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Quick Fix: Overexposed and Underexposed Photos

With most any photo correction or retouching there are always a variety of ways to do it. And when it comes to photos that are overexposed or underexposed, it’s no different.

But this technique is so quick and easy, I hesitate to even call it a tutorial. And it can be done in Photoshop CS and Elements. It doesn’t always work with every photo, but it’s definitely worth a try. And when it does work, you can achieve these kinds of results in a matter of a few seconds – literally.

I should point out, these are just a couple of random photos that I pulled to illustrate this technique.

Are you ready? Okay, here we go.

Overexposed:

1. Open your photo and duplicate the layer
2. Set the Blending Mode to MULTIPLY
3. Adjust Opacity if needed (Opacity is to the right of the red circle)

That’s it. Nothing else to do.

However, as you can see in this example the original photo was extremely washed out, so I just duplicated the layer a second time and set the both layers to MULTIPLY.

And for a photo that’s underexposed, it’s just as easy. Only this time you’re going to set your Blending Mode to SCREEN.

Underexposed:

1. Open your photo and duplicate the layer
2. Set the Blending Mode to SCREEN
3. Adjust Opacity if needed

As before, because the photo was so dark I duplicated the layer a second time and set the both layers to SCREEN. Also (as seen in the comparison photo) I went in and enhanced the window a little using the technique in this tutorial. Quick Fix: What’s outside those overexposed windows?

And if you want, you can always go in to your colors, or contrast, levels, or whatever you like to tweak it a little more. But that’s all there is to it. And keep in mind, there are a variety of ways to correct exposure issues, and this is just one of the more simply methods.

Hopefully you find this helpful.

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Posted by Michael Cole on 03/17/2009 05:14 PM

Comments (32)

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32 Comments on Quick Fix: Overexposed and Underexposed Photos

MAR

2009

I really haven't used photo shop but I believe we have it at the office...so one of these quiet Saturday's on floor I will come back and give this a try...I do have a dickens of a time with getting underexposed photos looking better...THANKS

Hey Michael, I did NOT know this! Thanks a bunch! Seems we had the same idea today, I posted an easy tutorial too. I appreciate your sharing!

Debi

Hi Lori: Thank you for the comment. If you haven't used Photoshop much, it really is an awesome program. And Photoshop Elements is kind of a light version of Photoshop CS. So, either one is well worth the time to learn a few of the tricks. And if you ever need help with it, please don't hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to share whatever info I can.

Hi Debi: You're welcome, and thank you for stopping by. I'll go check out your tutorial too. Blending Modes are great and I'm still learning when to use which ones, and am always experimenting. But when I'm doing glamour type of retouching, I use them for a lot of different techniques. This site needs to be updated, but here's a few examples. RETOUCHING

Michael, I checked out your link, FABULOUS! I appreciate your sharing that with me. Will be gone for a few days, but will start playing with this when I get back - Thank you!

Debi

Hi Michael--Thanks for the advice. There is so much you can do these days.... in the past, oh 20 years or so ago... an over-exposed pix was just that... not much you could do.

MAR

2009

Hi Debi: Thank you for the compliment. I really enjoy retouching, I just don't have the time to play around with it as much as I would like. And I figure most people don't either - hence the 'Quick Fix' tutorials, rather than a higher-end or more time consuming approach. Have a safe trip, wherever you're headed.

Hi Tamara: You're most welcome. And you're right, 20 years ago (when people actually used film) there wasn't a lot you could do - at least not without spending fortune in some post production house, or telecine studio. It really is amazing what you can do these days. Thanks for the comment.

: )

Great Tutorial - I have never tried using the Blending mode. Can't wait to try it. Your post has been featured in the photography group.

Hi Maureen: Thank you. And thank you for the feature. I think Blending Modes are great tools. And when you start using different combinations of them, there's all kinds of things you can do. In fact, some of my retouching 'secrets' are nothing more than certain combinations of blending modes and opacity levels. Thanks again! : )

MAR

2009

Thanks Michael: I always look forward to your tutorials, I have a trial copy of CS which is ticking away and I haven't had much time to play with it. Don't think I've seen Multiply in Essentials.

Hi Gail: Thank you. If you can find the time, play around with CS a little. You want to make sure it's what you want, as it's pretty expensive.

MAR

2009

Hi Michael: I did find the multiply on Elements, it works like a charm.....as did all the other settings which I had not explored. Programs like these can be addictive where days and days go by without my knowledge ;-) Sometimes just a little clue like this can open up my eyes to see more of what's there by taking the time to look closer. Thanks :-) Have a super weekend.

MAR

2009

Very helpful! I need those tools! Thanks, Michael.

These are great tips for Photoshop users. I, for one, rely on tools and applications to make my pictures look good. Thank you for the step-by-step tutorial!

MAR

2009

Hi Gail: I've been using Photoshop for years, and I don't think I've even scratched the surface of what it can really do. When I look at some of the things the experts are doing with it, it's mind boggling. I'm just trying to share a few tips that are quick and that most anyone can do.

Hi Mary: Thank you for the comment, and you're most welcome. Hopefully it will come in useful for you.

Hi Mara: I too rely on tools like this - sometimes too much, I think. But it's fun to do, and most of the time it's not that hard. It's just learning what needs to be done to make it look the way you want, and the easiest way to do it. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for the tips...even after taking PhotoShop for a semester at the local college, I still learn new things all the time.

Quite the application.

Thanks for posting!

:) PS

MAR

2009

Hi Patrick: That's one of the great things about Photoshop - there's always something new to learn. And just when you think you're getting a grasp on what it can do, they come out with a new version. : )

Thanks for the comment.

MAR

2009

I looked in my Elements but is 2.0 and couldn't find the multiply. Any ideas?

MAR

2009

Hi Gene: Thanks for stopping by. Other than a trial version, I've never used Elements. So, I have no idea if version 2 has Layer Blending or not. They're up to version 7 now, so who knows when it was added. About the only thing I might suggest would be to search your Help Menu for Layer Blending or Layer Modes. If it doesn't have it, there are other ways to correct exposure problems. I'll do another tutorial on that soon.

Michael, I learned more about Photoshop from this and the previous tutorial than I've figured out myself just playing around with the application. It's a little overwhelming actually. I'll be back to learn more! Thanks.

MAR

2009

Hi Silvia: Thank you! I'm really glad you found these helpful. I'm trying to keep my tutorials fairly simple, as you're right - it can definitely get overwhelming. But in bite size pieces, it starts to make a little sense. I'll try to write some more soon. So, please check back. Thanks again!

Great tip, Michael! It's pretty amazing what can be done with Photoshop. I haven't tried these yet, but will, soon.

MAR

2009

Michael: Another great tip. You should be teaching Photoshop classes!

Michael

www.mkyphotography.com

MAR

2009

Hi Mike: Thanks! Yeah, Photoshop is a pretty powerful program. And it is amazing what some of the experts can do with it.

Hi Michael: Thank you. I appreciate that. But I don't know that I'm qualified to teach it. These are just simple little tips for some quick fixes.

: )

APR

2009

HI MICHAEL! Is there a way to do this if you don't have Photoshop?! Seriously, your tuturials are a turning point for me about Photoshop - since I am always over- or under exposed - I would get a lot of use out of it! -- Gabrielle

Hi Gabrielle: Thank you for the comment. I'm not too familiar with other image editing programs. But I do know you can also do this in Photoshop Elements - which is about $100. And it has a lot of the same features as Photoshop CS, which is about $700. So, I might recommend starting with that. Thanks again!

APR

2009

Michael- Great Photoshop tutorials. I'm a subsriber now!. Thanks for stopping in on my post!

APR

2009

thank you thank you thank you.... did I say thank you.... I have had some of the issues you talk about and struggled to find the time to figure it all out.... thanks again... I too am now a subscriber

Hi Linda: Thank for for the comment, and the compliment. And I appreciate you subscribing to my blog...I guess I'd better start writing some more stuff. : )

Hi Thesa: You're most welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful. As I mentioned to Linda above, I guess I need to write some more. But first I need to think up some things to write about. Any ideas? : )

Thank you for sharing this. I don't have photoshop, but I really want to purchase a software that can help me with photos and graphics.

Hi Jason & Amber: Thanks for the comment. Photoshop is an excellent program, but the full version is pretty expensive. However, Photoshop Elements is a great program too, and is very reasonably priced. And most of this stuff I'm writing about is pretty basic and can be done in either program. So, Elements might be a good one to look into. Thanks again.

APR

2009

Thanks for this tip...all the tips you have provided. I find that I am loading old pictures that were taken over the years with lower quality digital cameras and thus not of the greatest quality and making incredible enhancements. I just love Photoshop!!

Thank you so much Micheal for providing the knowledge to take precious old photos and making them look more real to life!!

Les Morehead Jr

360 Vision logo

www.360-virtualtours.com

Interactive 360° Virtual Tour provider for Southwest Michigan

APR

2009

Hi Les: Thank you for the comment. That's one the beauties of retouching old photos - they look way better than they ever did, and it's all digital. So, they'll never get that 'aged' again.

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Michael Cole

Orange, CA

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