[Photo-SIG] How to fix uneven lighting?

[JRGlide at att.net]

Dave,

I can tell you at least three ways to fix it.  This is all PS, I don't know anything about the other two.  And all of this will work in Elements.

1.  Use the dodge tool to lighten the left side, making sure you a soft brush.  The easiest way is to use the normal dodge&burn tool on the tools palette, but this isn't the best way since you change the image permanatly.  The better way is to create a new layer, fill it with gray and set the blending mode to overlay.  Now paint on the left side with a soft brush using white and set the opacity low.

2.  Make an adjustment layer using levels and adjust to lighten the left side - don't worry about the right side for now.  Since the layer mask for an adjustment layer is white by default, now you want to mask out the right side to return it to normal.  Choose a soft brush and select black as your foreground color.  Make sure the layer mask is active and paint on the right side of the mask to block the adjustment, which should return back to normal.

3.  If you really want to get fancy, this is a variation of number 2.  Create an adjustment layer as before, but now create a gradient mask on the layer mask using a B&W gradient tool, with the gradient going from white to black from left to right.  

4.  Your lighten blending mode would also work IF you had the full PS and could use layer masks to mask out the right side.  But the first three methods are probably easier anyway.

 
-------------- Original message from Dave Lundy <lundyd at dmapub.dma.org>: -------------- 


> Can any of you tell me a good way to fix this sample photo? Using duplicate 
> layers in the screen mode lightens the entire photo, not just the left side 
> that is too dark. I assume I need to somehow create a mask, filter, or layer 
> (don't really know which) that is gradually shaded from left to right, then do 
> what with it??? I haven't had much luck finding a solution using Google or 
> Brainboost, but I haven't tried very many variation on my search terms yet. 
> 
> I shrunk the size and set compression very high for e-mail - the actual image 
> is much better, except for the awful lighting. 
> 
> I have Paint Shop Pro X, Photoshop Elements 4, and GIMP at my disposal, so if 
> you have specific instructions for any of those, it would be a huge help. 
> -- 
> Dave Lundy 
> 
> 
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