Operation Manual

104 LESSON 4 Image Editing Basics
4 Bring the image DSC_0006.jpg to the front and choose File > Save As. Name
the new file DSC_0006_AutoSmart.jpg, to be saved to the My CIB Work folder
and included in the Organizer, but not in a Version Set. Click Save; then, click
OK to accept the JPEG quality setting and close the file. Repeat the process for
the image DSCN0532.jpg, making sure to add _AutoSmart to the file name.
Adjusting levels
Once you’re familiar with the histogram, the Levels dialog box provides a very direct
way to adjust the distribution curve in order to improve an image’s tonal range.
1 You should still have the photo DSC_0212.jpg open from the previous exercise.
Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels. In the Levels dialog box, make sure
that the Preview option is activated.
In the Levels dialog box, you can use the
shadows, midtones, and highlights sliders
below the Input Levels histogram graph (left,
middle, and right respectively), or
the Set Black Point, Set Gray Point, and
Set White Point eyedroppers at the right,
to redefine the end points of the curve
and adjust the distribution of image infor-
mation along its length.
Although the midtones range is most in need of adjustment in this image, it’s
important to get the shadows and highlights right first.
2 Select the Set Black Point Eyedropper tool; then, watch the histogram as you
click the dark area in the lower left corner of the image. e white line and gray
area in the histogram indicate the shape of the curve prior to this adjustment.
e black point eyedropper has not worked well on our lesson photo; it should
ideally be used to sample a black area, rather than a colored shadow. e deeper
shadows have been “clipped” to black and the color has become much cooler as
the warm hues have been removed to produce a pure black at the sampled point.
E
Tip: If you can’t find
the My CIB Work folder,
refer to “Creating a work
folder” in the Getting
Started chapter at the
beginning of this book.