You'll be clicking the two thumbnails in the Levels adjustment
layer.
Be sure you know the name and location of each thumbnail.
The Levels window thumbnail is to the left.
The Mask thumbnail is to the right.
Make a Highlights Luminosity Mask
1) Create a Levels adjustment layer.
Click the Create
adjustment layer icon, the half-dark, half-bright, circle at the
top of the Layers palette, and select Levels.
The Levels window will open.
Click OK.
You'll use the layer to change the exposure and contrast later.
2) Select the
Background copy layer to make it active (highlighted).
3) To select
the entire layer, press Ctrl + a.
4) To copy the
entire layer, press Ctrl + c.
5) Press Alt,
hold, and click the white mask thumbnail (not the Levels window
thumbnail) in the Levels adjustment layer.
The photograph will turn white.
The white is the color of the mask.
Note
Pressing Alt, holding, and clicking the mask thumbnail, just
"opens the door" to the "mask department."
The action doesn't create any change by itself.
The action just allows you to replace the default white mask
with a luminosity mask.
It's the luminosity mask that's doing the work, creating the
change.
Paste
6) Press Ctrl
+ v to paste the photograph as a mask.
A B&W version of the photograph will appear as the mask.
The mask thumbnail is no longer white, but contains a B&W image
of your photograph.
7) Press Alt,
hold, and click the mask thumbnail (not the Levels window thumbnail)
in the Levels adjustment layer.
This "closes" the door to the "mask department."
8) Press Ctrl
+ d, or Esc, to deselect the selection of the photograph.
9) To select
the highlights luminosity mask, press Ctrl and click the Levels
window thumbnail (not the mask thumbnail) in the Levels adjustment
layer.
10) Make changes
to the selection.
Exposure & Contrast
a) If you need to change the exposure and contrast, double click
the Levels window thumbnail (not the mask thumbnail) in the Levels
adjustment layer.
The Levels window will reopen.
b) Use the Levels window to make the changes.
Hue/Saturation
a) If you need to change the color, create a Hue/Saturation adjustment
layer.
b) If you already have a a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, double
click the Hue/Saturation window thumbnail (not the mask thumbnail)
in the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
The Hue/Saturation window will open.
c) Use the Hue/Saturation window to make the changes.
Other Changes
You can change the selected areas in many other ways, such as
using a Photo Filter adjustment layer.
Make Sure There's a Selection
Before making a change, make sure the selection is still present.
If the selection has disappeared, go to Select > Reselect.
If the selection doesn't reappear, press Ctrl and click the Levels
window thumbnail (not the mask thumbnail) in the Levels adjustment
layer.
Reduce the Range
Of a Highlights Selection
You can reduce the range of a highlights selection.
You'll probably want to do this for many of your photographs.
Reduce the range when the highlights selection extends too far
down into the shadows.
1) Open the histogram palette.
2) Select the Levels adjustment layer to make it active (highlighted).
3) Stretch your fingers.
4) Press Shift + Alt + Ctrl, and click the mask thumbnail (not
the Levels window thumbnail) in the Levels adjustment layer.
Each time you do the above, the range of the selection shifts
to pixels with brighter and brighter brightness values.
The darker pixel brightness levels are "cropped" with each click.
You can see the marching ants change position.
The histogram also changes.
Why Does the Selection Get Smaller?
The selection gets physically smaller on your screen.
But, the brightness values are increasing.
The brightness values of the original selection are being added
to every time you press Shift + Alt + Ctrl, and click the mask thumbnail.
As the brightness values increase, the selection you see on your
screen becomes physically smaller.
