Photoshop Levels & camera Histograms

It occured to me that unless you want a soft image (I like bold high
contrast pics) there is almost no loss in using the levels adjustment in
photoshop to clip off the dead space at the high & low ends in the
levels adjustment. If it's flat, there isn't anything to lose
theoretically though you may need to readjust the center point back.
However this doesn't always work: if I do so, I can see highlights
getting (nearly) blown out so aprt from the logic it doesn't seem to
work. I've read that curves are more sophisticated than levels and I
agree because you can increase the contrast of just the shadows or just
the highlights & hold the middle tones or not as desired.

Either way, increasing the contrast can overdo the saturation so I
usually desaturate a bit afterwards

I don't know how you'd correct a histogram while shooting if it's
getting dead space at the highs & or lows. Perhaps the aperture effects
this? ISO? I assume that dead space means you are missing out on
potential dynamic range. There are cases where you want a soft look &
it's OK but my preference is usually for something very rich.

In message ,
Stacey wrote:

paul wrote:

Curves give
better control over what you are changing but levels seems to show what
you have in terms of dynamic range.

Of the two, I've found curves to be much more useful.

It would be even more useful if the interface were bigger, and had more
resolution, and had better curve control tools. Splines are not very
useful, IMO.
--


John P Sheehy

paul wrote in :

I don't know how you'd correct a histogram while shooting if it's
getting dead space at the highs & or lows. Perhaps the aperture effects
this? ISO? I assume that dead space means you are missing out on


If you have dead space at the highs OR lows, then you just need to change
either the aperature or the shutter speed to let in more light or less.

If you have dead space in both highs and lows at the same time, then with
some cameras (My Coolpix 5000, for instance) I can change the contrast
setting in the shooting menu and it will expand the curve. I found this
handy when shooting a distant skyline on a hazy day.

Bob

paul wrote in :

I don't know how you'd correct a histogram while shooting if it's
getting dead space at the highs & or lows. Perhaps the aperture effects
this? ISO? I assume that dead space means you are missing out on


If you have dead space at the highs OR lows, then you just need to change
either the aperature or the shutter speed to let in more light or less.

If you have dead space in both highs and lows at the same time, then with
some cameras (My Coolpix 5000, for instance) I can change the contrast
setting in the shooting menu and it will expand the curve. I found this
handy when shooting a distant skyline on a hazy day.

Bob