The current installment of The Perfect Photoshop Elements Workflow is about using Levels to improve color tone in Photoshop Elements.  Step 1, Reading a Histogram, is closely associated with the Levels adjustment, as is Step 2, Lighting.  You might want to read over those sections, if not all the others, before diving into Levels.

1. Reading a Histogram
2. Lighting
3. Defog and Noise Reduction
4. Blemish Removal

Levels is a lighting and color tone adjustment that sets black and white points and calibrates all colors based on those points.  It removes color casts and improves shadows and highlights.

Levels Adjustment in Photoshop Elements – Quick Method

• Add a new Levels Adjustment Layer by clicking on the half-black half-white circle near the top of the Layers Palette.
• Click on the Auto button
• If you’re happy with the results, you’re finished.  Click ok.

 Levels Adjustment in Photoshop Elements – Precise Method

• Add a new Levels Adjustment Layer by clicking on the half-black half-white circle near the top of the Layers Palette.
• You are going to use the Shadows eyedropper to set your black point.  Click on this eyedropper (the first one on the left).  Then, click on something that should be black in your image. 
• Keep in mind that you are clicking on something that should be black, rather than something that is black already.  There might  be a difference.  If nothing is black, click on the darkest part of your image.  You can click more than once until the picture starts looking right.
• Next, click on the highlights eyedropper (the one on the right) and use it to select a white point, or the lightest part of your image.
• You can use the middle eyedropper to adjust the midtones of your image.  I often find myself use the midtones slider instead (above the 1.00 in the image above), moving it just a touch to the left to brighten up faces.
• You can always hit the reset button in the levels dialogue to start over.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody!  The next Workflow tutorials are Running Actions in Photoshop Elements, Creating Vignettes, and Sharpening.  Subscribe to Digital Photography For Moms so that you don’t miss them!

Erin