Correcting Exposure

Whatever your experience as a photographer, chances are you'll have some photos which are either overexposed (too bright), underexposed (too dark) or 'washed out'. Don't despair! We'll show you how to fix common exposure problems quickly without going anywhere near a complicated Curves adjustment!

• For information on correcting exposure problems in raw images, see Raw Images.

• Duplicate a layer.

• Apply a Multiply blend mode to correct overexposure.

• Apply a Screen blend mode to correct underexposure.

• Enhance washed out photos using an Overlay or Soft Light blend mode.

To quickly fix our exposure problems, we will need two identical layers to blend together...

Duplicating a layer

PhotoPlus makes it easy to duplicate a layer from the Layers tab.

To create a duplicate layer:

1. On the Layers tab, right-click the Background layer, and select Duplicate.

2. In the Duplicate Layer dialog, accept the default settings and click OK.
   
   A duplicate layer, called Background Copy, is added to the Layers tab.

Now we'll apply a blend mode to correct an overexposed photo.

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Correcting overexposure

Overexposure describes a photo which is too bright, and has therefore lost detail, due to being exposed to too much light. Multiply is the best blend mode to use to rescue overexposed photos! It has the effect of decreasing exposure in the darker areas, while keeping the lighter areas relatively unchanged.

To apply a blend mode:

• On the Layers tab, with the duplicate layer selected, select Multiply from the blend mode drop-down list.
  
  

The results are instantly clear!

• It's best to use multiple duplicate layers and apply the multiply effect in increments. Don't be afraid to use several layers, each set to only 10% or 15% Opacity as this is likely to produce a more balanced result.

Next we'll apply a blend mode to correct an underexposed photo.

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Correcting underexposure

Underexposure describes a photo which is too dark, and has therefore lost detail, because of a lack of exposure to light. The Screen blend mode can be used to increase brightness in a photo, while retaining tonal balance. This has the effect of increasing exposure in the darkest areas, while keeping the lighter areas relatively unchanged.

To apply a blend mode:

• On the Layers tab, with the duplicate layer selected, select Screen from the blend mode drop-down list.
  
  

The results are instantly clear!

• It's best to use multiple duplicate layers and apply the multiply effect in increments. Don't be afraid to use several layers, each set to only 10% or 15% Opacity as this is likely to produce a more balanced result.

Next we'll look into correcting a 'washed out' photo.

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Enhancing a washed out photo

Washed out photos tend to have a grey tone caused by a lack of contrast between light and dark areas. The Overlay and Soft Light blend modes act by lightening highlights and deepening shadows to produce a well contrasted photo. They both also make colours in a photo more vibrant and reduce haze from landscape photos.

To apply a blend mode:

• On the Layers tab, with the duplicate layer selected, select Overlay from the blend mode drop-down list.
  
  
  
  If the adjustment is too strong, try selecting Soft Light instead.
  
  A Soft Light blend mode will generally give a softer, more subtle effect than Overlay.

The results are instantly clear!

• If the effect is too overpowering, try reducing the duplicate layer's Opacity (on the Layers tab).

• If you're looking for more refined control when adjusting the exposure of your photos, why not try a Curves adjustment? For more information, see Key Adjustments: Adjusting Curves.

• For more information on using blend modes, see Introduction to blend modes and Using blend modes.