
22 LIGHT: THE RAW MATERIAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY
THE CONTRAST OF A PHOTOGRAPH
The contrast of the light is only one of the influences on the contrast of a
photograph. If you are an experienced photographer, you know that you can
find high contrast in an image with low-contrast light and vice versa.
Contrast is also determined by subject matter composition, exposure,
and, if you are using film, its development. As everyone knows, a scene that
includes black and white subjects is likely to have more contrast than one
with entirely gray objects, but a software Levels or Curves adjustment during
postproduction can produce high contrast, even in an entirely ...