Adjacent Tones

[Ken Lee]

In this thread on TMAX film, it was pointed out that one of my photos showed a nice control of tones, and I was asked twice to discuss my scanning method in detail.

My scanning method is pretty much like everyone else's - and like the rest of us, I only show the photos that look nice, and toss out the duds.

My teacher imparted two basic lessons to which I have always returned. They are really two sides of the same coin. One is: observe how tones change, depending on neighboring tones. The other is: find the most visually delightful part of the image, and don't bother to photograph the rest.

Here is an example of the first principle.

The original photo:

A modified photo: In Photoshop, I selected the background shade, and lightened it to something else. Nothing else has changed. Please overlook my clumsy use of the "magic wand" tool.

Now the flowers look much more dull. No burning or dodging. No adjustment curves. The whole photo is just... blah.

I don't own any lights: I shoot next to the dining room window, and in this image, you can tell that the light is pretty mediocre... or is it ?

[Kirk Gittings]

Nice example. How we perceive tone is dependent partially on the surrounding tones for sure. A similar issue is paper white. Perceived dynamic range in a carbon ink print can be enhanced by creating a white border around the image area and filling it with a 2% gray. This brings the "surrounding" paper slighty below the tiny pure white highlight areas in the print and makes the whole dynamic range pop. This fill area needs to be large enough that your window mat will cover the edge and then if you use a natural white mat as opposed to a bright white, the whole image really pops.

[tim atherton]

here's a good demonstration of adjacent tones

http://web.mit.edu/persci/people/ade..._illusion.html

[Oren Grad]

Very nice point. Also very relevant for web display, where the effects of the surround can be even more extreme because a pure white is a backlit white that can be overwhelming.

[Brian Ellis]

John Sexton does a nice demonstration of this phenomenon in his workshops. His basic point, which is the same as yours, is that you don't always have to dodge something to make it brighter or burn something to make it darker, it will appear brighter or darker if you darken or lighten the area surrounding it.

[Steven Barall]

Thanks for that link Tim.

[Ken Lee]

Like adjacent colors, adjacent tones are a bit like chords in music: each combination has its own quality.

We have all seen photos that are technically perfect - they accommodate and render the Zones or the SBR perfectly - but there is just no music.

So control of tones is important, but the key element is selecting the right subject: it has to be beautiful. Sounds easy, doesn't it.

[Bruce Watson]

Sounds easy, doesn't it.

Sometimes it is easy. Most times it's just amazingly difficult.