Before, during and after you capture the snapshot, many digital cameras give users advanced control over the brightness of the image. However, previewing or post-viewing a picture on the camera's miniature LCD screen may not give you an accurate sense of how light or dark the image really is. Once you have transferred your photo files to a Windows-based PC, you can use a native application to see the image from a larger perspective, as well as lighten or darken it.
Instructions
- 1Click the "Start" button -- the circular Windows logo -- in the bottom-left corner of the desktop. Type "Photo Gallery" in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu. Click on the link for "Windows Live Photo Gallery" -- also known as WLPG -- at the top of the menu to open this program on your screen.
- 2Click the "right-arrow" next to "All Photos and Videos" in the left pane to expand the submenu options. Click and expand "Pictures." If your photo file is stored in this folder under your Windows user account name, then it will show in the right pane. Alternatively, click the blue "menu" icon in the top-left corner of WLPG, select "Include Folder," click the "Add" button, and browse for the folder or drive letter (C, D or E) where your photo file is stored. Click the "Include Folder" button. Select "OK." This folder is added to your options in the left pane. Click it to show your photo in the right pane.
- 3Double-click on the picture file in the right pane to shift WLPG into editing mode. You should see the "Edit" tab in focus at the top.
- 4Select the "Adjust Exposure" category in the right pane. Pull the "Brightness" slider to the left to darken the picture. Pull the slider to the right to lighten the picture.
- 5Click the "Close File" icon. Click the "OK" button in the box that states "Your Changes Were Automatically Saved." When you are ready to use the edited picture, such as for emailing or printing out on paper, browse for the file on your hard drive using the "My Computer" or "Windows Explorer" windows.
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