Mastering the histogram

- Back in chapter seven of my fundamentals course,…I introduced you to the concept of luminance,…light versus dark, and I showed you how to use…Photoshop's most basic luminance enhancement command,…brightness contrast.…In this chapter, we kick things up a notch…and take on Photoshop's more powerful…luminance adjustment features,…which go by the names levels and curves,…but lest their unassuming names fool you,…these are two of Photoshop's oldest and most capable…color-adjustment features.…The levels command lets you edit the histogram…of an image directly, right there inside…a panel or dialog box, thus eliminating ambiguity,…and providing you with exacting numerical control.…

I like brightness contrast, but levels is the bomb.…Curves goes a step further, permitting you to adjust…the brightness of an image on an almost…luminance by luminance basis.…You can darken the highlights,…brighten the shadows, or wiggle the tones…all over the place, it's completely up to you.…In this chapter, I'll show you how these commands work.…