Damien Symonds

Hmmm ... what colour would you prefer under there?

Please forget about the gradient layer for now. We have to get the levels correct first.

Is this happening with all old raw files too?

I'm so sorry, I don't know. This sounds like a computer problem, not just a PS one.

Dust & Scratches filter, maybe at about 4/2.

Not at all. It's great.

Good.

The one you've already got, NOT a new one. Click on the colour you want it to be. That is all.

Now that you've got the mask in place, you can do the eyedropper thing again, to get it a bit more accurate in colour.

No, not the image. The mask. Look at the mask.

Now compare your layer mask to my layer mask, and see if you can notice the itty bitty teensy tiny difference. By "itty bitty teensy tiny" I mean HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are you doing???????? Can't you see my mask follows the line of the corner of the ceiling?

Darn it, you've done it exactly right!!! Just mask it!

No, when you turn it ON.

In my PSD file, turn off the Color Fill layer and leave it off for now. Turn the Levels layer on and off. Do you see what it is doing?

Don't worry about that layer yet! Just get the Levels layer sorted out, so that the wall touching the tip of his hair is the same colour as the wall touching the rest of the hair. That's all that matters.

The gradient layer is for the wall!!!! After you've balanced the colour around the hair. As I told you, the gradient layer will go instead of the Color Fill layer that I used.

For heaven's sake, look at my PSD file. Do you see where I've painted black on the top of the layer? Of course not.

That's because you're painting white on white, ya wally!

Ok, that's weird. May I see the screenshot of your whole Bridge screen?

1-5 are correct. After step 5, the photo should be very very bright. 6 is correct. 7 is NOT. There is no involvement for the gradient tool for this photo. Brush tool only.

Hi Cindy, here's the PSD. I've used simple Solid Color layer where you will use a Gradient layer instead, but importantly, I want you to see the Levels layer.

Can you still open them ok?

Free is fine.

Great! So that confirms it isn't your computer. Have you calibrated this one?