Master shadows and highlights

There's more to this tool than you'd think and James Paterson says it's ideal for landscapes

-  James Paterson

THE MISSION

Use the Shadows/ Highlights command to reveal detail in landscapes

Time needed One hour

Skill level Intermediate

Kit needed Photoshop CC, Camera Raw or Lightroom

The Shadows/Highlights command is one of the most useful tonal tools on offer in Photoshop– but to get the most out of it, you need to master a few simple settings. Initially, the tool offers two simple sliders: one lets you lift the shadows, while the other darkens the highlights. However, hidden away is a wealth of other options that give you a fine degree of control over your scene’s shadows and highlights.

The command can be used on all kinds of photos, but it comes into its own with landscapes. Like our Icelandic seascape here, landscapes are often dominated by very bright and very dark tones, as skies tend to be lighter than the land below. This makes it tricky to achieve a balanced exposure because the contrast between the two is too great.

Thankfully, there’s often more detail hidden in the highlights and shadows than meets the eye. The trick is in knowing how to tease it out, and the Shadows/Highlights command is one of the best tools for this job…

CAMERA RAW SLIDERS