How to Check Your Image's Brightness/Contrast Levels
Not all artists or photographers are as particular about color
as you would think. Most are more concerned about how bright
or dark their prints appear.
If you
are like many photographers we know, it can be very frustrating
even when printing proofs for your clients on your own printer
at home when your pictures come out a shade
too dark or just plain washed out.
One tool many have have found in their arsenal of Photoshop tools is the histogram.
The histogram does not allow you to modify an image but gives you a view of
how the image really is, regardless of your monitor's settings. Since Macs
and the newer monitors used by PCs tend to lie and elevate the gama and contrast,
Photoshop and other programs with this tool will help. Software is not the
only source. Most
of your newer digital camera offer a histogram built in which you can check
as well.
What is the histogram?
The histogram is that graph that looks like a bunch of hills
and valleys. If you have not messed with the histogram or
examined it closely you are missing
a lot.
What the histogram does is tell you if your image is toward the dark end
of the spectrum or toward the bright. The ideal shape you want to see is
a “bell-like” shape
centered in the graphs work space. This is a good sign that your image is
perfectly balanced without too many dark areas or too many bright areas.
Too Dark
Just Right
Too bright and washed out
If the histogram leans toward the left then it is going to
print darker while if it tends toward the right then it will
probably be blown out in some areas. If the peak is too low,
such as mid level or lower than mid level, it may not have
much contrast while if you get too much of the pattern toward
the top it may have too much contrast. Ideally you will want
only
the
peak
in the center touching the top for a well balanced image. Remember,
all of this does reflect your color as well since the histogram
reads the brightness and darkness of all your image colors.
Finally this also reflects in how your print appears since
a print is a simple conversion of your digital file to ink.
