Authored by Jason P. Potter > Owner, Potter Studio / LA

INTRODUCTION

Photoshop ("PShop") is a daunting program with immense capabilities, and combined with Adobe's complicated shortcut and preset commands, even advanced PShop professionals get lost, or get used to one set of image adjustment commands that might not serve their photos as well as they could. This is why I developed an easy and innovative Photoshop tutorial that is sure to yield more accurately-adjusted photos every time, and only in three (3) easy steps! Sound like an infomercial? Yes. Yes, it does. [Beforehand, I am assuming that you have opened PShop and have opened the image to which you would like to perform a levels or contrast adjustment. It is important that you begin with a clean slate--do not make any adjustments to the image relating to levels. Resizing? Okay. But no quality adjustments.]

STEP 1: PERFECT LEVELS = ONE MINUTE!

a. With the image open, go to IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > THRESHOLD

When the menu pops up, the image will change drastically. Don't worry, we'll get rid of that. In the menu, slowly move the horizontal scroll bar to the left until the last few black dots disappear and there is only a white screen. At the instant the last dot fades, record that low "Threshold Level" number above the graph (which could be more than 0, perhaps say "8").

b. Click CANCEL. Don't click OK!

c. Repeat step 1(a).

But this time moving the scroll bar all the way to the RIGHT until the last white speck disappears and the entire screen becomes black. Record this "Threshold Level" number, located above the chart, at that instant. As before, click CANCEL again.

d. Go to IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > LEVELS

In this menu, go to the "Input Levels" graph and numbers. Plug in the low and high readings you recorded in 1(a)-(c) You have just accurately adjusted levels, in a more exact fashion than auto-adjust (or really any other way, for that matter).

You may now click on the middle (Grey) scroll bar in that Input Levels chart and adjust the image (with PREVIEW clicked) to your liking. But we're not done yet!

STEP 2: SECRET IMAGE POP TECHNIQUE

After having adjusted levels, make sure to have the original (background) image clicked in the Layers Tab.

a. Go to LAYER > NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER > LEVELS

In the preliminary ("New Layer") menu that pops up, go to the "Mode" options and select "SOFT LIGHT". This is the key! Click OK. See? Your image has just POPPED! Here, in the next menu that pops up, go to the OUTPUT LEVELS scroll bar and adjust the light and dark to increase or decrease the severity of the pop. DO NOT TOUCH THE CHART ABOVE IT, WHICH YOU ADJUSTED EARLIER! Click OK and you are done!

In these few simple steps and a minute or two of your time, you have probably performed one of the most valuable, effective and coveted Photoshop tweaks out there. Congrats! Now go pop some more!

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Jason P. Potter is a professional photographer and owner of Potter Studio / LA in Los Angeles, California. He focuses primarily on fashion, commercial, fine art, headshots and portraits, and toy cam. His portfolios are available from his website, Potter Studio / LA [http://www.jasonpotter.name], where you'll find links to his Flickr Page [http://www.flickr.com/photos/creativecampus] and all-Polaroid blog, Instant Breakfast [http://instantbreakfast.blogspot.com].