post-production editing
Advanced tone control - part a
A lack of contrast is often just as much of a problem as too much. I remember when Kodak used to
place folded pieces of paper in my fi lm boxes as a boy, advising me to photograph with the sun over
my shoulder. Being a very good little boy I was then perplexed to discover my family were always
squinting in my family snaps and my landscapes looked about as fl at and uninteresting as soggy
pizzas. Deciding to throw caution, and Kodak’s advice, to the wind I then discovered that shooting
into the sun created either lens fl are or excessive contrast and drama (one out of two isn’t bad). In
later life I found that judicious use of a good lens hood, a carefully positioned sun (hidden behind
someone’s head or the branch of conveniently placed tree), the occasional use of a refl ector or fi ll-
fl ash turned my risk-taking habits into something altogether more reliable. I had learnt to see the
world in a new light (my own and not Kodak’s). Even when you are doing everything right some of
our images still fail to live up to our memory of the real thing or our expectations.
This image was taken at dawn at the Baroka lookout in the Grampians, Victoria (having to dodge
a few suicidal kangaroos in the pre-dawn drive to get there). The lighting seemed to be right for
the classic low-key image (the sun is behind the subject and strategically positioned behind the
horizon line). So why is it still fl at? The soft light from the cloud cover is fl ooding the scene and
lowering the contrast excessively. The metal bars that lead us to the central focal point are just not
separating suffi ciently from the surrounding dark rocks and foliage. A classic low-key image is one
where the dark tones dominate the image but where small bright highlights punctuate the shadows
to create the characteristic low-key mood. At the moment there is less than 50 levels difference
between the bars and the background. Something more than a simple levels adjustment is called
for to lift and separate these tones.