Adding a little more contrast

[mateusnroll]

Hi all photography people

I've had classes on college about photography (used a SLR and a DSLR) and now I've bought myself a camera to start playing with it, a Nikon D3100 w/ 18-55 VR Kit lens.

Today I went shoot some people on a city park. It was around 4:30PM, so the light was helping and I could use lower ISOs.

I was using ISO 100-400 (depending on the place), shutter around 1/600 and maximum aperture (3.5 at 18mm and 5.6 at 55mm). I'm shooting everything in RAW.

After I came back home to process the photos, I needed to increased the contrast by ~25+ (using Photoshop Camera RAW) on almost all photos. Is there any setting on my camera (or anything I'm doing wrong in terms of apertura/shutter/etc) that is lowering the contrast? Can I bring it up using some camera or gear configuration? Or is this completely normal?

A Dropbox link to the pictures after +25 contrast https://www.dropbox.com/sc/lwckob5hmc25uho/AAADb24RHoyk4UhVRml8nAPAa#/

Cheers!

 

[480sparky]

Thumb through the manual and you'll find instructions on how to adjust the contrast prior to shooting.

Keep in mind, every scene is unique, both in subject matter and lighting. There is no one-size-fits-all setting that will magically make every image better.

 

[table1349]

I'm shooting everything in RAW.

That is why you needing to make adjustments. RAW files are to digital as Negatives were to film. You can set in camera processing however as pointed out by sparky, one size does not fit all. This is the purpose of shooting raw to make the adjustments needed in post processing as you like for each individual shot. RAW files capture all available data that the sensor is capable of. They are, like film negatives, designed so the photographer can and usually will post process the shots. Not just contrast, but all aspects of the photo including a bit of sharpening.

Per page 64 of the user manual:
Raw 12-bit data from the image sensor are saved directly to the memory
card. Settings such as white balance and contrast can be adjusted on a computer after shooting.


If you are wanting to shoot and view then you would be better off shooting .jpg. The camera will do predetermined processing. Keep in mind you will have less latitude to make adjustments to .jpg files.

 

[MichaelHenson]

Shooting in RAW should allow you to bump up your exposure levels to brighten those up a bit. I typically (not every time) really like the look of my photos when I tweak exposure up a bit and increase contrast slightly...They "pretty much" offset each other but help the image pop a bit...

 

[WayneF]

After I came back home to process the photos, I needed to increased the contrast by ~25+ (using Photoshop Camera RAW) on almost all photos. Is there any setting on my camera (or anything I'm doing wrong in terms of apertura/shutter/etc) that is lowering the contrast? Can I bring it up using some camera or gear configuration? Or is this completely normal?

The camera settings are ignored in Raw files. The camera settings affect the image on rear LCD of camera, and the histogram, but not the Raw file. You do this work in the Raw editor, after you can see what it actually needs.

The Contrast slider in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is just the same simple tool found in all photo editors. It increases contrast by moving both the black and white points inward in equal amount (ignoring data curve and what it needs). This makes blacks blacker and whites whiter, but it clips both ends, losing detail. Not a smart tool. It works for small changes.

Is much more elegant to use the ACR Tone Curve (next to Basic tab). It has the S Curve profiles for Medium or Strong contrast. This is also blacker blacks and whiter whites, but it does not affect the endpoints, and does not cause clipping.

B&W pictures (grayscale) need strong contrast, some point really black and some point really white. But color does not tolerate as much contrast. Very much makes them gaudy.

 

[mateusnroll]

From what you've said, I guess it means that's OK to add +25 contrast to RAW files?

I will try to use the ACR Tone Curve in the next ones, thanks for the tip!

 

[480sparky]

From what you've said, I guess it means that's OK to add +25 contrast to RAW files?

Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the lighting of the scene, and your final intent of the image.

 

[mateusnroll]

Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the lighting of the scene, and your final intent of the image.

For the kind of picture I've taken in the link above, what do you think? I know it all depends on what I want, but as a beginner, I'm not really sure about what I want...

Which would be the best use for RAW and for JPG?

 

[KmH]

Image Files

• Understanding Bit Depth
• Understanding Image Types: JPEG & TIFF
• Understanding RAW Files: Why Should I Use RAW?

 

[MichaelHenson]

The camera settings are ignored in Raw files. The camera settings affect the image on rear LCD of camera, and the histogram, but not the Raw file. You do this work in the Raw editor, after you can see what it actually needs.

The Contrast slider in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is just the same simple tool found in all photo editors. It increases contrast by moving both the black and white points inward in equal amount (ignoring data curve and what it needs). This makes blacks blacker and whites whiter, but it clips both ends, losing detail. Not a smart tool. It works for small changes.

Is much more elegant to use the ACR Tone Curve (next to Basic tab). It has the S Curve profiles for Medium or Strong contrast. This is also blacker blacks and whiter whites, but it does not affect the endpoints, and does not cause clipping.

B&W pictures (grayscale) need strong contrast, some point really black and some point really white. But color does not tolerate as much contrast. Very much makes them gaudy.

Great info! I'm a "contrast culprit" and while I haven't really overdone it at all, I'll try out the S curve adjustments next time! Thanks for this!

 

[KmH]

If you want to adjust the contrast in the middle (mid-tone contrast) instead of out at the ends (white and black points), use the Clarity slider in the Presence section of Camera Raw/LR Develop module (both CR & LR are ACR)
As a bonus, increasing the mid-tone contrast delivers a sharpening effect.

 

[480sparky]

For the kind of picture I've taken in the link above, what do you think? I know it all depends on what I want, but as a beginner, I'm not really sure about what I want...

I can't answer the question of how much contrast to add, and for two reasons. 1., I can't see the original images without any change to contrast and 2., I don't know what YOU want your images to look like. How much to add depends on many factors, part of which is how much dynamic range is in the original scene, how your particular camera responds to it and is capable of recording it, as well as your intent for the final image. How much to add, both in-camera and in post, is strictly a personal choice.

Which would be the best use for RAW and for JPG?

Raw has no use other than to give you the most data available for editing. Few labs are capable of dealing with raw files, mostly because they may not be able to read the edits you've done to them. So they accept the more common JPEG instead, which has the edits and changed 'baked in'. Same for image hosting sites. Raw files are for you, and JPEGS for you to share with the rest of us.