contrast: what and how?

[Hinkelbein]

Guys,

Help me!
I just had some pictures rejected due to high/low contrast.
Can someone give me a tip or more tips what exactly to pay attention to?
I can mostly not determine whether it was rejected for too much or too little contrast.

What are features of a pic with a too high contrast? Are shadows hardly visible then? Or somehing else?
What do I see when contrast is too low? Dark, black shadows, too black wheels, else?

Are you guys using an in-camera contrast adjustment?
I donīt, I use only software to influence contrast amount.

Hope you're not bothered with my questions


Greets,
Hinkelbein

[thetiz]

Very interesting question, standing by for the reply!
The contrast is my "big killer" here!
Fabrizio

[LX-A343]

In the upload guidelines you will find some useful tutorials, one of them is:
How to correct contrast

I'd try this as a starter.

[arjenp]

Maybe you can post some examples.

[PMN]

Maybe you can post some examples.

The excellent link Gerardo points out should explain everything that's needed. I've said for a few years that the histogram is the digital photographers' best friend, and it really is true. The first adjustments I make to the contrast/brightness on an image are done purely based on what the histogram tells me, and it's very rare I have to adjust it again because the image looks wrong.

The aim should be to make the information in the histogram just touch the right and left sides of the graph. If it does, then you have the full range of tones from pure black to pure white and you're making the most of the dynamic range available to you.

Paul

[Hinkelbein]

My problem with focusing too much on the histogram is that I will only try to get the histogram in order while at the same time neglecting the picture itself.

What is more important: a well-balanced histogram or a decent looking picture??

With my recently accepted picture I have not looked at the histogram but only at the picture itself, if it looked good and natural.

[brianw999]

My problem with focusing too much on the histogram is that I will only try to get the histogram in order while at the same time neglecting the picture itself.

What is more important: a well-balanced histogram or a decent looking picture??

With my recently accepted picture I have not looked at the histogram but only at the picture itself, if it looked good and natural.

Set the histogram and then process further from there.

[wrxflyer]

In the upload guidelines you will find some useful tutorials, one of them is:
How to correct contrast

I'd try this as a starter.

A fantatsic tip Gerardo!!!!!

Never seen it before but came across that link about a month ago; but it answers 99% of all my contrast questions.
To be honest: since I use those guidelines; my contrast rejections are down with over 75%

Thank you very much.

Freek

Freek