Shadows/Highlights: Free Photoshop Tutorial

Topics Covered in This Photoshop Tutorial:

Creating a Smart Object for Non-Destructive Editing, Mastering the Shadows/Highlights Adjustment, Advanced Masking Techniques to Selectively Remove Unwanted Adjustments

Exercise Preview

Photo by Dan Rodney

Exercise Overview

This severely underexposed image presents a classic challenge—critical details are lost in shadow, rendering the trolley stop sign completely illegible. We'll demonstrate how to rescue this image using Photoshop's powerful Shadows/Highlights adjustment while maintaining professional image quality. You'll also master Smart Objects, a cornerstone technique for non-destructive editing that every serious photographer and designer should have in their toolkit.

Creating a Smart Object

While adjustment layers remain our preferred method for most color corrections due to their flexibility and non-destructive nature, the Shadows/Highlights adjustment presents a unique challenge—it's not available as an adjustment layer. Fortunately, Photoshop provides an elegant solution through Smart Objects, which allow us to apply this crucial adjustment while preserving complete editability. Smart Objects have become even more essential in modern workflows, especially when working with high-resolution images and complex compositions.

1. From the Photoshop Class folder, open the file Hershey trolley stop.tif.

2. Navigate to Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object. This conversion creates a protective container around your original image data.

3. In the Layers panel, rename Layer 0 to Hershey for better organization—a practice that becomes crucial in complex projects with multiple layers.

Now that we've established our non-destructive foundation, let's tackle the exposure problems that plague this image.

The Shadows/Highlights Adjustment

The Shadows/Highlights tool represents one of Photoshop's most sophisticated exposure correction features, using advanced algorithms to selectively adjust tonal ranges while preserving detail and avoiding the harsh, unnatural look that often results from simple brightness adjustments.

1. The shadow areas throughout this image are severely underexposed, obscuring critical details. Access Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights to begin the correction process.

2. Notice how even the default settings provide immediate improvement—this demonstrates the tool's intelligent algorithms at work. For precise control, activate Show More Options at the bottom of the dialog.

3. The expanded controls allow for nuanced adjustments that can make the difference between amateur and professional results. Experiment with the settings to develop your eye, or use these professionally tested values as your starting point:

   Shadows
   

   Amount:	45%
   Tone:	57%
   Radius:	34 px

   Highlights
   

   Amount:	6%
   Tone:	73%
   Radius:	39 px

   Adjustments
   

   Color:	+20
   Midtone:	+5

4. Click OK to apply the adjustment. The beauty of Smart Objects becomes immediately apparent—your original image data remains untouched.

5. Observe the transformation in the Layers panel, where you'll see the Shadows/Highlights adjustment listed beneath the Hershey layer as a Smart Filter.

6. Toggle the eye icon next to Shadows/Highlights several times to appreciate the dramatic before-and-after difference—this immediate comparison capability is invaluable for client presentations and quality control.

7. Ensure the Shadows/Highlights adjustment remains visible before proceeding to the refinement stage.

While the overall correction has dramatically improved the image, professional work often requires selective application of adjustments. Let's refine our work with precision masking.

Removing the Adjustment Where You Don't Want It

Even the most skillful global adjustments can benefit from selective refinement. Smart Filter masks provide the perfect solution, allowing you to hide the adjustment in specific areas while maintaining the ability to restore it later—a flexibility that proves invaluable in client work and iterative design processes.

1. In the Layers panel, locate and click on the Smart Filters layer mask as illustrated below. The selection brackets around the mask thumbnail confirm your selection and indicate you're ready to edit the mask.

   

2. Select the Brush tool from your toolbox—your primary instrument for precise mask editing.

3. Click the Default colors icon in the Tools panel to reset your color swatches.

4. Click the swap colors icon to position black as your foreground color—essential for the masking operation that follows.

5. Verify that your Foreground color is pure black and your Background color is pure white. Understanding layer mask fundamentals is crucial for professional image editing:

   • Painting with black = hide the adjustment effect
   • Painting with white = reveal the adjustment effect
   • Painting with gray = partially hide the adjustment effect

   Apply black paint to areas where the adjustment appears too strong or unnatural, such as the shadow areas of the trees on the right side of the image, where the lightening may have created an unrealistic appearance.

6. If you inadvertently hide too much of the adjustment, you have multiple recovery options: use Edit > Undo for immediate correction, or paint with white to gradually restore the adjustment effect. This flexibility exemplifies why Smart Objects have become indispensable in professional workflows.

7. Excellent work—the transformation from an nearly unusable underexposed image to a professionally balanced photograph demonstrates the power of combining technical knowledge with artistic judgment. Save your work to preserve both the final result and the complete editing history that Smart Objects provide.