{"id":245617,"date":"2021-05-07T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-07T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/"},"modified":"2021-05-07T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-07T12:00:00","slug":"what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is Contrast in Photography, and How Is It Used?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3da772aa691\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3da772aa691\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#The_Different_Kinds_of_Contrast\" >The Different Kinds of Contrast<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#What_Is_Tonal_Contrast\" >What Is Tonal Contrast?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#What_Is_Color_Contrast\" >What Is Color Contrast?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#What_Is_Compositional_Contrast\" >What Is Compositional Contrast?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#Global_and_Local_Contrast\" >Global and Local Contrast<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#What_Does_Contrast_Do_to_Photos\" >What Does Contrast Do to Photos?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#Contrast_Can_Be_Bad\" >Contrast Can Be Bad<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-contrast-in-photography-and-how-is-it-used\/#How_to_Add_Contrast_to_Your_Images\" >How to Add Contrast to Your Images<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Is Contrast in Photography, and How Is It Used?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-725215 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/preview-1.jpg?width=1200&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"preview image with contrast\" width=\"1200\" height=\"555\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cContrast\u201d is a term that gets thrown around a lot in photography. Lots of image editors have contrast sliders, and it\u2019s something that novice photographers are told to look for in the world around them. But what does it really mean?<\/p>\n<p>The contrast between two things is the difference between them. In photography, we most often use the term to refer to the differences between the darkest areas and the lightest areas of an image\u2014which is called tonal contrast. However, there are two other types of contrast worth knowing about: color contrast and compositional contrast. Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Different_Kinds_of_Contrast\"><\/span>The Different Kinds of Contrast<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Tonal_Contrast\"><\/span>What Is Tonal Contrast?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Every photo has darker areas and lighter areas. It\u2019s what gives shape to the scene. The darker areas are normally called \u201cshadows,\u201d while the brighter areas are known as the \u201chighlights.\u201d The difference between the shadows and the highlights, then, is the tonal contrast.<\/p>\n<p>In a high-contrast image, there\u2019s a dramatic difference between the two. There are dark shadows, bright highlights, and less in the way of \u201cmidtones.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725216 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/1-tonal-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"high tonal contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Low-contrast images come in a couple of different forms. You have high-key images, which are bright and low contrast.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725217 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/2-high-key.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"high key image\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And then low-key images, which are dark and low contrast.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725218 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/3-low-key.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"low key image\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But there are also other images where there\u2019s just a gradual transition between fairly middle grays (and no fancy name).<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725220 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/4-midtones.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"low contrast image\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Finally, there are images that have, for lack of a better term, normal levels of contrast. They look pretty close to what you see in regular life. Sometimes, they might feel a touch on the unexciting or \u201cflat\u201d side. This is where most unedited photos start out, although this look can also be a deliberate choice on the part of the photographer.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725221 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/5-flat.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"flat normal image\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note that your camera doesn\u2019t see the world exactly as you do. Camera sensors can only capture a limited number of different tones, and modern screens can display even less. Your eyes actually have a much greater\u00a0\u201cdynamic range\u201c\u2014the amount of contrast that they can detect\u2014than any camera. This is why smartphone photos are often too bright or too dark.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Are Your Smartphone Photos Too Dark or Too Bright? Here&#8217;s Why<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Color_Contrast\"><\/span>What Is Color Contrast?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In addition to having tonal contrast, photos can also have color contrast. This is where there\u2019s any big difference in the prominent colors in the image. It can also take a couple of different forms.<\/p>\n<p>You can have contrast between different colors. For example, yellow and blue are very different colors, so this photo has a lot of color contrast.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725222 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/6-color-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"high color contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can also have contrast between the intensity of the different colors. In this photo, everything is a muted sort of green, except for the child\u2019s bold yellow jacket.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725223 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/7-color-intensity-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"high color contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In images without much color contrast, everything is composed of similar colors with varying intensities.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725224 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/8-no-color-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"low color contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Or, alternately, the different colors are similar in intensity and everything just looks pretty normal.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725225 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/9-no-color-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"low color contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Compositional_Contrast\"><\/span>What Is Compositional Contrast?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Compositional contrast is the most abstract form of it. It\u2019s the contrast between the different elements or ideas in your image.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in this photo, there\u2019s a compositional contrast between my friend and the massive amount of nature.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725226 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/10-compositional-contrast-1.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"compositional contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Or, in this shot, there\u2019s a contrast between the seriousness of the Soviet tank monument and the carefree children playing on it.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725227 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/11-compositional-contrast-2.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"compositional contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Compositional contrast is the hardest form of it to teach, as it\u2019s much more personal. It\u2019s about how you see the world and what you want your photos to say, rather than the specific tones or colors in them.<\/p>\n<p>However, it can also be the most interesting. Imagine how boring the photo of the mountains would be without the person in it, or how dull the tank would look without the kids climbing on it?<\/p>\n<p>For the rest of this article, we\u2019re going to mostly look at tonal and color contrast. However, as you explore photography more, you should try and add compositional contrast to your images. It can really get you great shots.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Global_and_Local_Contrast\"><\/span>Global and Local Contrast<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Contrast can be global, where it\u2019s present in the whole image, or local, where it\u2019s concentrated in a small area.<\/p>\n<p>This photo has a lot of contrast. There\u2019s tonal contrast, color contrast, and even compositional contrast.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725228 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/12-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"lots of contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But this photo, for the most part, doesn\u2019t have much contrast\u2014except for that bright yellow jacket. This is local contrast.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725229 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/13-local-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"local contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even in really contrasty shots, however, there will still be areas with more local contrast than others. This is a pretty high-contrast photo overall, but there\u2019s still more contrast around the tractor and the hay bales than in the dark foreground or the bright sky.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725230 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/14-tractor-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"very contrasty photo\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is incredibly important because of what contrast does in our photos.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_Contrast_Do_to_Photos\"><\/span>What Does Contrast Do to Photos?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The human visual system doesn\u2019t process everything in the same way. It\u2019s drawn to faces, movement, and\u2014yep, contrast.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at that photo of the tractor again. I\u2019m guessing that as soon as you looked at it, your eyes were drawn straight to the tractor in the middle of the scene. The dark shadows around the edges with the brighter, contrast-filled center, literally draw your eyes to it.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725231 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/15-tractor-contrast-2.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"very contrasty photo\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>What about this photo?<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725232 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/16-skier.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"photo of a skier\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Straight to the skier? Again, the tonal and color contrast attract your eye. Looking elsewhere actually takes effort.<\/p>\n<p>For photographers, this is incredibly powerful, as you can use it to guide your viewers to look where you want them to. A lot of the contrast was already in the two photos above, but I deliberately emphasized it with how I took and edited them.<\/p>\n<p>Also, a big side effect of this is that, to most people, contrast just looks cool, dramatic, and interesting. If you\u2019re scrolling through Instagram, you are much more likely to be drawn to a photo with a lot of contrast than one without. (You can use that to get more likes.)<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contrast_Can_Be_Bad\"><\/span>Contrast Can Be Bad<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With all that said, contrast isn\u2019t always a good thing. Too much contrast\u2014or contrast in the wrong areas\u2014can detract from your photos.<\/p>\n<p>Take this photo, for example. I\u2019ve added far too much contrast. It looks silly rather than dramatic or interesting.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725233 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/17-bad-contrast.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"bad contrast\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Similarly, taking photos on bright, sunny days can get you very contrasty, but pretty ugly shots. Super-harsh shadows aren\u2019t always a good thing.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725234 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/18-midday.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"harsh shadows\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Also, while local contrast can guide people to look where you want them to, it can also make them look at things that you don\u2019t want them to see. The classic example is pimples or spots.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 722px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725235 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/19-bad-skin.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"contrast on skin\" width=\"722\" height=\"580\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\" data-credittext=\"Harry Guinness\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/snapsure.app\">Harry Guinness<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The local contrast that they add is why you notice them straight away in photos.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Add_Contrast_to_Your_Images\"><\/span>How to Add Contrast to Your Images<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Contrast starts with what you\u2019re photographing. The more dramatic the difference between the shadows and the highlights in the scene, the more contrast there will be in the final photo.<\/p>\n<p>Taking photos on bright, sunny days is normally going too far, but the two hours after sunrise and before sunset are the perfect times to experiment. Not only will you have good tonal contrast from the strong, directional sunlight, but there will also be an opportunity for good color contrast with the golden or orange light.<br \/>\n Of course, a lot of contrast in photos is added or tweaked in post-production. It\u2019s one of the big changes that filters in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s like Instagram make to your photos. Most image editors also have a contrast slider that you can play around with. However, you can get better results with manual editing if you put the time into it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/725214\/what-is-contrast-in-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What Is Contrast in Photography, and How Is It Used?&#8221; Harry Guinness \u201cContrast\u201d is a term that gets thrown around a lot in photography. Lots of image editors have contrast sliders, and it\u2019s something that novice photographers are told to look for in the world around them. But what does it really mean? The contrast&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":245618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/preview-1.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}