Brighten Shadows

This functions allows you to brighten or darken an image selectively according to highlights, shadows or intermediate parts. The sliders represent the three categories (left: shadows; middle: intermediate (mid-tones); right: highlights). Use the sliders carefully, otherwise images can become 'muddy'. If, in the end, the image is nevertheless too faint, you can improve this with the contrast slider.


Tips for use

Shadow brightening shouldn't be used indiscriminately - not every image needs it. You may achieve an optically perfect result but lose the image's essential character at the same time. Shadows can form an essential part of an image, needing little or no correction. Certainly, each image should be considered, literally, in its own lights and given individual treatment - there is no magic formula that works every time.

It is wise to keep to the following order:


1. Shadows

First move the shadow slider, but don't try to perform the whole brightening operation in one go. Move the slider carefully! If colored patches or pixels appear in the deepest shadows while you are moving this slider, you've already gone too far. Such areas are 'plugged up' and can only be brightened to a certain extent. They are pitch black and no amount of calculation can produce any further image content.


2. Intermediate areas

Then use the middle slider alternately with the shadow slider to achieve the best result. Where the shadow slider has already over-influenced the intermediate areas (with very 'hard' images), lower these areas using the middle slider. Observe finely structured areas - when these begin to become indistinct (individual structures merge), move the middle slider back up until the effect is no longer apparent.


3. Highlights

Usually, you do not need to use this slider to brighten shadows, but it may well be a help in reducing highlights. The same applies as with the middle slider: Observe finely structured areas and try to prevent these being overcompensated.


4. Contrast

When shadows are brightened considerably, contrast and fine structures tend to suffer to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the skill of the operator. After operations with the other sliders, you can use the contrast slider to retrieve them. Here, too: Observe carefully what happens, so that the mid-tones and highlights do not become too hard.

While using the shadow and middle sliders, keep the next highest brightness area under observation to make sure that it doesn't 'blow out', i.e. become too featureless.