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Brightness and Contrast tools are for beginners!
Ever wondered what graphics programs offer advanced users to ensure their photographs have a great value range?
Read on to learn about Levels, Curves, and Histograms in three major programs.
However, they offer a great deal more control over images that professionals and skilled image editors will demand.
What is a Histogram?
Histograms are confusing looking collections of information, and are not obviously understood unless they are explained.
Your vertical (y axis) shows the concentration of that value in your image.
The higher the peaks, the more of that color is in your image.
Pictured above are the Brightness and Contrast tools for Paint.NET (left) and the GIMP (right).
GIMPs Levels tool (left) and Photoshops (right) look very similar.
They have two basic sliders, one for Input Levels, and another for Output Levels.
Input levelsallow you to adjust your range of values by adjusting three points within the horizontal axis.
Moving the Darks point will make all of your darks heavier and blacker.
Adjusting your Lights point will make all of your highlights brighter and lighter.
Used in combination with adjustments to Input Levels, detail can be coaxed out of even stubborn images.
It is worth noting that Paint.NETs Levels tool is slightly different than either Photoshop or GIMP.
In its natural state, the curves line represents a 1:1 ratio, or a straight rise/run diagonal line.
What does all this mean?
Drastically different images can be created by distorting curves.
For even further complication, curves can be adjusted per channel, like Levels.
Curves can prove a vital set of tools for any photographer, from amateur to seasoned pro.
Expect some minor differences in the user interface, with the core functionality intact.
Image Credit: All images byGuillaume Boppe, available underCreative Commons.
