Compare your Contrast SCORES - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

06/12/2008 11:25:56 AM · #151

Originally posted by xianart:

there is a line between contrasty and high contrast. contrasty has strong darks and lights, but still has a relatively smooth tonal transition between the two,with subtle gradations of tone between. high contrast has strong darks and lights with few intermediary tones.

I don't think there's a line between them at all. Strong darks and lights are characteristics of high contrast (for example, photos taken in harsh midday sunlight will exhibit strong contrast). An extreme of blacks and whites may be sort of the end of the contrast spectrum, but calling something "contrasty" is still an observation of stronger than normal (high) contrast.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

06/12/2008 11:35:10 AM · #152

Originally posted by xianart:

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by xianart:
i'd call that a contrasty image. absolutely lovely, but not really high contrast.

It wouldn't be contrasty if it didn't feature high contrast!

as in all things art, it is mutable, and subtle, but there is a line between contrasty and high contrast. contrasty has strong darks and lights, but still has a relatively smooth tonal transition between the two,with subtle gradations of tone between. high contrast has strong darks and lights with few intermediary tones. so, of course there is a 'grey area' (ha, sorry, pun penny in the pun jar...) between contrasty and high contrast - basically the fewer the tones, the closer it is to high contrast. high contrast is the extreme end of contrast. 'contrasty' is not.

Well, I think your definition would fit an "Extreme Contrast" challenge.... or a "Harsh Contrast" challenge. The current challenge is simply "High Contrast". To interject your very narrow definition to this challenge seems to be fussy and persnickety. Oh, btw, thanks for communicating your long list of academic credentials. It's good to know that those of us who recently fell off the turnip truck are dealing with an expert.

I've voted on this challenge. I saw several examples of the extreme images you prefer. Looks to me like some people just took that contrast slider and shoved it to the right until the image was harsh... with blown out highlights and lost detail everywhere. I guess that's always the interpretive option of the artist, but it doesn't create an image that I enjoy viewing. The two images I awarded "10" in this challenge are clearly high contrast, but they have a very pleasant, eye-pleasing tonal range overall. Isn't a positive viewer reaction, by definition, what good photography is supposed to evoke?

xianart

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

06/12/2008 11:35:29 AM · #153

yes, but contrasty is stronger than 'normal' yet not as extreme as high contrast.

edit 'cause i can't type...

Message edited by author 2008-06-12 11:36:25.

bassbone

Nikon Df

Nikon MF 105mm f/2.5 AIS

06/12/2008 11:37:47 AM · #154

if the challenge was 'highest contrast', I would agree with your position, but to say that 'high contrast' is extreme contrast (i.e. only blacks and whites) seems a very narrow view of the challenge

Originally posted by xianart:

yes, but contrasty is stronger than 'normal' yet not as extreme as high contrast.

edit 'cause i can't type...

Sigma 28-90mm f/3.5-5.6 for Nikon

06/12/2008 11:38:23 AM · #155

Originally posted by xianart:

yes, but contrasty is stronger than 'normal' yet not as extreme as high contrast.

"Stronger than normal" and "extreme" are both "high." The latter is just "highEST," which the challenge didn't require. We shouldn't have to debate the "proper" definition when we have past challenge results to go by. The results demonstrate that extremes of black and white are NOT necessary for high contrast.

Message edited by author 2008-06-12 11:49:02.

Love6

Sony DSLR-A330

06/12/2008 12:04:53 PM · #156

hMmM & I thought this was where we put scores? must have the wrong thread

rarmermann

Nikon D80

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

06/12/2008 12:04:55 PM · #157

Originally posted by rarmermann:

Votes: 27
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Love6

Sony DSLR-A330

Sigma 28-90mm f/3.5-5.6 for Nikon

06/12/2008 12:07:50 PM · #158

to help get us back on track -- I'll post mine too :)

Votes: 97
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Avg Vote: X.4536

JuliBoc

Apple iPhone 6s+

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/12/2008 12:12:32 PM · #159

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I'm surprised by this. I expected something in the 5 range. And so far not a single comment to indicate what the problem is. Probably just boring.

cutout

Canon EOS-20D

06/12/2008 12:46:13 PM · #160

to help ye all out
for a perfect high contrast pict you only have to check out my submission
and all doubt will be faded from your mind

its allright with pleasure

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

06/12/2008 12:50:06 PM · #161

You know, since there are some samples and personal explanation of contrast here, my score dropped from 6.4 to 5.9... Either my photo is not contrast enough, and people realized that after reading this thread or this thread gave wrong impression about what high contrast means to some...

well, having said all that, here is the damage was done today :(

Votes: 99
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Updated: 06/12/08 12:48 pm

(1 second later)

Votes: 100
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Updated: 06/12/08 12:50 pm

Message edited by author 2008-06-12 12:52:08.

cutout

Canon EOS-20D

06/12/2008 12:57:16 PM · #162

you see it helped already

Message edited by author 2008-06-12 12:58:38.

raish

Olympus C-2500L

06/12/2008 01:03:55 PM · #163

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by xianart:
yes, but contrasty is stronger than 'normal' yet not as extreme as high contrast.

"Stronger than normal" and "extreme" are both "high." The latter is just "highEST," which the challenge didn't require. We shouldn't have to debate the "proper" definition when we have past challenge results to go by. The results demonstrate that extremes of black and white are NOT necessary for high contrast.

What is demonstrated by previous challenges with the same or similar titles, is that yer dpc photographer takes a picture that could be edited into a good high contrast version, but backs out of editing it all that far. What is further demonstrated is that the voters also lack the arsehole to vote up really cranked pictures or vote down the half baked ones, possibly indicating that pretty pictures win votes. Who knew? It does seem a shame that, in a (nominally) high contrast challenge, in which we are invited to use high contrast to increase the impact of a picture, the winners will probably be photographs with ever-so-slightly more than normal contrast and all the impact of a soft cushion landing gently in a comfy chair.

Prove me wrong.

cutout

Canon EOS-20D

06/12/2008 01:08:06 PM · #164

hear hear

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

06/12/2008 01:08:31 PM · #165

Originally posted by cutout:

you see it helped already

I had to say something to fix my votes I guess LOL

Votes: 101
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Avg Vote: 6.0297
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Updated: 06/12/08 01:07 pm

bmartuch

Nikon D7200

06/12/2008 01:21:58 PM · #166

Originally posted by scalvert:

We shouldn't have to debate the "proper" definition when we have past challenge results to go by. The results demonstrate that extremes of black and white are NOT necessary for high contrast.

We all know that there are ribbon winners that didn't even meet the particular challenge, so do two wrongs make a right. My determination of high contrast is take the contrast slider and move it to the right and see what you get. Or maybe the photoshop people don't understand contrast.

Yes we could say that there is high contrast, really high contrast, super high contrast, super duper high contrast etc. but why do that.

My problem is that for the entrants the put in a very high contrast shot, they will get crushed by the voting public that have no tolerance for it because they don't understand that the particular shot really is high contrast and not just blown out garbage.

Just my useless opinion.

shanksware

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

06/12/2008 01:25:04 PM · #167

All I know is that my score sucks.

dragonballzfsr

Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

06/12/2008 01:28:30 PM · #168

is the update button a member only feature on this site ? i just get updates once in an hour. at x:10 am/pm .

06/12/2008 01:33:40 PM · #169

Originally posted by bmartuch:

We all know that there are ribbon winners that didn't even meet the particular challenge, so do two wrongs make a right.

False. *WE* are the voters, and it's simply not possible to win a ribbon unless the vast majority of us agree that the entry met the challenge (whether it meets your particular definition or not). Every once in a while we get validation requests from somebody claiming that nearly all of the entries failed to understand something (either rules or the topic). Riiiiight... everybody's wrong but you. :-/

06/12/2008 01:34:08 PM · #170

Originally posted by dragonballzfsr:

is the update button a member only feature on this site ?

Yep. Addictions cost money.

Message edited by author 2008-06-12 13:34:26.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

06/12/2008 01:40:44 PM · #171

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by dragonballzfsr:
is the update button a member only feature on this site ?

Yep. Addictions cost money.

and mine about the expire in 2 days... freedom?

Jaker

Nikon D40X

06/12/2008 01:47:53 PM · #172

Originally posted by FocusPoint:

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by dragonballzfsr:
is the update button a member only feature on this site ?

Yep. Addictions cost money.

and mine about the expire in 2 days... freedom?

Hmmm. sidebar question... Without an update button, what would I do all day between real work tasks? Geez, would I be stuck, ya know, working? GASP!!!