6.14. Brightness and Contrast SlidersOnce you've massaged the Exposure and Levels controls, the overall exposure for a picture usually looks pretty good. In effect, you've managed to create a full range of tones from dark to light. So why, then, does Apple include Brightness and Contrast sliders, which govern similar aspects of your photo's appearance? Reason #1: They've always been part of iPhoto, and millions of people are used to them. Reason #2: They're not quite the same as Exposure and Levels. 6.14.1. BrightnessWhen you move the Brightness slider, you're making the entire image lighter or darker . You're literally sliding the entire histogram to the left or right without changing its shape (Figure 6-12). (Remember that the Exposure and Levels controls affect the midtones, highlights, and shadows independently.) Figure 6-12. Top: Moving the Contrast slider to the right added more punch. Instead of moving the Levels endpoints inward, the mountains moved outward toward the endpoints. Remember, the farther outward you stretch the graph, the more difference you create between the darkest and lightest tones. |