Understanding How To Use Contrast In Photography

There are many individual elements of what makes an image appear a certain way. Exposure, film speed, camera quality, type of frame (like a gallery picture frame) and printing method all have an impact on the quality of your final print. Contrast is one of the most important and easily manipulated elements of a photograph and, when used properly, can take your images to a whole new level.

Put simply, contrast is the difference between the lights and darks in your images. In terms of black and white photography, high contrast images have very bright whites and incredibly dark blacks with little room in between, while low contrast images will have more grey and appear less distinct. In color photographs, contrast can be used to describe the intensity of the colors and how they stand out in relation to each other. While theres no perfect level of contrast, a good rule of thumb is to try and create images that have pure black, pure white, and every shade in between. However, this is more challenging than it sounds!

Contrast in Action
As a photographer, youll probably find a set amount of contrast that works for you. Some photographers like high contrast while others like low, so it really depends upon what works for you. As long as your pictures tell the story you want to share, there is no right or wrong answer.

If you want to see an example of excellent normal contrast, take a look at the photographs of Ansel Adams. His landscape photographs in black and white cover every base possible in terms of greys, blacks, and whites, and are quite powerful because of it. No wonder Ansel Adams images are so frequently seen framed in simple black picture frames in homes and offices – as the contrast black and white tones are exquisite. As an example of high contrast, films like Sin City and The Spirit used high contrast imagery to tell their story.

Adjusting Contrast
There are several ways you can adjust the contrast of your photograph. Different types of film or digital camera settings will give your pictures different amounts of contrast. For example, slide film has a high contrast ratio compared to regular film. You can also push your film while developing it by allowing it to soak in the developer longer than recommended the longer it sits, the higher your contrast will be. Be careful that you don’t over-develop your film because, unlike prints, it can’t be redone once you develop it.

In the darkroom, you can apply a filter to your enlarger to change the contrast of your images. A #1 filter wil be a slight contrast increase, whereas a #4 filter will significantly increase the contrast level in your print. If you’re using a digital camera, most photo editing software has a built in contrast option that will let you mimic the changes you could make in the darkroom. Contrast is infinite in the options it can provide so take it to the limit and then take it one more step just to see what happens.

Contrast can control the focal point of an image, as in where your viewers look. It can help further define important parts of your photograph as well as create a higher quality image when done properly. The right (or wrong type) of picture frame can also impact how the viewer looks at your picture so make sure to stick with a frame that has simple clean lines and avoid highly decorative, beaded or jeweled picture frames.

Use the pure black, pure white rule in every photograph and youll see a huge improvement in the images you produce. Once you understand what degree of contrast works in your photos, you’ll start to see how you can use contrast in the real world to shoot even better pictures. As always, the best way to get better is to keep practicing!