Landscape photography tip: add contrast to your photo

Thursday 7 January 2021, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 6,360 views | 4 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

You take a photo of that beautiful sunset and what do you find? The entire foreground is very dark. But you have a good camera, and in Lightroom or Luminar, or any other photo editing programme, it is very easy to brighten that dark foreground.

The image straight out of the camera is not finished. Isn't it nice to brighten the dark areas a little?
The result of brightening those dark areas is a very flat photo, without any contrast. There is no black left, and no white. Or very little of either. Your entire image is filled with midtones. Does this look familiar? Then your photo could use some contrast.

Darken the highlights, brighten the shadows, and you end up with a very flat photo.
Contrast makes a photo more exciting and vibrant. It gives the photo depth and adds extra context. Don't be afraid to have dark areas in your photo, or light areas for that matter. It brings your photo to life.

Make sure your photo contains dark and light areas, and it becomes more exciting to look at.
There is nothing wrong with brightening dark areas when you think it is necessary, but do it carefully. When you leave certain areas dark, they can draw attention in your photo and bring calm when there are lots of elements in the frame. It can also add a sense of mystery, making the viewer curious.

So be cautious about brightening all the shadows and reducing all the highlights. Avoid that flat photo without contrast and your photo will come more to life. Give it a try.

The Landscape Bible, with 101 tips for beautiful landscape photos

This tip is part of the book The Landscape Bible, in which I share 101 tips for beautiful landscape photos. The book, filled with stunning photos, gives you all the information you need to start taking fantastic landscape photos of your own.

Don't have The Landscape Bible yet? Order it via the order page and buy the book separately, or at an attractive discount together with a Photofacts Academy membership.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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4 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 12 January 2021 at 10:43 | reply
@Nando, great article. Isn't it also a matter of taste or the fashion of the era?
You show the same photo 3 times. Once as it comes out of the camera, the 2nd time with the dark areas lightened and the 3rd as you prefer it. I have every understanding for that, but what strikes me is that photo 2 shows more atmosphere because the low-lying mist is clearly visible and thereby determines the atmosphere in the photo. In photo 3, that atmosphere is lost, I think. Moreover, it makes sense that mist results in a much less contrasty image. I would like to hear your opinion on my contribution.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 12 January 2021 at 11:53 | reply
@Donald; there was barely any mist or haze in that example photo. What you think you see in the second photo is purely due to removing contrast. This is not fog.
Translated from Dutch.

Edvhoto wrote on Tuesday 12 January 2021 at 12:22 | reply
@Nando, agree with Donald: another interesting article to read and to take into account when editing. As for your 'bible': definitely worth it and read, looked at and read again with pleasure .
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 12 January 2021 at 12:23 | reply
@Nando, thanks for the explanation. When I look at the 2nd photo, I really got the impression of low-hanging fog. So I was wrong.
Translated from Dutch.

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