How can I fix the dark spot?

[casper]

Hi all, I'd really like to repair this photo, but it seems there is no clever way to do it. As you can see there is a shadow in the lower part, which I would like to remove (make a seamless brightness fix or something like that) or at leaast make less visible. Any ideas?

[ofnuts]

First method:
- Use the lasso to make a selection that more or less follows the shadow
- Select/feather with a quite large value (about 100 pixels for the attached picture, something roughly proportional for your original one)
- Use the color/brightness contrast (or "curves", or "levels"), to adjust brightness & contrast in the selected area

Second method:
- duplicate the layer, and add an alpha channel to it if it hasn't got one already (the option is greyed out if so)
- select the duplicated layer (should be the one on top) and use any of the tools above to adjust the whole picture that that the bottom of the picture is ok (this will blow out the top but it's ok).
- add a layer mask ('all white': full opacity) to the "fixed" layer and select if for edition
- using a brush tool, paint the top of the picture in black, that will make that layer transparent and show the original photo.

You can mix both layers at will, knowing that where the layer mask is black the layer is transparent, where it's white it's fully opaque, and grey values get proportionally transparent.

This method is finer but works better with a tablet, because stylus pressure can be used to adjust "blackness" of the mask that translates to transparency of the layer. With a mouse, I would use a brush for rough work on top of the picture (we want full black there anyway, and use the airbrush in the transition area (the speed of the swipe will act on the strength of the black).

[casper]

Thanks! That was very helpful, I will definitely try this trick tonight.