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Fix Dark Craigslist Photos

Rescue dark garage and basement listing photos. Show what you are actually selling.

Dark garage photo with item barely visible
Before
โ†’
Same item bright and clear with all details visible
After
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Quick Answer Updated
Upload your dark Craigslist photo and type 'brighten this photo to show the item clearly' or 'fix the dim garage lighting and show true colors.' EditThisPic's AI rescues underexposed photos from garages, basements, and poorly lit rooms in 15 seconds. Buyers need to see what they're buying. Dark photos get scrolled past. Free to try, no account required.
"Everything I sell is stored in my garage. Every photo came out dark. EditThisPic brightens them so buyers can actually see the items. My response rate went from maybe 1 message a week to 3-4 a day." @GarageSaleDad

Built for Dark Photo Rescue

Garage and basement photos are always too dark
Phone cameras underexpose indoor scenes without flash
Items look worse than they are in dim lighting
Buyers skip dark photos assuming the seller is hiding something
Flash creates harsh, unflattering lighting on items
Can't control lighting in garages, basements, and storage areas

Most items for sale on Craigslist are stored in garages, basements, and closets - the darkest rooms in the house. Phone cameras make it even worse by underexposing indoor shots. The result: items that look far worse in photos than in person. EditThisPic brightens these dark photos so buyers can see what you're actually selling.

Dark listing photos receive 80% fewer inquiries than well-lit photos - Classified Ad Performance Study 2024

Dark Photo Fix Tools

How to Fix Dark Craigslist Photos

  1. Upload your dark photo

    Drop your underexposed photo into EditThisPic. The darker the photo, the more the AI can reveal. Even very dark shots usually have enough data to rescue.

    Simple brightening: 15 seconds. Brightening with color fix: 20 seconds.
  2. Ask for brightening

    Type 'significantly brighten this photo to show the item clearly with true colors.' For very dark photos, use stronger language like 'dramatically brighten.'

    Include 'fix color cast' if the photo has a strong yellow, blue, or green tint from artificial lighting.
  3. Check what was revealed

    Brightening reveals everything - including clutter, dirt, and details you didn't see in the dark. Make sure the item still looks accurate and the background is acceptable.

  4. Clean up if needed

    If brightening revealed background mess, do a second pass: 'remove the clutter visible behind the item.' You now have a bright, clean listing photo.

    Often brightening is enough on its own. Only clean up if the revealed background is distracting.

Dark Photo Fix Prompts

Garage photo rescue
significantly brighten this garage photo, show the item clearly with accurate colors, fix the dim lighting

Garages have the worst lighting - don't hold back on brightening

Basement photo fix
dramatically brighten this basement photo, fix the single-bulb lighting, show true colors and condition

Basement photos often need the strongest brightening - use 'dramatically'

Fix yellow garage light
brighten and fix the yellow workshop lighting, show the item in natural-looking light with true colors

Garage work lights create a strong yellow cast that hides true colors

Evening outdoor photo
brighten this evening photo, show the item as it would look in daylight with accurate colors

Golden hour and evening photos can be rescued to show daylight-quality detail

Show 4 more prompts
Closet or storage photo
brighten this photo significantly, the item was in a dark closet and needs much more light

Closets and storage rooms are typically the darkest spaces - max brightening

Flash photo fix
fix the harsh flash lighting, even out the light across the item, remove the bright spot and dark shadows

Flash creates bright centers and dark edges - the AI can even this out

Shadows on one side
remove the shadow on one side of the item, show even lighting on all surfaces

Single light source creates one bright side and one dark side

Dark photo with visible item
enhance the lighting while preserving the item exactly as is, don't change the item, only the lighting

When you can see the item but it is just dim, a lighter touch works

Edit Type Prompt Time
Garage photo significantly brighten, show clearly 15s Try This โ†’
Basement photo dramatically brighten, fix single-bulb 15s Try This โ†’
Fix yellow light brighten, fix yellow cast, true colors 15s Try This โ†’
Evening photo brighten to daylight quality 15s Try This โ†’

Dark Photo Fix Examples

Dark garage photo with item barely visible
Before
->
Same item bright and clear with all details visible
After

Garage photo rescued

Power tool barely visible in dim garage brought to full clarity.

Prompt: significantly brighten, fix dim garage lighting, show item condition clearly
Item in dark basement with harsh single bulb shadow
Before
->
Same item evenly lit showing true condition and colors
After

Basement item brightened

Item stored in basement with single bulb lighting, dramatically brightened.

Prompt: dramatically brighten, fix the single-bulb lighting, show true colors
Item in dim evening light with blue-grey cast
Before
->
Same item bright and clear as if photographed in daylight
After

Evening photo color-corrected

Item photographed at dusk, brightened and color-corrected to show daylight appearance.

Prompt: brighten to daylight quality, fix the dim evening colors, show accurate appearance
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When Things Go Wrong

Photo still too dark after brightening

Why: Original was extremely underexposed with almost no image data.

Try: dramatically increase brightness and exposure, rescue as much detail as possible

If a second pass still isn't enough, retake in better light. Some photos are too dark to save.

Brightening revealed noise and grain

Why: Dark photos have digital noise that becomes visible when brightened.

Try: brighten and reduce the digital noise and grain, keep the item smooth

Some grain is normal in rescued dark photos - the item visibility is what matters.

Colors look wrong after brightening

Why: Color balance shifts when exposure is corrected from very dark.

Try: fix the color balance, the item should be [describe color], correct any color cast

Describe the real color of the item to help the AI get it right.

Brightening revealed mess I didn't see

Why: Dark photos hide background clutter that becomes visible when brightened.

Try: now remove the visible clutter behind the item, keep the item bright and clear

A two-step approach works well: brighten first, then clean up what's revealed.

Harsh shadows remain after brightening

Why: Single light source shadows need specific treatment beyond general brightening.

Try: even out the lighting, fill in the shadows so the item is lit on all sides

Ask specifically for 'even lighting' to address one-sided illumination.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dark is too dark to fix?

If you can see any outline or shape of the item in the photo, EditThisPic can probably rescue it. The AI works with the image data that exists, and phone cameras capture more than you see on screen. Try it - you might be surprised.

Why do my garage photos always come out dark?

Phone cameras try to average the light in a scene. Garages have small bright spots (windows, door) and large dark areas. The camera exposes for the bright spots, leaving everything else dark. EditThisPic fixes this by brightening the dark areas.

Should I use flash instead?

Flash creates its own problems - harsh shadows, bright spots, uneven lighting. Natural room lighting enhanced by EditThisPic usually looks better than flash. If using flash, EditThisPic can also fix the harsh flash look.

Will brightening make the item look different from reality?

No. Brightening reveals what the item actually looks like in good light. The phone camera made it look darker than reality. EditThisPic corrects this to match what you see with your eyes.

Can I combine brightening with background removal?

Yes. First brighten the photo, then do a second pass to remove the background if desired. Or combine in one prompt: 'brighten significantly and replace background with white.'

Does this work on video too?

EditThisPic works on photos only. Take still photos of your items and enhance those for your Craigslist listing.

Is EditThisPic's AI fix dark craigslist photos really free?

Yes โ€” you get 1 free edit per week, no account needed. For unlimited edits, plans start at $3.99/month.

Can I craigslist dark on my phone?

Yes. EditThisPic works in any mobile browser โ€” iPhone, Android, tablet. No app download needed.

Stop losing sales to dark photos

Free to try. No signup. Rescue your garage and basement photos.

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