Brighten a photo online

Rescue an underexposed or backlit picture. The Adjust panel opens with 15 live sliders, and Auto levels, Levels… and Curves… are one click away in the task bar.

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How it works

Drop your photo — the Adjust panel opens with a live preview.
Try Auto levels, or raise Exposure and Shadows until it looks right.
Click Apply, then Export the brighter photo.

Which slider to use for a dark photo

Exposure brightens the whole picture as if more light had reached the camera — the first slider to try for an underexposed shot. Shadows lifts only the dark areas, ideal for a backlit person in front of a bright window or sky; pair it with slightly negative Highlights to keep the sky from burning out. Brightness shifts all tones evenly, while Gamma brightens the midtones and leaves pure black and white in place. Afterwards, add a touch of Contrast or Clarity, because brightening tends to make a photo look flat.

Auto levels, Levels and Curves

Auto levels sets the black and white points automatically so the tones span the full range — often all a dull photo needs. Levels… shows the histogram: if it stops short of the right edge, drag the white input point to where the data ends and the picture brightens without clipping, while the middle (gamma) point brightens the midtones. Curves… gives the most control: drag the middle of the curve upward to brighten, or edit a single channel to remove a color cast. Both work on all channels together or on red, green and blue separately.

Color and finishing touches

Indoor photos under warm light often look too orange; drag Temperature toward blue to neutralize them, and use Tint against a green or magenta cast. Vibrance boosts muted colors more than already strong ones, while Saturation affects all colors equally. For a fast result, the Adjust menu has quick presets: Auto contrast, Warm up, Cool down and Punchy. Very dark photos reveal noise when brightened; Softness can calm it down, and Grain can make it look intentional.

Frequently asked questions

How do I brighten a photo without washing it out?

Brighten with Shadows or Gamma rather than Brightness, since they lift the darker tones while keeping black and white in place. Then add a little Contrast or Clarity to restore depth. If clouds or skin turn pure white, lower Highlights.

Can I brighten only part of a photo?

Yes. Select the area first — for example a face with Ellipse select and some Feather — and the adjustments apply only inside the selection. To paint light onto specific spots instead, use the Dodge / Burn tool with the range set to midtones.

What does Auto levels do?

It analyzes the photo’s histogram and sets the black and white points for you, so the tones span the full range from dark to light. It is a good starting point for flat or hazy pictures, and you can refine the result with the sliders afterwards.

Can a very dark photo be fixed completely?

Often a lot can be recovered, but areas that are pure black contain no detail to bring back, and heavy brightening makes noise visible. Use moderate settings, consider a black-and-white version for very noisy images, and keep the original file.