There are times when we take photos and look at them after only to realize that they appear a little too dark or underexposed. An afternoon scene could look like an impromptu eclipse occurred and everyone’s smiling faces are in shadow. We can do a reshoot but sometimes it just isn’t possible. The moment may have passed, or it might be expensive to do a retake, or the subject is not available, or we’re just too lazy to get up, drag all our camera equipment to the location and shoot again with the right exposure settings this time around.

{Dark Photo}

Don’t worry, post-processing to the rescue! Fixing dark photos with an image editing program might just be our next best and probably most convenient option. Keep in mind that not all dark photos can be saved and brightened up, whether you are using Photoshop or Lightroom. Sometimes, the dark patches in the shot are just too black that there are no details to bring out to the light. But for those that are not too far gone into the Dark Side, a few basic brightening techniques can work wonders for your gloomy photos. The tools in Photoshop and Lightroom might look and be labeled differently but the principles are the same. Also, there are various ways to brighten up photos in both programs and I’ll list a few here:

Lightroom:

Exposure– drag the exposure slider to +1.00 stop or higher to brighten up the photo.{Screen Shot Here} The more you drag it, the brighter it goes to the point where light areas (highlights) can become blown out and lose their details. Also, the dark areas can start losing contrast and the entire photo can appear overexposed. We wouldn’t want that to happen so just drag it back down until you are satisfied with the outcome. {Video here}

Brightness (Lightroom 3) – Unlike the Exposure, the Brightness tool can make your lighter areas appear brighter while the dark areas remain in shadow. In the new released Lightroom 4, you have whites, increase, you increase the white space, decrease, the whites become darker. While I like this new tool in Lightroom 4, I’d like them to bring back “Brightness” and “Fill Light”.

Fill Light (Lightroom 3)– this tool acts like a real fill light by brightening very dark areas and showing more detail without blowing out the light areas. Just be careful because too much will create noise plus the photo will lose some contrast. If you have upgraded to Lightroom, you can use the “Whites” to decrease or increase the white space, but I’ll talk more in depth about that later.

I’m no expert and I’m sure there are more ways to brighten photos in Photoshop and Lightroom. After practicing your editing skills and getting used to your software, whichever you’re using, you’ll soon get the hang of it. Remember to save your edits once in a while!

{ Adding more Shadowing}

So now the next question is what photo editing program to use: Photoshop or Lightroom? I can’t really decide that for you, can I? I do have my preference (Adobe Lightroom 4). I guess the very simple answer would be to use what you’ve got. If you have both, use the one you’re most comfortable with, the one with results that satisfy you the most. They’re both fantastic and powerful image editing software, and either one can make your photos look brighter and more attractive.

{Shooting at 100 ISO and a Tripod for Sharp Images}

Photoshop:

Levels adjustment – you can brighten up a photo by dragging the gray slider a little to the left of the histogram in the Levels adjustment screen. To add contrast, drag the white slider to the left. This will also brighten the image but with less of the washed out look. Photoshop Elements go to Enhance, Brightness/Contrast and adjust accordingly.

{Adjusted by 80%}

Brightness/Contrast adjustment – this is a very simple tool where you can see quick results. Simply drag the brightness slider to the right to lighten up the shot, do the same with the contrast slider it doesn’t look overexposed. Just a little movement of the sliders can go a long way in making your photos nice and bright.
Auto Levels – if you want to brighten up your photo in a jiffy, you might want to try clicking on auto levels first to see if it’ll fix your shot the way you like. You’d be surprised! As you can see, in my not so humble opinion, Lightroom is far better for post processing.

{Auto Levels in Photoshop Elements 10}

Homemade Curry Spice

If you don’t have your favorite on hand (ours is S&B Curry Spice Mix which comes with and without salt added) This recipe is adapted from Chef Dancer on Food.com.

Ingredients

4 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns ( 1/2 to 1)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ( 1/2 to 1)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom, whole,without pods
1/2 inch cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

In a blender container, place all. Cover and grind for 1 to 2 minutes or till mixture is a fine powder.
Store spice mixture in airtight container in cool dry place.

“And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon”.

A little Spice History before we introduce this week’s fabulous fudofind:

Spices have been regarded in high esteem throughout the history of humankind. We know that spices were used by the ancient Egyptians around 3500 BCE. It can go without saying that spices were probably used well before recorded history; however it is obvious that the ancient Egyptians were well practiced with spices, using them for the flavoring of food, cosmetics as well as for embalming their dead.

Spices were used throughout the Fertile Crescent, traded through the region, eventually spreading to all corners of the Middle East and branching out further to the Mediterranean and Europe. Many spices came from China and India. The trade route used to transport exotic spices was controlled by the Arabs who controlled he overland routes and transported the spices.

Wanting to find a more profitable way to bring spices to market, Europeans searched for a route that led to China and India via the sea. This quest led to the Age of Exploration. A sea route traveling around Africa was discovered by Vasco da Gama. After almost 5000 years, Arab domination over the spice trade ended.

Europeans desired spices for their many uses and spices were as valuable as precious gems and even gold, often causing discord if not all out war between countries. Only the wealthy could afford spices despite the end of the Arab monopoly. The discovery of the trade route on the high seas only intensified the battle for who would become the market leader. This quest for control served to keep the price of spices high and out of the reach of the commoner.

It wasn’t until more recent history that spices became easily attainable and affordable. Of course, if you have purchased saffron recently you many not think spices inexpensive, but compare that price to a time when spices were so luxurious, so expensive and so sought after that they were kept locked away for safe keeping.

With a few clicks we can obtain spices from around the globe. Recently we were searching for user friendly spice blends and we discovered Craig’s Market. Most of the spices and blends at Craig’s Market are housed in smartly labeled tins. You will also find adorable heart shaped tins with large clear-view lids. Of course, our favorite tins are the magnetic ones. Since we live in condos using our space efficiently is a must. Even if the tin holding your favorite spice does come with a magnet, it is easy to glue one onto these very functional spice tins.

Our favorite pick from Craig’s Market is the Custom Herb and Spice Kit. For $11.95 you choose 6 spices and/or herbs and blends. What a fantastic gift for yourself or others. Think wedding showers, hostess gifts, teachers or coworkers. We also love the Gourmet Salt Sampler that includes flavors such as Asian fusion, lime fresco and smoked hot paprika. Wow! This is a fantastic set to have during the holiday season that will add that extra special touch to all your dishes.

Remember the holidays are almost upon us. It is time to check on the freshness of that pumpkin pie spice that you haven’t used since last November. Your food will only taste as fresh as your ingredients. Spend a little time going through your spice cabinet and when you need make a replacement or two or three don’t fret. It will only take you a few clicks before you have updated your collection and maybe even add a few new spices when you visit Craig’s Market. Photo credit: Craig’s Market.

“And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon”.

A little Spice History before we introduce this week’s fabulous fudofind:

Spices have been regarded in high esteem throughout the history of humankind. We know that spices were used by the ancient Egyptians around 3500 BCE. It can go without saying that spices were probably used well before recorded history; however it is obvious that the ancient Egyptians were well practiced with spices, using them for the flavoring of food, cosmetics as well as for embalming their dead.

Spices were used throughout the Fertile Crescent, traded through the region, eventually spreading to all corners of the Middle East and branching out further to the Mediterranean and Europe. Many spices came from China and India. The trade route used to transport exotic spices was controlled by the Arabs who controlled he overland routes and transported the spices.

Wanting to find a more profitable way to bring spices to market, Europeans searched for a route that led to China and India via the sea. This quest led to the Age of Exploration. A sea route traveling around Africa was discovered by Vasco da Gama. After almost 5000 years, Arab domination over the spice trade ended.

Europeans desired spices for their many uses and spices were as valuable as precious gems and even gold, often causing discord if not all out war between countries. Only the wealthy could afford spices despite the end of the Arab monopoly. The discovery of the trade route on the high seas only intensified the battle for who would become the market leader. This quest for control served to keep the price of spices high and out of the reach of the commoner.

It wasn’t until more recent history that spices became easily attainable and affordable. Of course, if you have purchased saffron recently you many not think spices inexpensive, but compare that price to a time when spices were so luxurious, so expensive and so sought after that they were kept locked away for safe keeping.

With a few clicks we can obtain spices from around the globe. Recently we were searching for user friendly spice blends and we discovered Craig’s Market. Most of the spices and blends at Craig’s Market are housed in smartly labeled tins. You will also find adorable heart shaped tins with large clear-view lids. Of course, our favorite tins are the magnetic ones. Since we live in condos using our space efficiently is a must. Even if the tin holding your favorite spice does come with a magnet, it is easy to glue one onto these very functional spice tins.

Our favorite pick from Craig’s Market is the Custom Herb and Spice Kit. For $11.95 you choose 6 spices and/or herbs and blends. What a fantastic gift for yourself or others. Think wedding showers, hostess gifts, teachers or coworkers. We also love the Gourmet Salt Sampler that includes flavors such as Asian fusion, lime fresco and smoked hot paprika. Wow! This is a fantastic set to have during the holiday season that will add that extra special touch to all your dishes.

Remember the holidays are almost upon us. It is time to check on the freshness of that pumpkin pie spice that you haven’t used since last November. Your food will only taste as fresh as your ingredients. Spend a little time going through your spice cabinet and when you need make a replacement or two or three don’t fret. It will only take you a few clicks before you have updated your collection and maybe even add a few new spices when you visit Craig’s Market. Photo credit: Craig’s Market.