Contrast and saturation are expressive character options that speak clearly to your viewer and can be used to convey a feeling in your image. This is where its heart and power come from.
This week, as part of the In Camera Magic: The 12 Essential Creative Options photography course, we explored three very powerful expressive character options that support your vision as an artist … contrast, saturation and sharpness. Of the three, contrast (essential #10) and saturation (essential #11) work well hand-in-hand for expressing how you feel.
Keep it simple at first … are you feeling passive or aggressive? For the passive at heart, dialing in a contrast and saturation setting that plays a lighter hand on your colors and tones will help bring out the softness you desire. For those feeling more aggressive about their scene, dialing in a higher contrast and saturation setting will help in getting that bold and vibrant message across.
Dialing in a Feeling: The Power of Contrast and Saturation
The importance of how you feel should never be overshadowed by either the way something looks or how others think it should be lit. Photography is all about communication, of sharing an idea or feeling, and your images should reflect that individuality.
Knowing the extremes your camera’s sensor will capture tones and color is the first step towards being able to visualize a message.
In the first image, our camera’s internal settings were set at low contrast/low saturation. Our next image shows a dramatic shift in both colors and tones as the internal settings were set at high contrast/high saturation.
With this camera, I have the ability to shoot these extremes … and the freedom to shoot everything in between.
Focused Practice Session
Contrast and saturation options can truly change the world and how it appears. If you’ve never played with these settings, try this easy exercise and you will soon see for yourself how powerful these two options are.
- Set your aperture at f/5.6 and your ISO to 200.
- Head outside and focus on a broad view of the landscape, be sure to include both shadows and bright sunlight.
- Choose a shutter speed that best illuminates your message and stick with these settings for the entire exercise.
- Adjust the contrast and saturation in camera to their lowest settings and take a photo.
- Examine the image.
- Adjust the contrast and saturation in camera to their highest settings and take a photo.
- Examine the image and compare it to the previous one.
What you’ll take from this exercise (and the images you just shot) is that there is a world of options that constantly remain unchecked and unexplored to the natural light photographer. Open yourself to your real feelings and use that camera to capture it. There is a world of available light that you’ve never played with … isn’t it time to find out what you’ve been missing?