INTRODUCTION
This lesson will show how to use the Levels and Saturation Adjustment Layers.  A precise method is used for Levels without any guessing.  Saturation is a matter of choice.

COPY THE IMAGES ONTO THE DESKTOP
From your browser, view this lesson and click 263a.jpg to bring up the first image.  While viewing the image, click the Restore icon (upper right of browser) and resize and move the browser so that you can view the image and a blank area of the Desktop.  Click the image and drag it onto a blank spot on the Desktop > click Yes.  Repeat for 263b.jpg.

OPEN PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS AND PASTE THE IMAGE
Click (or double click) the Photoshop Elements icon on the Desktop.  If the Welcome screen is visible, close it.  Restore Photoshop Elements if necessary to provide a view of the Desktop.  Click 263a.jpg (on the Desktop) and drag onto the Photoshop Elements work area.  Click Ctrl + 0 (the zero key) to maximize the image.  If the Layers palette is not visible, click Window + Layers.  If necessary, drag the Layers palette and position it below the menu to the right of the picture.  Maximize Photoshop Elements.

LEVELS ADJUSTMENT LAYER
The Adjustment Layer consists of a histogram of the color tones that make up the picture.  The range is from 0 to 255 with 0 being pure black and 255 pure white.  Clicking on the tonal sliders reveals the tonal number in the box above the histogram.  The right slider adjusts the white and the left slider adjusts the black tonal boundaries. The middle slider is for the gray tones.  Click the Adjustment Layer selection circle (half white, half black) at the bottom of the Layers palette + Levels.  Hold the Alt key and drag the right diamond to the left until color just begins to show in the black area (any colored areas that appear will be white).  Hold the Alt key and drag the left diamond to the right until color just begins to show in the white area (any color that appears will be black).  Click OK.  It is possible to move the center (gray) slider to adjust the  pictures light/dark appearance but we won't do that here.

HUE/SATURATION ADJUSTMENT LAYER
Click the Adjustment Layer selection circle (half white, half black) at the bottom of the Layers palette + Hue/Saturation.  Move the Saturation slider for best result (about +50).

COMPARE ORIGINAL WITH ADJUSTED
Turn the adjustment layers on and off (click the visibility eyes on the Layers palette).

REPEAT WITH 263B.JPG
Close 263a.jpg and do not save.  Repeat the above steps with 263b.jpg.

CONCLUSIONS
Many pictures can be changed from drab to brilliant with these two adjustment procedures.  Try it on your own pictures.  When these procedures leave some areas too dark or too light, other adjustment techniques (not included here) can be used to make further improvement.

GOOD WEB SITES
LEISURE VILLAGE1: http://leisurevillage.us
LEISURE VILLAGE2: http://leisurevillage.org
BILL’S HOME PAGE: http://bzus.com