TUTORIAL ARTICLE

Beginner

4 min

How to adjust photo lighting with Levels

Improve contrast and brightness in your photos.

Note: Stock assets provided are for practice purposes only. See terms .

What you learned

Add a Levels adjustment layer

A Levels adjustment layer gives you a nondestructive way to adjust the black point, the white point, and the midtones in a photo.

Evaluate the tones in your photo

The Levels controls include a chart, called a histogram, that illustrates the tones in the photo. Learn how to read that chart, and use it to evaluate and improve the tones in your photo.

Set the black and white points

Make the darkest areas in a photo rich black and the lightest areas bright white using Levels Input sliders. This is a quick way to expand the tonal range in a dull photo, adding contrast and drama.

Lighten or darken the midtones

You can also make the midtones in a photo lighter or darker using the gray Levels Input slider. This makes the photo look brighter or darker overall.

Now you know how to improve the brightness and contrast of your photos with a few Levels sliders!


Instruction by

Jan Kabili

Adobe Stock Contributor

Anastasiia

19 April 2023

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