This technique doesn't work for all images but when it does it provides a very fast and effective way of giving a boost to overall colour and contrast. It is a simple process involving just 3 steps, as described below. This tutorial is demonstrated using Photoshop CS4 but can be achieved in all the CS versions.

The image I've chosen for this example is a beach in Capo Testa, Sardinia taken with a comparitively old compact digital camera. The original image looks a little washed out lacking tone and contrast.

1. Create a Layer Copy (Ctrl + J):

2. With the layer copy selected apply an Auto Tone then apply an Equalize Adjustments:

3. The adjustments will probably render too much contrast and saturation so simply turn down the opacity on the layer copy until the image looks natural: