Learning Photography - All About Contrast
Good photography depends far more on skill than it does gear. Just because you have a good camera doesn't mean you'll get good photographs as some professional photographers have been known to shoot with disposable cameras. The secret to great photography is rooted in having a solid understanding of the technical elements of photographs and how they interact with one another. Composition, contrast, color balance, depth of field – all of these things combined are what make a photograph unique, and without an understanding of each you may find that your work suffers.
With that in mind, here is a comprehensive breakdown of one of these elements – Contrast.
What is Contrast?
Contrast can be easily described as the range of difference between various tones in any given photograph. In black and white photography, contrast describes the difference between the darkest and lightest tones, but also defines the grayscale. When it comes to color photography, contrast refers to how sharply the colors stand out from each other.
Controlling Contrast
There are several ways to control the contrast of your images. Most simply, you can import your photographs into any digital photo-editing suite, find the contrast button, and drag the slider around until you get the desired result. When you're in the darkoom, you can use filters on the enlarger and increase the level of contrast in the picture (remember the higher the filter number the higher the contrast). Being able to control contrast is harder to do in the camera and also depends heavily on the available light, lens filters and the exposure time. It's usually a good idea to shoot with a little caution and opt for less contrast than more since you can always increase the contrast later without losing quality.
A Good Quality of Contrast
While opinions differ on how much contrast is “just right,” a good general rule of thumb is that your tones should run the gamut from very dark to very bright, with every level in between represented in the photograph. This is best understood in black and white photographs, as you would want a pure white, a pure black, and every shade of grey possible represented in every photograph. A good level of contrast is when your colors "pop" or your subjects look clearly defined. This will be really obvious when you go to frame your picture especially with matted picture frames or shadow box picture frames.
Fine-Tuning
One of the classic tricks in the photographer's toolbox is dodging and burning photographs. This is a technique to adjust the contrast of specific parts of a photograph instead of modifying the contrast of the entire image. This is useful in adjusting the composition of your images (darkening the background), highlighting key features of a subject (lightening the eyes), or just improving the overall “look” of the shot.
Photographers often create custom stencils in the darkroom that go on the top of the blank photo paper. Stencils will give you greater control over the contrast of your entire photograph by letting certain areas of your picture be exposed for different periods of time than others. Luckily enough, this process is much easier in most photo editors as different areas can be easily burned or dodged by using the mouse.
Areas of a photograph that are “dodged” will be exposed to light for shorter periods of time, or in the case of digital editing will be lightened and lose contrast. Areas that are “burned” will gain contrast and the grain will grow darker.
Controlling the contrast of your images is a tricky skill, but with a little practice and a whole lot of dodging and burning it will become second nature. Good contrast contributes to the narrative of your photograph and helps to make the important things stand out while the less important things fade away. When shooting, always try and imagine what your contrast options will be before you take a shot, and go wild when you finally make it to the computer or darkroom. As with everything, practice makes perfect!
ePhoto 10ft Photography background Support Telescopic Pole Cross Arm Cross Bar crossbar
|
|
Photographic Prints of A chhattri stands in front of India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New from Robert Harding £7.99 10x8 Print, A chhattri stands in front of India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New. A chhattri stands in front of India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi, India, Asia. Chosen by Robert Harding. Printed on 254x203mm Fuji Crystal Archive paper for stable image permanence and brilliant colour reproduction with smooth tones, enhanced sharpness, and excellent definition. Size refers ... |
|
|
Photographic Prints of Sunderland Winter Gardens, part of the citys Museum, stands in Mowbray from Robert Harding £7.99 10x8 Print, Sunderland Winter Gardens, part of the citys Museum, stands in Mowbray. Sunderland Winter Gardens, part of the citys Museum, stands in Mowbray Gardens in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, Europe. Chosen by Robert Harding. Printed on 254x203mm Fuji Crystal Archive paper for stable image permanence and brilliant colour reproduction with smooth tones, enhanced sharpness,... |
|
|
Canvas Prints of A chhattri stands in front of India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New from Robert Harding £99.99 Canvas Print, White Sides. , A chhattri stands in front of India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New. A chhattri stands in front of India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi, India, Asia. Chosen by Robert Harding. Ready to hang, 101cm along the longest edge (other side scaled to fit). High quality 300gsm canvas with Fujifilm water based pigment ink. Hand stretched and stapled to 30... |
|
|
Maxim - Photography Backdrop 3 x 6 meter White 100% Cotton Muslin background cloth. By Maxim Foto Supplies. £39.99 ... |
|
|
Maxim - Photography Backdrop 1.8m x 2.8m / 6ft x 9ft White 100% Cotton Muslin background cloth. By Maxim Foto Supplies. £22.99 ... |
|
|
Maxim - Photography Backdrop 1.8m x 2.8m / 6ft x 9ft Black 100% Cotton Muslin background cloth. By Maxim Foto Supplies. £22.99 ... |
|
|
Heavy Duty Studio Background Support Stand £49.99 This backdrop stand is made from aluminum to provide lightweight portability as well as heavy duty support stucture. Adjustable light stand gives total flexibility and black colour ensures No reflection is produced. It supports Roll Up paper background as well as Cotton and Vinyl. Top Quality!!! Buy with Total Confidence!!!... |
|
|
PhotoSEL BS103 Professional Background Support System 2.7m (H) x 3m or 2m (W) with Carrying Bag £65.00 The PhotoSEL BS103 Background Support System is made of aluminum for an excellent combination of portabilty and a solid heavy-duty support mechanism. It consists of two fully adjustable lighting stands, and three-piece crossbar. The system is finished in black to prevent unwanted reflections and is designed to support either textile or paper roll backgrounds. A heavy duty carrying bag is provided ... |
|
|
Chroma key GREEN+B+W BACKDROP+STAND KIT PHOTOGRAPHY SET Please wait Image not available * Enlarge Chroma key GREEN+B+W BACKDROP+STAND KIT PHOTOGRAPHY SET £79.00 1 x Background Stand & Support Max. Height: 260cm 1 x Premium Studio Black Chromakey Muslin Backdrop * Color - Black |
Tags: background · diy · lighting · photography · photography background stand · photography background stand australia · photography background stand kit · photography background stand review · photography background stand system · standNo Comments
0 responses so far ↓
Like gas stations in rural Texas after 10 pm, comments are closed.