Easy way to lighten background?

[AlbusD]

I'm a new user, so please forgive my ignorance...

I work in real estate and frequently deal with indoor photos with backgrounds that need lightening, similar to "flash fill."

Is there a simple way to lighten a dark background?

For example, in my old Corel Paint Shop Pro X8, there is a command called "Fill light" under Brightness and Control.

Simple. Effective. Looking for a paint.net equivalent.

Thanks very much for any assistance.

[toe_head2001]

I'm not very familiar with Paint Shop Pro, so please confirm...

You're referring to this? https://kb.corel.com/en/127234

[MJW]

A plugin that may be helpful is @MichaelVinther's Laplacian pyramid filter, as racerx's Feb. 15, 2015 comment in that thread suggests. However, whether it's easy may be a matter of opinion. As useful as it is for all kinds of effects,  it seems to me to be on the tricky side, so it may take some experimentation to find the right settings to do what you want.

[AndrewDavid]

Using the example @toe_head2001 provided, Laplacian pyramid filter does a better job in my opinion. I found it quite easy.

 

The plugin can be found here: https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/24563-laplacian-pyramid-filter-effect-plugin/

Hope this helps

 

 

[Djisves]

A good alternative is @Tanel's Shadow / Highlight Recovery plugin.

This result at default settings:

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by Djisves
correct link