*Program Basic
PROGRAM BASIC: Touch-Up Tools - fixing photographs
By Shelleyrae Cusbert
Mar 11, 2005, 02:05

Digital Image Pro 9

Whats wrong with this picture? – Using the touch up tools in Digital Image Pro 9
(Adapted from the DIP9 help files)

When correcting a photograph, it is sometimes difficult to know which tools will be the most useful. Sometimes just one change such as adding lighting will make great improvements. Most often however the photograph will benefit from using the tools in combination to make alterations that render a photograph more useable. The Touch Up menu in Digital Image Pro 9 provides several tools that are helpful for making corrections.

Dark Background  
The background in this photo is too dark so that the balls are increasingly darker in colour to the edges of the photograph. This was caused by the flash focusing on the child.

To correct this:

• Incr ease the background lighting in specific areas of the picture by using the dodge and burn brush . This increases the brightness and contrast of specific areas of the picture.

• Adjust the levels of the picture. This adjusts the intensity of the highlights, midtones , and shadows. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.

• Adjust the levels of the background only. You must select the background first to do this. You may need to feather the selection to smooth out any differences between the adjusted area and the rest of the picture.

Dark Foreground
The brightness of the sky meant that the trees lost definition, detail and color and the sky also lost color.

To correct a similar problem:

• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the entire picture. This enables you to decrease the lighting of the entire picture.

• Add flash to the entire picture. This enables you to increase the foreground lighting of the entire picture. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.

• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the foreground only. You must select the foreground first to do this. You may need to feather the selection to smooth out any differences between the adjusted area and the rest of the picture.

• Adjust the levels of the foreground only. You must select the foreground first to do this. You may need to feather the selection to smooth out any differences between the adjusted area and the rest of the picture.

• Adjust the levels of the picture. This adjusts the intensity of the highlights, midtones , and shadows. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.

• 
  Increase the lighting over specific areas of the picture by using the dodge and burn brush .

Washed Out Details
The flash used in this picture washed out the details and colour in this photograph.

To correct this try one of , or a combination of these tools:

• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the entire picture. This decreases the difference between the light and dark areas in the picture, making the details of the picture more clear.

• Adjust the levels of the picture. This adjusts the intensity of the highlights, midtones , and shadows. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.
  
  

• Decrease the lighting over specific areas of the picture where you want to see more detail by using the dodge and burn brush .

Loss of Details
This photograph was taken without flash in a room that provided limited natural light so the details of the girls' expressions were lost.

To restore detail in a photograph:

• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the entire picture. This increases the difference between the light and dark areas in the picture, making the details of the picture more clear.

• Add flash to the entire picture. This enables you to increase the foreground lighting of the entire picture. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.

• Adjust the levels of the picture. This adjusts the intensity of the highlights, midtones , and shadows. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.

• Increase the lighting over specific areas of the picture where you want to see more detail by using the dodge and burn brush .

Too dark
The picture is too dark (underexposed) because of the harsh midday sun.

To add more light:

• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the entire picture. This increases the lighting of the entire picture.

• Adjust the levels of the picture. This adjusts the intensity of the highlights, midtones , and shadows. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.

• Use the dodge and burn brush to bring out specific details

Too Light
In this photograph the shadows fooled the camera into overexposing the picture as compensation for the dark areas.

To make adjustments:

• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the entire picture. This decreases the lighting of the entire picture.

• Adjust the levels of the picture. This adjusts the intensity of the highlights, midtones , and shadows. You may need to fine-tune the brightness and contrast after adjusting the levels.