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Questions tagged [contrast]

Contrast is the difference in luminance and/or colour that makes an object (or its representation in an image or display) distinguishable.

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"Do monochromatic sensors without a CFA have better resolutions than sensors that do?"

I've been reading a bit about Bayer CFAs and still don't quite comprehend how it reduces spatial resolution? I can see that there is an evident lose in color resolution due to the interpolation and ...
vannira's user avatar
  • 343
28 votes
10 answers
7k views

What is it about this albatross photograph that makes it look like it might either be faked or actually a photorealistic drawing (to me at least)?

When I first saw this photo of three albatross, it seemed wrong to me somehow - like the birds were hand-drawn and added to a photo of a background. It doesn't look like an actual photograph, but I ...
uhoh's user avatar
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9 votes
7 answers
4k views

Photo contrast in early morning

I've been playing with my new camera. I went for a walk in the forest in early morning. As the sun came up, the first rays of light hit the trees, and they glow gold. I tried capturing this in a ...
Kingsley's user avatar
  • 193
1 vote
0 answers
97 views

What type of lighting would provide a hazy, low-contrast look?

I'm somewhat new to film photography, and had to have some brief questions about achieving a particular look. Here's what I'm talking about: https://i.sstatic.net/5a94u.jpg (NSFW content) The specific ...
m_1265's user avatar
  • 23
1 vote
1 answer
559 views

How does one achieve a low-contrast, somewhat overexposed, soft, hazy, look on film?

I'm new to film photography (~4 months in) and happened to have questions regarding on how to achieve a particular look. I'm not necessarily looking to emulate the look, rather, understand what went ...
m_1265's user avatar
  • 23
0 votes
1 answer
112 views

How to rescue ''dark photos'' of experimental work?

I have some photos which I took during some experimental work which ended up being so dark that the details can't really be seen (these are of spheres hitting a body of liquid and splashing). It will ...
Tom's user avatar
  • 105
4 votes
3 answers
147 views

Confused by a paragraph in the classic photography book Understanding Exposure explaining the limits of today's camera meters

In the classic photography book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, on page 113 of the fourth edition of the book, the author writes that: [...] in addition to being confused by white and black,...
Brian Daniels's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
723 views

Do ND filters affect contrast and dynamic range? [closed]

I think I know what’s causing our confusion and miscommunication. Changing the ISO from a big number to double reduces the POTENTIAL Dynamic Range by about 1 stop. But it does not change the histogram ...
Mark Robin's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
77 views

Benefits of Contrast Measurement with an External Light Meter?

I'm learning to use a Gossen Digipro F2 light meter and am unclear about the benefits of "contrast measurement." The manual indicates that after "...aiming the meter at various areas of ...
tony_dubitsky's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
380 views

Raw photo vs raw video

Why are DNG, NEF or other raw photos look such different at first sight, no editing, as D-LOG, ProRes and other raw or near to raw video frames? Photos look contrasted while videos look flat. By "...
dstonek's user avatar
  • 199
3 votes
3 answers
378 views

How could I have capture better the lighting for this photo

I took an inhouse photo in which the sun was entering through the window. I'm guessing that due to the contrast, the flowers are really bright but the background is more dark than what it was ...
ffigari's user avatar
  • 133
1 vote
0 answers
179 views

Why is the contrast calculated in i1Profiler so low?

I just received a Dell S3221QS 32" Monitor with a VA panel. I used i1 Display Pro and i1Profiler 3.x to calibrate the monitor. At the end the calculated contrast ratio is just 256:1, which is ...
FarO's user avatar
  • 1,431
3 votes
1 answer
140 views

How can I improve the contrast between the water and bushes in this photo?

I took this photo: I chose a bush as the background, mainly because water and a green background go together very well. I also had the aperture to around f4.5, so the depth of field is much smaller, ...
10 Rep's user avatar
  • 191
3 votes
1 answer
574 views

A more "professional" contrast curve than \$y = ax + b\$?

What curves do photographers use when modifying the contrast of their photographic images? The simple equation \$y=ax+b\$ is sometimes with \$a\$ as "contrast" and \$b\$ as "brightness&...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 1,817
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Increasing contrast in a darkroom print?

So I made a darkroom print the other day, but I am unhappy with it. It doesn't have enough contrast. Now I know what you're gonna say: 'You should use a high contrast paper or filter'. Thanks, but ...
DarcyThomas's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
462 views

low element count primes render better than high element count zooms? Which image is which?

I was told that prime lenses with low element counts have the potential to produce better colors and greater contrast than lenses with many many elements inside. I was told primes mostly 'render' ...
Arji's user avatar
  • 1,633
7 votes
2 answers
822 views

Saturation and contrast in photography vs video

I've observed different ways and styles to edit photography, and sometimes "cinematic" photography. And I've observed in some places photography tends to have strong contrast and saturation. Very ...
vsis's user avatar
  • 1,261
18 votes
5 answers
7k views

How does Renato D'Agostin achieve these super minimalist and high-contrast photos?

So there's a photographer named Renato D'Agostin who is renowned for his very high-contrast and minimalist photos, and while I don't want to recreate his style per se, I do want to try to replicate ...
Jodast's user avatar
  • 447
3 votes
2 answers
979 views

When enlarging with no contrast filter, photo comes out extremely dark. What am I doing wrong?

When enlarging b&w 35mm film in the darkroom, I cannot get a decent print unless I use a 0 or 1 grade filter. If I use no filter, the print turns out nearly completely black (even at exposure ...
Kari Otteburn's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
309 views

I took this photo of a sunset a few years ago. Would this image be considered a low or high contrast image?

I’m confused because there are dark silhouettes at the bottom of the image. I’ve been taught that if there are dark shadows and silhouettes, it will almost always be a high contrast image. Can someone ...
Tommy D's user avatar
  • 31
0 votes
3 answers
641 views

8bit monitor theoretical contrast

Imagine perfect monitor that can display pure blacks and is perfectly calibrated. What would the contrast be between its second darkest shade of black, that is 1,1,1 values for blue green red sub ...
wav scientist's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
3k views

Contrast vs sharpening?

I am trying to study basic digital image processing but i am confused by the difference between two terms "image contrast " and "image sharpening' Please kindly explain the difference and if possible ...
DSP_CS's user avatar
  • 113
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Do I have to buy filters to control contrast in multigrade papers?

I am interested in buying one of Ilford multigrade papers, e.g. https://www.ilfordphoto.com/multigrade-fb-classic-glossy-sheets I have old small-format enlarger and I wonder if I could achieve ...
Maciej Wasilewski's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
317 views

Is it possible to make an apparently completely blurry image (shot through a colored label) more clear?

I have been putting a colored label on my webcam when im not using it. I read this on the internet as it prevents hackers from seeing you in case your laptop gets hacked. I don't know much about ...
shahid khan's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
8k views

Is there any proof that high saturation and contrast makes a picture more appealing in social media?

Atm I'm editing some images (Mainly photos of landscapes and food) for a social media campaign. My supervisor is confident that adding high saturation and contrast will lead to more attention in ...
Nikita Kubasov's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
341 views

Why does the imported JPEG from my Canon Powershot G9X Mark II on PC screen differ quite significantly from the camera display? [duplicate]

Consider the attached sample images. I took them circa 4:50 AM and 3:50 AM, respectively. On the Live View display of the Powershot G9X Mark II, they were full of light. The pictures were taken as ...
iksemyonov's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
654 views

Will upgrading from P900 to Nikon D500 and a 200-400 lens make my bird photographs sharper?

I am using a Nikon P900 and although I love the camera the image quality is not always as sharp as it could be. Also it is just 3 years old and is falling to bits although i do use it daily. As most ...
Stephen Brown's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
216 views

How can take a better picture of this creek under bright sun light and dense vegetation on banks?

Here is the first picture with 0 ev, f/2.8 and exposure time of 1/80. Here is second pic with -1.33 ev, f/3.2 and exposure time of 1/150. I think there are several problems with them: 1) It is ...
Anthony Kong's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
748 views

How to handle the tone curve (linear/medium/high contrast) and the other development settings?

I use Lightroom 6.x and I usually start with a linear curve, adjusting the sliders in the "Basic" section accordingly. The Tone curve section usually does not even get opened. This because I'm not a ...
FarO's user avatar
  • 1,431
5 votes
1 answer
262 views

Enhance snowy mountain detail (high-frequency high-contrast) in RawTherapee

I occasionally have this issue where the camera software produces better microcontrast than I can via RawTherapee. I am unsure whether this is an issue with the software or with my ability to use it. ...
TheChymera's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

How to increase contrast/brightness of product photos?

[Warning: I'm not a pro photographer!] Hi guys. I need to take a lot of product pictures for my blog. I'm using my Canon G5 X (compact) and continuous lighting of 3x 125 W 5500К bulbs in softboxes (...
Daniel's user avatar
  • 73
2 votes
2 answers
542 views

Contrast order of operations in Lightroom?

I've been watching a number of how-to videos on Lightroom, and one general workflow I've seen is performing the Basic adjustments first (white, black, highlights, shadows, etc.), followed by adjusting ...
Jonah Bishop's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
4k views

What is "veiling glare"? How does it affect my photos, and how can I avoid it?

Someone mentioned that "veiling glare" or "veiling flare" was to blame for reduced contrast in a photo. What does this mean exactly? What causes veiling glare, and how can it be avoided? How does it ...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 144k
2 votes
1 answer
71 views

Is negative's contrast change by the developement process different from software contrast adjustment of the negative's scan?

Let's assume that I have an exposed frame with the contrast range not fully covered (and let's assume that I just want the scan). I have two options: develop it normally, scan and then work on this ...
Maciej Wasilewski's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
96 views

computer produces light photos

I noticed recently when I copy an image from my pc to a thumb drive and connect it to a digital projector or a TV or a laptop comp. the image comes out lighter than that on my pc. I also tried a jpg ...
William's user avatar
  • 11
4 votes
5 answers
807 views

Is there an optical filter that reduces the film's contrast?

As far as I know, the change of the exposure moves the negative' density curve left or right only (moves the objects to the different zones), and to shrink or enlarge overall contrast, one has to ...
Maciej Wasilewski's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
545 views

Programmatically assessing image quality [closed]

I am using a third party service which processes images and returns some metadata: The data (and ranges) looks like this sharpness 0-1 brightness 0-1 contrast: 0-1 dominant color: hex array of '...
Matt Evans's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
766 views

How to mimic Olympus' dramatic tone filter?

I just did a few tries with some of Olympus' art filters and liked that "dramatic tone" filter. But even then, the images are far from perfect and I would like to recreate them in my raw converter (I ...
craesh's user avatar
  • 250
5 votes
3 answers
3k views

Does opening the aperture improve color contrast? (Open aperture producing more punchy colors / closed aperture more dull colors?)

I'm using some SLR legacy lenses on a mirrorless camera that I have, and I am under the (subjective) impression that if the aperture is wide open, the colors are more vibrant, while closing the ...
FotisK's user avatar
  • 343
2 votes
1 answer
138 views

What settings to use for portrait with white background? [duplicate]

I am newbie trying to get a good picture of my friends (contrasting skin color) with snow covered mountain in the background. I tried using aperture priority mode with f/11 and 1/100 sec, 28 mm. ...
akd's user avatar
  • 121
5 votes
1 answer
128 views

What "makes" contrast, anyway? [closed]

Or better, the loss of it? If I take a picture of a uniformly white wall, I don't expect contrast at all and that's ok. But sometimes I take photos of a a scene where there are light areas, dark ...
motoDrizzt's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
542 views

Lanyard colours which are both high contrast and suitable for colour blind attendees

In a recent weekend long game, we started using colour coded lanyards to determine players photography preferences: Black: No photography restrictions (take and publish without tagging) Orange: No ...
Mark Booth's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
395 views

How to increase contrast when shooting drab scenes

On cloudy days, it seems like the amount of contrast available for shooting is greatly reduced. For a specific test I did, the in-camera histogram shows a very narrow band in the middle - for ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 791
1 vote
3 answers
786 views

Why are the images from a new camera I bought sort of greyish compared to my old camera?

I am not a huge expert in photography. I own just a simple pocket size Sony WX220, and have been comparing it with shots from a Canon G7X Mark I that I bought as a Christmas present (shh, don't tell ...
teaspoon's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
109 views

Photographing surfers

A while ago I was photographing some people surfing. I looked at some previews and was a bit puzzled: all the shots were suffering from extremely low contrast, and seemed generally out of focus. ...
loopbackbee's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can I tell which photo has more contrast from their histograms?

for my BA degree I need to find out which one from the following two photos has more contrast: The histogram looks like (left histogram for the left photo, right histogram for the right photo): My ...
Piipsy's user avatar
  • 491
3 votes
5 answers
1k views

How can I change contrast within a single colour?

What techniques can be used to change the perceived contrast within a single colour only, in post processing? For example, how can I change the contrast of the blues to affect the sky, or the green ...
Szabolcs's user avatar
  • 2,883
0 votes
1 answer
470 views

How to achieve the super high contrast look of Thierry Le Gouès' Soul Album?

I'm curious to know how to achieve the high contrast look of Thierry Le Gouès' Soul album (please note: images are NSFW). I know this is probably done in post but I would like to know if there is a ...
Brandon Potts's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

What does the "Flux" effect of Instagram do?

Whenever I'm done doing Post on my photos and share on social media, Flux from Insta always seems to magically make my photos "pop". No matter if they're portraits, landscapes - it seems like a very ...
BLAZORLOVER's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Dark+Contrast. New trend in photography editing, how its done?

There is this new trend where people create crazy contrasted photos, its all over the Tumblr and Instagram. I'm not in love with the style, but it looks so strange, that i can't help wondering - how ...
kodisha's user avatar
  • 163