How to Change Exposure in Photoshop

Whether you’re a beginner experimenting with photo correction or a professional polishing client work, exposure control is a key part of creating visually compelling images. You’ve likely encountered dull, dark photos or blown-out highlights that ruin otherwise great shots. Fortunately, Photoshop provides precise and powerful tools to adjust exposure and restore balance to any image.

In this guide, you’ll discover how to change exposure in Photoshop using multiple methods tailored to your skill level and project needs. Whether you need quick fixes or advanced manual adjustments, we’ve got it all covered — plus some pro tips to keep your edits clean, consistent, and reversible.

Quick Summary Table: How to Change Exposure in Photoshop

Method	Skill Level	Best For
Exposure Adjustment Layer	Beginner	General exposure correction
Camera Raw Filter	Intermediate	Non-destructive RAW-style edits
Brightness/Contrast Adjustment	Beginner	Fast tweaks
Curves Adjustment	Advanced	Precision tonal control
Shadows/Highlights Tool	Intermediate	Recovering lost detail
Levels Adjustment	Intermediate	Manual histogram balancing

What Is Exposure in Photoshop?

Exposure refers to the amount of light in your image — how bright or dark it appears. An underexposed image is too dark, losing details in shadows, while an overexposed image is too bright, washing out highlights.

Photoshop doesn’t have a single “exposure fix” button. Instead, it provides various tools that let you adjust exposure manually or automatically, giving you full control over tonal balance and brightness distribution.

Now, let’s look at the most effective ways to change exposure in Photoshop.

How to Use the Exposure Adjustment Layer

This is one of the most user-friendly ways to change exposure in Photoshop — perfect for beginners or fast fixes.

Steps:

1. Open your image in Photoshop.
2. Go to the Layers panel.
3. Click the Adjustment Layer icon (half-filled circle).
4. Choose Exposure.
5. Use the sliders:
   • Exposure: Adjusts overall brightness.
   • Offset: Tweaks midtone brightness.
   • Gamma Correction: Controls contrast in midtones.

Tips:

• Use Clipping Mask to apply exposure changes to a specific layer.
• Always use Adjustment Layers for non-destructive editing.

Once you understand how this works, you’ll want to experiment with more detailed options, like Camera Raw.

How to Change Exposure Using Camera Raw Filter

For those who work with RAW images or want greater flexibility, Camera Raw Filter is a powerhouse tool.

Steps:

1. Convert your image layer into a Smart Object.
2. Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
3. Adjust these sliders in the Basic tab:
   • Exposure
   • Contrast
   • Highlights
   • Shadows
4. Click OK when finished.

Why Use It?

• Gives fine-grained control similar to Lightroom.
• Fully reversible when used on Smart Objects.

For rapid corrections, Camera Raw offers deeper dynamic range adjustments than standard layers.

Should You Use Brightness/Contrast for Exposure Changes?

This is the simplest method, but not always the best for professional results.

When to Use:

• Quick edits for social media or web images.
• Minor lighting adjustments.

Steps:

1. Add a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer.
2. Increase or decrease the sliders.

This tool changes the light uniformly and doesn’t distinguish between shadows, midtones, or highlights. For more advanced tonal control, try Curves.

How to Control Exposure with Curves

Curves is the most advanced exposure tool in Photoshop — giving you full control over tones from shadows to highlights.

Steps:

1. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer.
2. You’ll see a diagonal line with histogram data.
3. Click to create anchor points:
   • Drag up to brighten.
   • Drag down to darken.
4. Adjust specific tonal ranges:
   • Left side = shadows
   • Middle = midtones
   • Right side = highlights

Pro Tip:

Use the Targeted Adjustment Tool (hand icon) to click directly on the image and adjust specific tones.

Curves require more practice, but offer unparalleled control for expert-level editing.

How to Fix Exposure with Shadows/Highlights

If your image has bright skies but dark foregrounds (or vice versa), this tool helps recover lost detail.

Steps:

1. Duplicate your image layer (non-destructive workflow).
2. Go to Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights.
3. Adjust:
   • Shadows to lighten dark areas.
   • Highlights to tone down bright spots.

This tool is ideal for balancing exposure in high-contrast scenes like sunsets, backlighting, or interiors with windows.

Next, let’s explore histogram-based editing using Levels.

How to Use Levels to Adjust Exposure in Photoshop

Levels allows precise control by adjusting black, gray, and white points based on the image histogram.

Steps:

1. Add a Levels Adjustment Layer.
2. Move sliders:
   • Black slider (left) to darken shadows.
   • Midtone (gray) to adjust brightness.
   • White slider (right) to lighten highlights.

Why It Works:

• Easy to see where exposure clipping might occur.
• Ideal for balancing images with uneven lighting.

Once you’ve mastered Levels, try combining it with other methods like Curves or Camera Raw for hybrid exposure control.

Which Method Should You Use to Change Exposure?

Scenario	Recommended Method
Quick fix	Exposure or Brightness Adjustment Layer
Detailed tonal control	Curves or Camera Raw Filter
Fixing high-contrast scenes	Shadows/Highlights
Working with RAW files	Camera Raw Filter
Fine-tuning shadows and highlights	Levels Adjustment

Each method has its strengths. Choose based on the image’s needs, your workflow style, and the level of control required.

Conclusion

Exposure adjustments in Photoshop are essential for improving image quality, saving overexposed or underexposed shots, and creating mood through lighting. By understanding each method’s strengths, you can match your tools to the task — whether it’s a quick Instagram fix or a detailed commercial retouch.

Key Takeaways:

• Use Adjustment Layers for non-destructive editing.
• Exposure Layer is great for fast, easy changes.
• Camera Raw provides high-level precision and dynamic range.
• Curves and Levels offer professional tonal control.
• Shadows/Highlights is ideal for high-contrast corrections.

FAQ: How to Change Exposure in Photoshop

What is the easiest way to change exposure in Photoshop?

Use the Exposure Adjustment Layer. It’s fast, intuitive, and works well for most basic edits.

Can I fix both overexposure and underexposure in Photoshop?

Yes. Tools like Camera Raw, Curves, and Shadows/Highlights let you correct both too-bright and too-dark areas with precision.

Is changing exposure the same as adjusting brightness?

Not exactly. Brightness adjusts light uniformly, while exposure tools like Curves and Camera Raw offer more nuanced control over specific tonal ranges.

Will changing exposure damage image quality?

Not if done non-destructively using Adjustment Layers or Smart Objects. Avoid flattening or overwriting your original file.

Should I edit exposure before or after color correction?

Always correct exposure first, as it affects how colors appear and behave during color grading.

This page was last edited on 24 June 2025, at 5:50 pm