Levels or Curves or both?

[gmwinder]

Do you use levels, curves or both and if so, in which order. It seems I do get different results using both. Typically I do levels first and then curves. Just curious to see other's opinions.

Gary

[René Damkot]

I prefer curves. way more control IMO.

[Tsmith]

me too

[freebird]

Both are good. I prefer using curves.

[Lowner]

I always look at the levels first, bringing the two ends into the histogram. Although doing this in Photoshop 7 creates a load of "holes" in the histogram and it's far better done in DPP at 16 bit depth before exporting to PS.

I'll use curves several times during post processing, maybe "many" times depending on what I'm trying to achieve. I do this via adjustment layers with important images.

Richard

[Perry Ge]

I use both, but lately I've been using local contrast enhancement (defogging) a lot before I adjust levels, and I find that it does a better, more selective job of enhancing contrast than an S-curve, giving images more 'pop' whilst still maintaining natural colours and contrast levels. It can be easy to go overboard with curves. I then adjust levels, and this way, I find that colours stay more natural and don't get as oversaturated as they do with curves.

Having said that, not knocking curves in any way, still a vital tool.

[Rubi Jane]

I always look at the levels first, bringing the two ends into the histogram. Although doing this in Photoshop 7 creates a load of "holes" in the histogram and it's far better done in DPP at 16 bit depth before exporting to PS.

I'll use curves several times during post processing, maybe "many" times depending on what I'm trying to achieve. I do this via adjustment layers with important images.

Richard
Pretty well ditto for me. Levels for the ends of the histogram and curves for multiple adjustments and colour correction if I have a JPG with CB issues.

[René Damkot]

and don't get as oversaturated as they do with curves.

Use an adjustment layer, and set blending mode 'Luminosity'...

Nice read on adjustment layers: Here (http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=24&f=00&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.creativepro.com/story/feature/22295.html%3Fcprose%3Ddaily).

Of course a contrast adjustment is way different from local contrast adjustment.

[rajah sulayman]

I'll make a cursory level check and if the histo ends are way out I'll bring them in. But this tends to be pretty rare.

Curves, meanwhile, I'll tweak to an extent in almost every image I do post on. Usually nothing more than a slight s-curve, but it's still an oftenly-used adjustment.

[Damo77]

I used to use Levels first, then Curves for fine-tuning. Now there's a histogram in the Curves dialog in CS3, I hardly use Levels any more.