How to Pull Shadow Detail Back From the Dead in Photoshop

How to Pull Shadow Detail Back From the Dead in Photoshop

There’s a specific kind of dread that sets in when a client sends you a beautifully composed shot and says, “Can you bring out the detail in the dark areas?” You open the file, you zoom in, and what you see is a wall of near-black pixels that looks like it has no information left to give. Early in my retouching career, I thought that was the end of the conversation.