Brightening Up only One Side of the Photograph ?

[augustya]

Hi Guys,

If in a Portrait, If I just want to brighten One side of the Photograph. Like in this attached Picture. If I want to Brighten only the Left Side of the Photo (As Marked by arrows) which is the easiest and effective way of doing it ?

 

[Ron P.]

I don't know if this is the easiest way. For localized adjustments I use Dodging & Burning.

Photo On-Line Help>Dodge Tool

I don't use that because it's destructive. I use a non-destructive means for such adjustments. It's a recently discovered technique, over what Affinity's Tutorial shows for non-destructive dodging and burning. I'll try to find the YouTube tutorial on this method. The tutorial is for PS, but it's the same for Affinity Photo.

Found it..

Gray Layer for Dodge & Burn is Stupid by PixImperfect

[MEB]

Hi @augustya,
Generally speaking in Affinity if you need to apply some adjustment (or filter) locally create the live adjustment you want, for example Brightness (Levels or Exposure as you see fit), adjust it globally to get the effect you want, invert the adjustment layer's mask pressing cmd+I (CTRL+I on Windows) then paint with a white brush over the areas you want to retain/keep the adjustment as you set up initially. You can always adjust the live adjustment parameters and/or the brush settings to control how the effect is applied to the image.

[augustya]

3 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi @augustya,
Generally speaking in Affinity if you need to apply some adjustment (or filter) locally create the live adjustment you want, for example Brightness (Levels or Exposure as you see fit), adjust it globally to get the effect you want, invert the adjustment layer pressing cmd+I (CTRL+I on Windows) then paint with a white brush over the areas you want to retain/keep the adjustment as you set up initially. You can always adjust the live adjustment parameters and/or the brush settings to control how the effect is applied to the image.

Hi ! Thanks for the reply. Yes I had a feeling that maybe that is the way to do it like apply the adjustment layer invert it and touch up locally as desired. But the reason I also post this question is in such a scenario like the photo I have posted which Particular Adjustment will work better ? that was also an additional question I had in this same question.

[thomaso]

25 minutes ago, augustya said:

I had a feeling that maybe that is the way to do it like apply the adjustment layer invert it and touch up locally as desired. But the reason I also post this question is in such a scenario like the photo I have posted which Particular Adjustment will work better ?

"Better" depends on the image and your taste. Actually the relevant adjustments do all "simply" lighten or darken and do influence this way the contrast, too. For "best results it might help to compare various options or settings. In this case you can arrange them together with a mask (here a gradient from black to white) which enables you to activate / deactivate the adjustments layer visibility for easier comparison.

If the gradient gets drawn directly on an adjustment it does work to mask this adjustment …

… but it would require to repeat the masking gradient for each adjustment individually. If you nest the adjustments in a group you can make use of only 1 mask for all of them:

Here the mask was initially a rectangle shape with a gradient fill, then converted (rasterized) to a mask. You still can scale it to adjust its influencing area, here it covers only the left half of the portait:

[augustya]

2 minutes ago, thomaso said:

"Better" depends on the image and your taste. Actually the relevant adjustments do all "simply" lighten or darken and do influence this way the contrast, too. For "best results it might help to compare various options or settings. In this case you can arrange them together with a mask (here a gradient from black to white) which enables you to activate / deactivate the adjustments layer visibility for easier comparison.

If the gradient gets drawn directly on an adjustment it does work to mask this adjustment …

… but it would require to repeat the masking gradient for each adjustment individually. If you nest the adjustments in a group you can make use of only 1 mask for all of them:

Here the mask was initially a rectangle shape with a gradient fill, then converted (rasterized) to a mask. You still can scale it to adjust its influencing area, here it covers only the left half of the portait:

is this so complicated ? This looks like a lot of work ?

[thomaso]

Just now, augustya said:

is this so complicated ? This looks like a lot of work ?

To brighten one half of the image you need only 1 adjustment + 1 mask, as mentioned in previous posts and shown in my 1st screenshot.

The "complicated" setup was just meant to help you getting closer to an answer of your "better" question, by enabling you to toggle between various adjustments without the need to create the mask repeatedly.

[augustya]

13 minutes ago, thomaso said:

To brighten one half of the image you need only 1 adjustment + 1 mask, as mentioned in previous posts and shown in my 1st screenshot.

The "complicated" setup was just meant to help you getting closer to an answer of your "better" question, by enabling you to toggle between various adjustments without the need to create the mask repeatedly.

With your first screenshot if you mean this one. I do not see any mask here, you have just applied an Adjustment Layer here.

 

[thomaso]

15 minutes ago, augustya said:

With your first screenshot if you mean this one. I do not see any mask here, you have just applied an Adjustment Layer here.

You can see a mask which is drawn directly on an adjustment layer by its dark areas of the adjustment layer thumbnail. Here the mask appears as a long, horizontal almost entirely black rectangle because it is drawn in an 2-page landscape document in APub. Therefore the masking gradient (white to black) is hard to see because it affects only the narrow area at its left edge (here marked in yellow). – If you do this in AP on an image in full canvas size (no white paper around) then this thumbnail will rather look like the yellow marked area only.

[augustya]

3 hours ago, thomaso said:

You can see a mask which is drawn directly on an adjustment layer by its dark areas of the adjustment layer thumbnail. Here the mask appears as a long, horizontal almost entirely black rectangle because it is drawn in an 2-page landscape document in APub. Therefore the masking gradient (white to black) is hard to see because it affects only the narrow area at its left edge (here marked in yellow). – If you do this in AP on an image in full canvas size (no white paper around) then this thumbnail will rather look like the yellow marked area only.

Sorry but did not understand how to do this ?

[Ron P.]

The Square/Thumbnail, to the left of the Adjustment (Curves) in the screenshot, is the mask. In Affinity Photo, the adjustments and Live Filters have built in masks. They are white by default. This is allowing the adjustment applied to be seen. Inverting this Adjustment (curves) layer turns the Mask (square) black, hiding the adjustment.

Masks can be painted on with a paint brush, or using gradients. Painting on them, are only allowed in shades of White to Black, ie; greys. On a Black mask, painting white or a shade of, reveals or shows the adjustment on the image the adjustment was applied to. Vice-versa, when you paint Black it covers up, or hides it. The adage is "White Reveals, Black Conceals".

[thomaso]

52 minutes ago, augustya said:

Sorry but did not understand how to do this ?

In addition to @MEB and @Ron P., in your image instead of painting a mask a gradient appeared sufficient to me. So, with the adjustment layer selected, I switched to the Fill Tool (G) + dragged with the mouse button pressed a horizontal line where I wanted the gradient to start & end. Then a click on the gradient icon (Context Toolbar) opens the gradient editor and enables you to define colours, stops and midpoints of the gradient.

[MEB]

@thomaso
Not sure a linear gradient would work well here because the brightening/output would be a bit flat/artificial unless you are considering it as a subtle starting point.

[thomaso]

@MEB, that's true, a gradient would affect the nearly even background, too, which might require more complex adjustment settings. But my reply was initiated by the OP's additional question which adjustment would work "better", so my goal was rather a way to a quick comparison for different effect of different adjustments than a perfect mask.

[MEB]

Oh! Got it. My apologies @thomaso.

[thomaso]

@augustya,  since we are about gradient vs paint already, MEB's correct hint made me go one more step.

You can combine gradient + paint brush. While the gradient helps for a smooth mask on the face (decreasing from left to right), the additional use of the paintbrush excludes parts of the gradient to restore the bright background.
(Note the tiny crumb on left edge of the adjustment thumbnail, it indicates the piece of brushed paint.)

[augustya]

8 hours ago, thomaso said:

@augustya,  since we are about gradient vs paint already, MEB's correct hint made me go one more step.

You can combine gradient + paint brush. While the gradient helps for a smooth mask on the face (decreasing from left to right), the additional use of the paintbrush excludes parts of the gradient to restore the bright background.
(Note the tiny crumb on left edge of the adjustment thumbnail, it indicates the piece of brushed paint.)

My problem here is in the first place is I did not understand how you created a mask here because I do not see a mask 🙂 you say that there is a mask but I don't know how did you created it 🙂 so I have a problem to begin with in the first place 🙂

[Fixx]

I usually use the old Photoshop technique, very simple:

enter quick mask pressing Q

draw a gradient mask by pressing G and dragging from white to black

press Q, returns to normal mode activating the mask

use curves (cmd-M) or levels (cmd-L) to lighten the nonmasked side.

[augustya]

2 minutes ago, Fixx said:

I usually use the old Photoshop technique, very simple:

enter quick mask pressing Q

draw a gradient mask by pressing G and dragging from white to black

press Q, returns to normal mode activating the mask

use curves (cmd-M) or levels (cmd-L) to lighten the nonmasked side.

This sounds Palatable and Digestable :-) I will try this out and report back. Thanks for simplifying it.

[augustya]

7 minutes ago, Fixx said:

I usually use the old Photoshop technique, very simple:

enter quick mask pressing Q

draw a gradient mask by pressing G and dragging from white to black

press Q, returns to normal mode activating the mask

use curves (cmd-M) or levels (cmd-L) to lighten the nonmasked side.

Ok Just one question here I have done exactly what you have mentioned, that is Press G which enables the Gradient Tool now when I drag the Slider from Left to right How does it go from white to Black ? As you say ? I am dragging it Horizontally from Left to right on the Picture. I do not see it going from White to Black.

[Fixx]

You should get full mask when you enter quick mask – that is, you see rubylith red. When you drag across this with gradient tool it should give you gradient from "white" to "black" – that is "white" is no rubylith and "black" is full red rubylith. Gradient ends (nodes) show white and black. 

I guess it is possible that grad tool has some other values than 0K and 100K but for me it works reliably. It has not always been that way with grad tool..

[augustya]

14 minutes ago, Fixx said:

You should get full mask when you enter quick mask – that is, you see rubylith red. When you drag across this with gradient tool it should give you gradient from "white" to "black" – that is "white" is no rubylith and "black" is full red rubylith. Gradient ends (nodes) show white and black. 

I guess it is possible that grad tool has some other values than 0K and 100K but for me it works reliably. It has not always been that way with grad tool..

Can you please have a look at this Video and tell me if I am doing the Quick Mask and the Gradient, Gradient Mask thing right ?

 

[henryg]

14 hours ago, Ron P. said:

The Square/Thumbnail, to the left of the Adjustment (Curves) in the screenshot, is the mask. In Affinity Photo, the adjustments and Live Filters have built in masks. They are white by default. This is allowing the adjustment applied to be seen. Inverting this Adjustment (curves) layer turns the Mask (square) black, hiding the adjustment.

Using the inbuilt mask, is it possible to vary the mask opacity separately from the (curves) adjustment? I tend to use a separate mask layer for this reason, but now hope it is not necessary.

[Fixx]

1 hour ago, augustya said:

a look at this Video and tell me if I am doing the Quick Mask and the Gradient, Gradient Mask thing right ?

Yes, that is how it works.

[augustya]

2 minutes ago, Fixx said:

Yes, that is how it works.

You were incredibly helpful. And what an amazing way to explain. You made it so simple !!

Kudos to you !

You deserve a Trophy from me 😉