Photoshop gives us many ways to solve the same problem. This is because while some problems seem similar, they are often quite different.
One tool that was added a few years ago, but I still don’t see a lot of people use is Shadows/Highlights. It can be found under Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights. It is useful to bring out details that would be lost if the image is a little washed out.
Because it is used to bring out shadows and highlights, it can be used to add contrast to a photo. While it is not the best way to do so, it is often one of the fastest ways, and it allows you a lot of control while you look at the photograph.
When I use this tool, I find I normally need to back the shadows down a bit, and bring up the highlights. This lets Photoshop know how much of the photo is a highlight (near white) and a shadow (near black). I normally find between 5 and 20% for these values works, although you can play with the settings.
Here is the starting and final result. Original is on the left, final version is on the right. Click on the image to see a larger version.
If you want to see it in action, watch the video below.
How To Use Photoshop’s Shadows/Highlights was originally found on Access 2 Learn
