Photoshop Tutorial: Using the Levels and Selective Color Tools

This tutorial will demonstrate how to use the Levels and Selective Color tools to add contrast and color to an image. 

Before Adjustments

My goal was to increase the warmth in the above image to enhance the colors of the sunset that were already there. I also added contrast to the image to make the composition more dramatic. I accomplished this with a combination of the Levels and Selective Color tools. Below are written instructions for the settings that I used.

After Adjustments

This information is intended as a supplement to the video tutorial that you can watch here. I recommend that you watch the video first.

Here are the steps I took to achieve this result:

Image --> Adjustments --> Levels  (or Ctrl + L)

The Levels tool lets you adjust the shadows (blacks)  midtones (grays) and higlights (whites) of an image along its histogram. You can adjust the red, green, and blue all at once on the RGB channel (good for adjusting contrast and brightness) or each of these colors independently on their repective channel. 

Adjusting the midtones on individual color channels can add color to an image in a way similar to adjusting tint.  Here are the Levels settings that I used to enhance the contrast and colors of the sunset:

RGB Channel: Shadows - 15, Midtones - 74 (Increased contrast)

Green Channel: Midtones - 91 (Added Red)

Blue Channel: Midtones - 82 (Added yellow/orange)

Red Channel: Midtones - 1.02, Highlights 249 (Added red/pink to highlights in clouds)

Image--> Adjustments --> Selective Color 

The Selective Color tool lets you make adjustments to individual colors in your image by changing their levels of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Below are the settings I used to adjust the blues in the sky for my image.

Colors: Blues - Magenta +17, Yellow +19, Black + 50

Additional Notes

Although Levels can be used on any image, it should be done with care. Adjusting Levels on the RGB channel can be a good way to add contrast and highlights to an image. I encourage you to experiment with this tool to get a feel for its abilities. Always make a duplicate later or duplicate image of the file you are working with to prevent uninteded permanent changes. 

Adjusting levels on single color channels should only be used to correct a color cast or if you intentionally want to add colors to an image.

Learning keyboard shortcuts is an important part of learning to use Photoshop and will greatly increase your efficiency. Below I have included the ones used in this tutorial.

Keyboard shortcuts for commands used:

Levels ----------------------------> Ctrl + L

Hide Tool Bar and palettes --------> Tab

Switch between open files ---------> Ctrl + Tab

Fit image to screen ----------------> Ctrl + 0 (zero)

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at joeltmundy@yahoo.com.