS4 and Adobe Flash CS4 Professional. And use Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended to design and slice a web page for publishing with Adobe Dreamweaver CS4.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium combines essential tools for producing everything from professional page layouts to rich interactive experiences in a unified, intuitive environment. Also includes Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro, Adobe InDesign CS4, plus Adobe Fireworks CS4.

Buy now or download the free trial at the Adobe USA Store, or buy in your country currency and language at the following Adobe International Stores:
Adobe United Kingdom  |  Adobe Germany  |  Adobe France  |  Adobe Eastern Europe



Photoshop tutorials by Jennifer Apple - More Photo Retouching Tutorials
Photoshop tips and Photoshop tutorials - tutorials by Jennifer AppleHow To Fix Overexposed Images In Photoshop
Learn two simple and quick techniques to help you fix overexposed images in Photoshop.

Photoshop tips and Photoshop tutorials - tutorials by Jennifer AppleHow To Resize Images And Maintain Original Sharpness
When resizing an image you might find that the image takes on a blurry look. Luckily in Photoshop there's a simple solution to eliminate this dreaded blur.

Adobe Photoshop blog
Photoshop Blog by Jennifer AppleThe Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop and Digital Photography news and software updates, tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist, digital photographer and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.
Photoshop Blog
Photoshop Masking Plugin Fluid Mask 3 - Price Drop And Exclusive $20 Instant Discount - Now Only $129

Photoshop Masking Plugin Fluid Mask 3 - Price Drop And Exclusive $20 Instant Discount - Now Only $129The 4 1/2 out of 5 star review of Fluid Mask 3 at MacWorld begins by saying that this "Photoshop plug-in takes the pain out of extracting backgrounds," and goes on to recommend the latest version, stating that "Fluid Mask 3.0.2 is a very effective tool for separating objects from their backgrounds. It offers a variety of useful features for tackling almost any difficult image, from wispy hair to complex foliage. Online video tutorials and live training sessions help ease the learning curve."

Our friends at Vertus, the makers of Fluid Mask 3 Photoshop Plugin, have set up a special exclusive discount for PhotoshopSupport.com. Buy now for only $129. Just follow this discount link and instantly get $20 off your purchase of Fluid Mask 3.

Fluid Mask 3 is designed for photographers, image editors, graphic designers and all those who take digital image editing seriously. In a streamlined interface and workflow, Fluid Mask 3 instantly shows key edges in the image and provides comprehensive easy to use tools that work with difficult-to-see edges and tricky areas like trees & lattices. Fluid Mask will also preserve all-important edge information for a professional quality cut out. Simply follow this discount link and pay only $129 for Fluid Mask 3.
Photoshop Blog
Exclusive onOne Software 20% Instant Discount Coupon

Exclusive onOne Software 20% Instant Discount CouponEnter our exclusive discount coupon code - PSSPPT06 - during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 20% discount on any onOne product. This includes Genuine Fractals and their amazing Photoshop Plug-In Suite.

onOne Software's Plug-In Suite combines full versions of six essential software tools — Genuine Fractals Print Pro, PhotoTools Pro, PhotoFrame Pro, Mask Pro, PhotoTune and FocalPoint — an affordable combination that includes everything a photographer needs to make their images look their best.

Why do you need plugins? Photoshop is an amazing image editing application that has forever changed graphic design and digital photographic editing, but like any tool, if you don't have time to fully learn it, you can't get the most out of it.

Plugins for Photoshop allow you to either do something that you cannot do with the features included in Photoshop or they allow you to do something easier, faster or better than you could do in Photoshop without the plug-in. Whether it is color correction, resizing, masking or creating an effect, you can find a Photoshop plug-in that can help you be more efficient with your time.
Photoshop Blog
Nik Software 15% Instant Discount - Exclusive 15% Coupon

Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount on any Nik Software product. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.

Color Efex Pro 3.0
Nik Software Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters52 photographic filters with over 250 effects for professional quality images. Completely Original. Completely Indispensable.

Nik Software Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography. The award-winning Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are widely used by many of today's professional photographers around the world to save time and get professional level results. Whether you choose the Complete Edition, Select Edition, or Standard Edition, you’ll get traditional and stylizing filters that offer virtually endless possibilities to enhance and transform images quickly and easily.

Patented U Point technology provides the ultimate control to selectively apply enhancements without the need for any complicated masks, layers or selections. Control color, light and tonality in your images and create unique enhancements with professional results. With 52 filters and over 250 effects found in Color Efex Pro 3.0, you can perform high quality retouching, color correction, and endless creative enhancements to your photographs. Download a free Trial version.

Viveza
Viveza - The most powerful tool to selectively control color and light in photographic images without the need for complicated selections or layer masksThe most powerful tool to selectively control color and light in photographic images without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.

Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.

U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools. With Viveza you’ll spend more time shooting photographs and save hours of image editing. Download a free Trial version.

Silver Efex Pro
Silver Efex Pro from Nik SoftwareComplete power and control to create professional quality black and white images in one convenient tool.


Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software is the most powerful tool for creating professional quality black and white images from your photographs. For the first time, all the advanced power and control required for professional results have been brought together in one convenient tool.

Featuring Nik Software’s patented U Point technology to selectively control the tonality and contrast of the image, Silver Efex Pro includes advanced imaging algorithms to protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black and white film types, a variable toning selector for adding traditional toning techniques, over 20 one-click preset styles, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine that help produce the highest quality black and white images possible from your color images while providing more freedom to experiment. Download a free Trial version to use Silver Efex Pro.

Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for an instant 15% discount. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro, and Dfine.
Photoshop Blog
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available At The Adobe Store

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Released - Free Trial Download Also AvailableAdobe Photoshop Lightroom software is the photographer's essential toolbox for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. With new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localized image correction, and streamlined search capabilities, Photoshop Lightroom is a compelling upgrade that simplifies photography from shoot to finish. Visit the Adobe site to download a free 30 day Photoshop Lightroom trial free download.

As Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel processors and Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit operating systems, Lightroom also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images. Find the latest Lightroom 2 tutorials on our Photoshop Lightroom 2 Tutorials page.
Photoshop Blog
Photoshop CS4 Book - Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews

Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills - Adobe Photoshop CS4 BookBrimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS4. If you are an aspiring professional or a student learning photography, digital imaging, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve. A DVD is included free.

The Essential Skills Photography Series from Focal Press uniquely offers a structured learning experience for photographers of all ages, with both the underlying theory and loads of invaluable 'how to' and real-life practice projects - all from the most talented photography practitioners/educators in the world.

Read 2 free sample chapters:
Skin Retouching Tips In Photoshop CS4
Transforming Smart Objects In Photoshop CS4
Find more Photoshop CS4 tutorials on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page.

Read 2 free sample chapters from the Adobe Photoshop CS3 version:

Adjusting Exposure in Adobe Camera Raw CS3
Photoshop CS3 Tutorial High Dynamic Range

Find More Adobe Photoshop Books at Amazon.com
Find all the latest bestselling Photoshop books at discount prices at Amazon.com.

photoshop - tutorials, tips & tricks
back to top


PHOTO CREDIT: A slightly abstract grunge material.
© 2004 acidscar + treatment by Jennifer Apple of PhotoshopSupport.com


photoshop tutorials - sidebar logo
search the Photoshop Support site
Adobe Photoshop Blog - Photoshop news and comments
Photoshop Blog
News, links and tips.
Adobe Photoshop Blog - Receive Updates via our XML/RSS feed
Adobe Store
Adobe Store
Adobe Store
See Special Offers
Adobe USA Store
Adobe UK Store
Students 80% Off
Education Store
Inspiring Photoshop Music...
Inspiring Photoshop Music...
Inspiring Photoshop Music...
join our Photoshop Newsletter and win free prizes
Free Newsletter
Free monthly prizes.
Fluid Mask Photoshop Plugin
Fluid Mask Photoshop Plugin
Fluid Mask Photoshop Plugin
Fluid Mask - $15 Off
Fluid Mask Tour
Free Dreamweaver Tutorials and Dreamweaver Templates - Resource Center - Main Page
DW Center - Main
DW Free Tutorials
DW Video Clips
DW Templates
Free Flash Tutorials and Flash Templates - Resource Center
Flash - Main
Flash Tutorials
Flash Templates
Photoshop software & gear at special prices
Photoshop Deals
Photoshop specials.
Turn your Photoshop designs into CSS websites with SiteGrinder - Photoshop plugin.
Turn your Photoshop designs into CSS websites with SiteGrinder - Photoshop plugin.
Turn your Photoshop designs into CSS websites with SiteGrinder - Photoshop plugin.
Turn your Photoshop
designs into websites
with SiteGrinder
Photoshop CS3 Resources - Photoshop 10 news
Photoshop CS3
PS CS3 Tutorials
Adobe Photoshop Elements - resource center
PSE Main Page
PSE Free Tutorials
PSE Free Clips
Lightroom Resource Center - Adobe Lightroom tutorials and news
Lightroom - Main
LR Free Tutorials
LR Resources
Apple Aperture resource center - Aperture tutorials and news
Aperture - Main
Aperture Tutorials
Aperture Reviews
Photoshop Resources
Photoshop Tutorials
Free Tutorials
Photoshop 9 - CS2
Free CS2 Tutorials
Photoshop Brushes
Free Brushes
Photoshop Plugins
Free Plugins
Photoshop Actions
Free Actions
Photoshop Training
Free Video Clips
Free Stock Photos
Free Photos
Free Fonts Directory
Free Fonts
Free Textures
Free Textures
Digital Cameras
Resource Center
Inspiration
Websites & Artists
Photoshop News
Latest News
Photoshop Books
Latest Releases
Color Resources
Color Management
Just For Kids
Photoshop for Kids
How-To Articles
Photoshop Articles
GoLive Site
GoLive Tutorials
Quick Answers
Photoshop FAQ
Get In Touch
Feedback Form
© 1999-2007 PHOTOSHOPSUPPORT.COM
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION
Some material reproduced by permission of copyright owners
All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners
[this website is intended as a public service]
• navigation bar inspired by Griffin Technology
• website design and development by Futura Studios
web hosting provided by Hostway •