# Mini Tutorial - Adjusting Levels



## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

One of the simplest way of giving a photograph lift is by checking and if necessary, adjusting the levels. This involves taking a peek at the histogram of the image. Do not be perturbed by the word 'histogram'. It is very easy to understand, evaluate and adjust.

In general, the histogram will tell you if the exposure balance of the photograph is reasonable or not. So, what is a histogram? Basically it is a graph of the amount of data the photograph contains. It is very simple to understand, as the following mini tutorial will show.

This tutorial is based on using Photoshop but the same techniques apply to any imaging software where the adjustments of levels is available. In Photoshop, the Levels Pallet is accessed on the top menu: Image --> Adjustments--> Levels. The hot-key shortcut to the levels pallet is Ctrl+L.

In this example, the following photograph is one of a craftsman re-caning a chair. It is a little dark and lacks contrast & life. 









*Fig: 1 The original dull, lifeless image*

Opening up the levels pallet reveals the graph (histogram) of the exposure state. Before we go on to do the adjustments, it is worth noting certain aspects of the pallet. First of all and for the purpose of this tutorial, you can ignore everything on the pallet except the graph, the three little slider handles and the OK/Cancel buttons. Make sure that the Preset box is set to 'Default' and the Preview box is checked.









*Fig 2: the original showing the levels pallet and the histogram*

The things to note and understand are labelled A, B & C. Point 'A' is the darkest area on the photo and point 'B' is the lightest area. The width of the graph, 'C', represents the total amount of data that the image holds. Taking note of the 'x', 'y' & 'z' points, x represents the black point, y, the mid grey point and z the white point. Here, A is a dark grey and B is a light grey. The overall graph is bunched toward the left. What we need to do it to move the x & z sliders to coincide exactly with the A & B points of the graph as shown in Fig 3 below.









*Fig 3: The x, y & Z sliders set.*

By setting the x slider to point to the absolute start of the histogram (graph), point A, we are shifting what was the dark grey to a black. Likewise adjusting the z slider to point B, we are shifting what was a light grey to a white point. In other words the darkest part of the original was a dark grey is now a pure black and the lightest was a light grey is now a white.

This has the effect of widening the graph to take advantage of the dynamic range from black to white instead of dark grey to light grey.

Now we come to the slider y. This can be nudged up or down, depending on the object and personal likes. It will lighten or darken the mid grey areas in the image. In this example, the y slider was moved slightly to the right, making the mid range tones a little darker.










*Fig 4: The final result from adjusting the levels of the histogram.*

Just to show the effect of the adjustments we have done, Fig 5 below, shows a well proportioned histogram whose graph fills the full width from 0 (black) to 255 (white) We have stretched out the original bunched up histogram, giving it the lift in brightness and depth in contrast.









*Fig5: The resulting histogram of the completed adjustment image in Fig 4 above.*

Be aware: Adjusting levels is about adjusting the brightness or darkness and contrast of a photograph. It is not about adjusting the colour saturation. 

Taking the left (black point) slider into the histogram area will lose shadow detail. Likewise taking the right (white point) slider into the histogram area will blow out the highlights

Now that you have the basic understanding of what a histogram is and how the adjust the levels, believe it or not you are 95% of the way of understanding that dreaded technique 'Curves'!

The primary difference between levels and curves is with Levels, you only have 3 points of adjustment (x,y & z). Whereas with curves, you can have as many as you need. That is going to be the subject of another mini tutorial.

In the meanwhile, I suggest that you open one or two of your own photos and inspect and adjust the levels and see how much satisfaction you get from seeing the difference. Then explore the different presets and the 'Auto' button on the levels pallet.

Ignore the eyedroppers - When used carefully and correctly, they can correct colour casts on an image. Likewise ignore the options button. (At this stage, you don't want to know it.)

© Donald Gray, April 2011


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Time to start learning and experimenting I guess .. I'll see what it does to some of my day & night shots. I'll post results here later.

Thanks Donald!


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Thankd DF

It will make an enormous difference, especially to some of you night shots - I think you will see the graph (histogram) all bunched up to the left. Just moving the white point slider will bring out a lot of detail.


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

The Corel-PhotoPaint has a similar filter, along with another 3rd-party filter called 'Intellihance', which does a wonderful job with just 3 sliders marked 'Black-Point', Mid-Point' and 'White-Point.

An excellent and concise mini-tutorial Donald, balancing levels is one of those, sometimes life-saving, jobs that's quicker to do than to write about how to do it :grin:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

1.)Original 










After 










2.)Original (After crop & rotate)










After 










& After a touch "too much" more 










Obviously mustn't overdo the adjustments .. 

Truth is that the Originals are more as I remember the scenes .. and teh adjustments just tweak the colouring to possibly a more enjoyable level although I regret that to say the colours are probably nowhere to be found in Nature .. which is why these type of enhancements usually stand out when I see them ..


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## Will Watts (Jun 18, 2008)

Nice tutorial :smile:

I'm gradually getting better at editing, but it needs to be quite subtly done most of the time. Although I quite like converting things to B&W, which seems to give a bit more to play around with.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Thanks - Glad you enjoyed it.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

DF - You are getting the hang of it but watch out for going a little too dark and losing the detail in the blacks.

Check the histogram, don't drag the black or white sliders *into *the area covered by the data. Only bring the sliders to the start & finish of the histogram. 

Not every image, will one or both to be adjusted.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

noted Donald .. hadn't fully understood but will now play again.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

A point that I may not have emphasised: Adjusting levels is about adjusting the brightness or darkness and contrast of a photograph. It is not about adjusting the colour saturation. 

Taking the left (black point) slider into the histogram area will lose shadow detail. Likewise taking the right (white point) slider into the histogram area will blow out the highlights. 

I will add this to the mini tutorial

My next mini tutorial will cover enhancing colour saturation with out introducing colour noise (nasty graininess)...


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