Contrast
If quality and direction are two basic tenets of good photography, then contrast is where it gets a tiny bit more technical.
Contrast is the difference between the bright, lit part of the scene, and the dark, unlit shadow areas. If there’s a huge difference in brightness, it’s high contrast; if not, it’s low contrast.
If you’re armed with a flash meter you can take highlight and shadow readings, work out the difference in terms of ƒ-stops, and then determine if that range falls within the dynamic range of your particular camera’s sensor. Unsurprisingly, that’s far too technical for most people, especially if they’re trying to work reasonably fast, so a good way to judge contrast before you take a photo is to squint at the subject. You ...
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