Photoshop is an all-time friend of photographers. Every photographer uses this tool to edit his photos in a way that they look flawless! There are numerous functions in Photoshop, and it can be tedious if you go on learning and using many functions at a time. So, it is better to understand one function and learn to use it completely!
Here is a simple guide on how to adjust the shadow or highlight in the image in the popular Photoshop software
Step 1
Duplicate the layer and convert to smart object
- The shadow/highlight adjustment function in Photoshop is quite destructive in nature, and so it is always better to work on the duplicate layer by using the shortcut Ctrl+J or Cmd+J.
- To convert it into a smart object, go to the ‘Layer’ menu. Next, go to the ‘Smart Object’ and then select the ‘Convert to Smart Object’ option. Once your layer is converted to a smart object, a symbol will appear in the layer box as shown in the figure.
Step 2
Adjust the Shadow/Highlight
Now that the smart object is created, it is time to start adjusting the shadow in the image.
- Go to the ‘Image’ menu. Click on ‘Adjustments’ and select the ‘Shadows/Highlights’ option.
- In the pop-up menu that appears, click on the ‘Show More’ option. The new pop-up window will show three different sections- Shadow Region at the top, Highlight Region in the middle, and Adjustment Region at the bottom.
- Shadow Region – In this region, there are three sliders which are explained below.
Amount slider–
This slider will let you adjust the amount of shadow you want to appear in your image. It should be in the 10-40% range ideally and is 35 by default.
Toner slider–
This slider lets you decide which shadow to bring out. Ideally, it is 50%.
Radius slider–
This slider shows the shadow present in the given image by analyzing the pixels in the given area.
- Highlight Region– This region also consists of three sliders.
Amount Slider-
Just like the Amount slider in Shadow Region, the Amount Slider in this region lets you adjust a number of highlights that will appear in the image.
Tonal Width slider–
This slider lets you decide which highlight should be brought out. Ideally, it is 50%.
Radius Slider–
This slider allows you to decide the highlights present in the image by analyzing the pixels in the given radius.
- Adjustment Region– This section has four sliders in it.
Colour Correction slider–
This slider allows you to change the hue of only the shadow and highlights.
Mid-tone Contrast-
This slider allows you to adjust the contrast in the image.
Black Clip slider–
This slider helps you adjust the blackness in the image.
White Clip slider–
This slider allows you to adjust the white in your image.
- Now that the functions of all the sliders are clear. Adjust them according to your need and see how the shadow/highlight function in Photoshop changes your image into the one that looks absolutely real!
So, follow these easy steps and see how quickly you can change your image into a perfect professional picture! Shadow/Highlight function is considered as one of the fastest quick-fix adjustments and so go for it now!
