How to adjust photo brightness and contrast

A photo can look too dark, washed out, or flat even when the colors are right. Adjusting brightness and contrast can help, but large changes may hide detail or make the image look unnatural.

You can make these edits in the Photo Editor in your browser. This guide explains what each adjustment does, how to make changes in small steps, and how to check that important details remain visible.

Adjust brightness and contrast

Open the Photo Editor and open the photo you want to edit from your device.
Find the image adjustments, then raise or lower Brightness a little at a time. Watch the whole photo as you change it, not just the darkest or brightest area.
Adjust Contrast after brightness. Increase it gradually if the photo looks flat, or lower it if the light areas and shadows seem too harsh.
Pause between changes and compare the edited image with the original. Check faces, bright areas, and dark areas so you can see whether any detail has disappeared.
When the photo looks right, save or export an edited copy. Keep the original file unchanged so you can return to it or try a different edit later.

There is no single correct brightness or contrast value for every photo. The starting image, screen brightness, and intended use all affect how the result looks. Make small adjustments, then judge the image at a normal viewing size.

Choose the right adjustment

Raise brightness to lighten the whole image

Brightness changes the overall lightness of the photo. Raise it when the entire image looks too dark, such as a room photo taken at night or a portrait with a dim face. Move it in small increments. If bright areas start to look plain white, or pale parts of a face lose their shape, lower the setting again.

Brightness affects light and dark parts together. It may make a shadow easier to see, but it can also push a bright sky or a white shirt closer to pure white. Check both ends of the image while editing.

Adjust contrast to change the difference between light and dark

Contrast changes how strongly light areas stand apart from dark areas. A little more contrast can make a foggy-looking or flat photo feel clearer. Too much can turn shadows into black patches and make bright areas harsh.

Lower contrast when a photo looks overly dramatic or has shadows that hide important details. This can make the image feel softer, but reducing contrast too much may make it look dull. Try a small change first and compare it with the original.

Use brightness before contrast

Set the overall lightness first, then fine-tune contrast. If you adjust contrast before correcting a photo that is far too dark, it may be harder to tell whether you are improving the image or just making its shadows more pronounced. After each change, look again at the subject and the background.

If the photo still looks wrong

The subject is still too dark. Raise brightness slightly, then check whether the lighter parts of the image still show texture. If the background is already bright, a global adjustment may not be able to brighten only the subject.
The photo looks washed out. Lower brightness if the whole image is too light. If the lightness is fine but the image looks flat, add a small amount of contrast instead.
Shadows look black. Reduce contrast, or undo the last change and try a smaller adjustment. Brightness may lift the whole image, but it can also make the highlights too bright.
Bright areas have no visible detail. Lower brightness and compare the sky, lamps, or light clothing with the original. If those areas were already plain white in the source photo, an overall adjustment cannot restore detail that the image does not contain.
The edit looks good on one screen but not another. Screen brightness and display settings affect how a photo appears. Check it at a comfortable, consistent screen brightness before making further changes.

Use the original as your reference rather than trying to make every photo look equally bright. A naturally dark scene may look more believable when it stays dark, as long as the main subject is visible.

Make a natural-looking edit

Stop when the subject is clear and the brightest and darkest areas still have useful detail. If you keep increasing brightness and contrast to make the photo pop, you can lose subtle tones that help it look realistic. Small edits are easier to assess and easier to change.

The Photo Editor runs in your browser, and photos you open stay on your device.