{"id":1238,"date":"2010-11-09T06:00:35","date_gmt":"2010-11-09T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2025-11-11T06:15:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T12:15:56","slug":"auto-levels-in-photoshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/11\/09\/auto-levels-in-photoshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Auto Levels in Photoshop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently on a nature photography critique site where I am a member a person who is new to photography asked about using auto levels and auto white balance because in a previous image they had posted some other members had detected a magenta cast while reviewing the photo for critique.<\/p>\n

The image that had the magenta cast had also had additional adjustments made to it in post processing by using “auto levels” and “color correction”, it wasn’t just a white balance issue.<\/p>\n

I never use auto color correction, I prefer to adjust white balance in ACR\u00a0and only in extremely rare cases\u00a0have I ever\u00a0used auto levels. I’ve selected a photo of a Willet to show why I don’t use auto levels. Not all images will\u00a0show these extreme differences when applying auto levels.<\/p>\n

The three images are all from the same original file, the camera was set to Auto White Balance at the time the\u00a0file was created, I cropped the image in ACR , brought it into Photoshop, masked the bird and saved it for sharpening as the final step\u00a0then\u00a0duplicated it twice to have copies to use\u00a0for applying auto levels.<\/p>\n

\"WilletWillet image using auto levels full strength in Photoshop<\/p>\n

The Willet image above was processed in Photoshop with full strength auto levels applied to it. The blue of the water is too blue and has a slight magenta cast to it, the darks of the feathers and bill are too dark, the warmth of the early morning light has been essentially stripped from the image and the image looks completely unnatural.<\/p>\n

\"WilletWillet image using auto levels half strength in Photoshop<\/p>\n

For the image above I applied auto levels in Photoshop then using the slider I reduced the auto levels by 50%. The blue of the water looks better than when using auto levels at 100% but it still isn’t the correct color blue. The plumage of the Willet looks warmer at 50% strength auto levels than it does at 100% strength but the effect of the early morning light still seems to be lacking. The darks of the bill still appear too dark to my eyes and the photo still has an unnatural feel to it.<\/p>\n

\"WilletWillet image without auto levels applied in Photoshop – D200, handheld, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 200, 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/p>\n

The Willet photograph above is a much better representation of the color of the water at the time the image was created, the effect of the warm, early morning light is evident on the water and the Willet’s plumage and visually the entire image looks far more natural and appealing.<\/p>\n

Auto levels in Photoshop must be used with a light touch. Using auto levels can create too much contrast in an image, can cause\u00a0color casts, it can brighten an image too much, it can strip the light and\u00a0can make some images look very unnatural.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Willet photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Auto levels in Photoshop must be used with a light touch. Using auto levels can create too much contrast in an image, can cause color casts, it can brighten an image too much, it can strip the light and can make some images look very unnatural. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":163412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,308],"tags":[311,3997,803,310,992,3975,274,4168,3996,4047,4748],"class_list":["post-1238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-willets","tag-auto-levels-2","tag-lagoon","tag-photoshop","tag-post-processing","tag-sandpipers","tag-shorebird","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-tringa-semipalmata","tag-water","tag-willet","tag-willets"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-actual-mia-mcpherson-5053.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-jY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":138985,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/27\/willet-and-the-gulf-of-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":1238,"position":0},"title":"Willet And The Gulf Of Mexico","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I dug way back into my archives for this photo of a Willet with waves rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico, taken in 2008 at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "Florida"","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Willet with waves coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33622,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/11\/28\/two-late-migrating-willets-and-exposed-bioherms\/","url_meta":{"origin":1238,"position":1},"title":"Two Late Migrating Willets and Exposed Bioherms","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"While looking for odd ducks on the Great Salt Lake yesterday I spotted two late migrating Willets on what I thought was an exposed sandbar.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two late migrating Willets on exposed bioherms in the Great Salt Lake, from Antelope Island State Park causeway","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willets-great-salt-lake-mia-mcpherson-2989.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willets-great-salt-lake-mia-mcpherson-2989.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willets-great-salt-lake-mia-mcpherson-2989.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willets-great-salt-lake-mia-mcpherson-2989.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1968,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/02\/27\/white-balance-mistakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1238,"position":2},"title":"White Balance Mistakes On A White Ibis","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 27, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"After my experience with screwing my white balance up that day I had to make a note to myself to remember to check my white balance setting on the camera.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"White Ibis in flight over Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/white-ibis-flight-daylight-mia-mcpherson-2038.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/white-ibis-flight-daylight-mia-mcpherson-2038.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/white-ibis-flight-daylight-mia-mcpherson-2038.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/white-ibis-flight-daylight-mia-mcpherson-2038.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6294,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/07\/eastern-and-western-willets-in-breeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":1238,"position":3},"title":"Eastern And Western Willets In Breeding Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I've had the good fortune to photograph both the eastern and western Willets in breeding plumage, the eastern in Florida and the western in Utah and Montana.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eastern Willet in breeding plumage, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/willet-eastern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7007.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/willet-eastern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7007.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/willet-eastern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7007.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/willet-eastern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7007.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5175,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/06\/14\/plain-brown-bird-pfflllt\/","url_meta":{"origin":1238,"position":4},"title":"Plain Brown Bird?? Pfflllt…","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I've heard people call Willets \"Plain Brown Birds\". I reckon they may have never seen one looking like this Willet.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Willet getting balanced, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-wings-up-mia-mcpherson-7250.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-wings-up-mia-mcpherson-7250.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-wings-up-mia-mcpherson-7250.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-wings-up-mia-mcpherson-7250.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38509,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/17\/curlews-willets-and-chukars\/","url_meta":{"origin":1238,"position":5},"title":"Curlews, Willets and Chukars","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed Long-billed Curlews, Willets and Chukars along with a few other birds and a Pronghorn buck. It was a beautiful spring day.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew Bill-stroking behavior, part of the courtship behavior of curlews, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlews-courting-mia-mcpherson-6886.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlews-courting-mia-mcpherson-6886.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlews-courting-mia-mcpherson-6886.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlews-courting-mia-mcpherson-6886.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}