I have a picture where the upper part is too bright (due to windows on the top - it's inside a church) but the lower part is gradually too dark. I can make the lower part braighter but the upper part will be washed, I can make the upper part darker but the lower part becomes non-visible. I thought the gradient tool sounds like it would work like a ND filter and let me gradually darkens the upper part and not affecting my lower part. But it seems it doesn't to that - it just creates a background that has a gradual color - or I am not watching the right tutorial on Youtube.

Can anybody point me to the proper tutorial?

Thanks,

OK, I came across the dodge and burnt tool. Going to try that.

Same as Wallace - duplicate layer with layer mask.

xcf attached (reduced size image to keep it small)

In addition to the use of masks with gradients, as illustrated by Wallace and Brighty II, there is the use of luminosity masks among others.

A very easy technique is presented in the tutorial:


How to use Gimp to better balance the exposure of the sky, faking a Gradient ND Filter

The final adjustment should be up to your personal preference.

You have several options to try out, good luck!

Edited: link was broken.

There good tips

I'll give one more option
Duplicate
Colors > Color invert on the duplicated, and just put it in soft light mode
(this will lighten what need to be lightened and darken what need to be darkened as an "average")


Then right click on the layer stack > "New from visible" make your final adjust/sharpen/and-so on that one

Banging my head here. I am not very good in GIMP. I did this:

1. Duplicate layer
2. Add a black layer mask
3. Select gradient tool, FG to Transparent, white on black
4. Then what do I do? I applied top to bottom, bottom to top, half way, .... never got the picture shown in Blighty II's picture

Black should be at the top of the mask / White at the bottom while you're doing your gradient


THEN >> Click on the layer (to deselect the mask and select that very layer) and increase the light with whatever tools you like >> Curves, Levels, Brightness contrast, Exposure,... and so> until you're happy with what you're seeing

I finally settled on using the GND filter method listed above and used color curve to get the look I need. The 30% feathering in that tutorial was key.

Couldn't figure out how to use mask and gradient tool. Will keep learning.

Thanks everybody

Gradient:
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-conc ... ients.html
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-tool-gradient.html

Mask:
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-layer-mask-add.html
https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Layer_Masks/