Improving Overall Color

The next task to tackle in this image is to improve its overall color, brightness, and contrast. It appears to lack some richness and depth, but we can quickly improve this by applying a Curves Adjustment Layer.

As you learned in Chapter 12, “Curves and Adjustment Layers,” using an Adjustment Layer allows you to make a visual change to the image, without touching the original photograph itself. This is commonly referred to as a non-destructive editing process. Not only does using this technique leave the original photograph intact, but it also allows you to go back at any stage during the editing process and adjust the initial settings.

Using Adjustment Layers to Improve Color

1.
At the bottom of the Layers palette, click ...

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