Passenger Seat: Creating a Photographic Project from Conception through Execution in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Chapter 18. Dynamic Range and Histograms

Just what technical discoveries can do to assist the interpretive powers of the artist is not clear.

—EDWARD HOPPER

Because of the constantly changing landscape and lighting conditions while shooting from a car window, it was nearly impossible to establish the proper exposure using the reflective meter in the camera. Consequently, some of the photographs in the Passenger Seat project required a wide range of tonal and color adjustments, while others required very little adjustment. Many times all that was needed was a slight boost in contrast to extend the dynamic range to make the flat exposure pop, while others needed a lot more coaxing, such as decreasing contrast to reveal the subtle details in the ...