Knowing original brightness of photos before editing

[GhazalaShah]

I need guidance on an aspect of photo editing using android app. When I edit photos to brighten them, I never understand what is the absolute level of the brightness of the photo. Because some photos look reasonably bright when the display light is full and the same look dark when display brightness is medium. How can I know how bright is my photo originally? So that I can avoid making them overly bright.

[MashaPS]

Hi @GhazalaShah,

Thank you for your question. It is really interesting topic and I am sure a good discussion will start.

I am not a professional photographer and nothing popped up while  Searching the Community. So, I would like to involve @TravellerG in this topic. He has written some really useful posts here on Connect, that is why I am sure he could answer your question.

[TravellerG]

Insha Allah, I shall humby try to definitely answer him, in a few minutes,

Thanks for refering me.

Regards, dear @MashaPS

[TravellerG · Accepted solution]

Hi @GhazalaShah,

You are right and this is a well known problem; don't worry, we will solve it.

The End result, you want is that your viewer should see your photos, correctly… Is it not?

We will find the solution... OK?; but, before that you may kindly understand the situation:

1. This situation is that we are discussing bout a relative parameter = means, after your brightness correction of your photo, when your viewer views, if his display is kept at low brightness, the viewer will see your photo as dull... Do you agree?

[The situation is like, looking at an excellent print of a photo, in a dark room… you follow?] 

1. So, what we need to do is, to look at your photo whether it has any over bright or over dark areas; ie. Your photo, with the medium brightness of your mobile display, should have average Brightness, Contrast and Colour. (No blur, no shake, etc. too).
2. Such a photo is worth for sharing; the viewer, if he feels that the photo is dim, when he brightens his display, your photo will be correctly visible.  Hope you got, it. 

1. Now, how to get the Brightness, Contract and Colour, under your control?

I would recommend a Simple, but powerful [free] android editor, ‘Photoshop Express’ [this is not complicated to use, as the desktop, pro version].

In this you can adjust your Excess brightness and Darkness, which will give a well bright photo.

Hope this will be a solution for your problem.

PS:

Dear @MashaPS, is third party apps, tutorials (Eg: Photoshop Express) are allowed here, which may  help many?

[ErmesT]

Hi @GhazalaShah and @TravellerG

As the brightness in this case is depending of the setting of your phone, so you don't really know if the photo need to be corrected, you can use a simple trick:

Upload your picture in Google Photos. Google Photos automatically detect the brightness and, if needed, suggest you a change.

This is fine in most of the situation even if an overexposed or underexposed photo can be a choice of the photographer, for putting in evidence specific elements that, of course, a software cannot decide for you.

[sonnyNg]

Hi @GhazalaShah,

Thanks for raising up the question. It is an obstacle that is indeed that can be approached with different techniques.

From what @TravellerG have mentioned, I can assure you that his instructions is really helpful.

In my humble experience, the first step that I would take is to take two samples when I have doubts of a lighting, whether in the background or in broader surroundings. Other things is natural lighting, I would refrain from lamps and such, just to try to use more of the daylight.

[MashaPS]

Hi @TravellerG,

Thank you for jumping into this challenge so fast and with desire. 

Yes, in this case it is not violating our rules such an app to be included.

Thank you @ErmesT, for suggesting Google Photos. @GhazalaShah, in the Edit photos article from Google Help Center you can take a look in the tips shared there, too.

[GhazalaShah]

Thanks @TravellerG 🤩👌 each & every point you mentioned was familiar. Following excerpt from your kind write up includes a solace as well as solution for me:

1. Your photo, with the medium brightness of your mobile display, should have average Brightness, Contrast and Colour. (No blur, no shake, etc. too)
2. Such a photo is worth for sharing. Thanks a lot for understanding & guidance 🍀🍁👍🐸🦅

[GhazalaShah]

Beautiful & professional explaination & solution Ermest. I was referring to photos taken in auto mode from an Android phone camera (S9 plus in my case). From this camera I seldom get any over exposures; under exposures are very common however. Almost every photo (I feel) needs a correction by brightening

I don't understand why I have not been able to be friends with Google Photos. One day I tried very hard but the photo editor of galery pulled me back to Samsung gallery 🐒🐴😂

[GhazalaShah]

@sonnyNg Thanks for your kind attention 🤩🍎🥝. Your idea is helpful. However as you can understand, local guides for maps are taking photos randomly and most of the times hurriedly, being unable to pay attention to finer details of quality. Taking double shots may not always be feasible. And the shots taken under same (auto) settings will be almost the similar If feasible, changing ISO settings by switching to Pro mode can greatly improve the results.

Previously with my simpler phone camera I used take a lot of pics in pro mode when it was dark, but with Samsung Galaxy S9 plus Pro mode seems bit difficult to handle in hurry.  Additionally, I need to put on near vision glasses for settings every time...so..