Tonal contrast for impressive image editing

Tonal Contrast is a valuable tool in Color Efex Pro 4, which gives you the ability to precisely control the contrasts in your images. In this guide, you will learn how to use the specific sliders for highlights, midtones, and shadows to optimize your photos. Let’s dive into the details together.

Key Insights

• With the sliders for highlights, midtones, and shadows, you can specifically influence the lighting in your image.
• The saturation slider allows for fine-tuning of colors without them appearing exaggerated.
• Different settings help you create various styles, from subtle to dramatic effects.

Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s start with the first step in Color Efex Pro 4.

1. Selecting the Filter

In the first step, select Tonal Contrast from the filter list in Color Efex Pro 4. You will then be confronted with the filter’s user interface, which offers you various sliders.

2. Working with Saturation

The saturation slider is relatively self-explanatory. Here you can either enhance or neutralize the colors in your image. Be careful not to set the saturation above 100% to avoid an unpleasant, over-processed image.

3. Adjusting Highlights

Now the sliders for highlights come into play. With the highlights slider, you can emphasize the brightest areas of your image. Increase or decrease the brightness depending on the result you want to achieve. To gain better control over your image, you can display the histogram to see where your light distributions are located.

4. Editing Midtones

The next step is adjusting the midtones, which are the medium brightness areas. Here you have the option to either lighten or darken the midtones. Again, be sure to choose a subtle approach here so your image doesn’t appear overly edited.

5. Fine-Tuning the Shadows

Now it’s time to adjust the shadows. With the shadows slider, you can either deepen or lighten the darker areas of your image. This is especially important if you plan to do further editing in Photoshop. Here you can also prepare the shadows for use with Dodge & Burn techniques.

6. Standard and Mode Selection

Color Efex Pro 4 offers various mode options for the appearance of your image. You can choose between standard mode, a highpass mode for sharper details, and several HDR variants. Each option has its own advantages, and you should select the mode that best fits your image.

7. Creative Assembly

In the final step, you have the opportunity to assemble all sliders to your liking. It is advisable to combine the sliders individually to achieve the best look for your specific image. Depending on your stylistic direction, you can choose between a soft or dramatic look.

Overall, Tonal Contrast in Color Efex Pro 4 opens up a variety of options to enhance your images. Experiment with the sliders to pull out the best contrasts for your photos.

Summary – Tonal Contrast in Color Efex Pro 4 for Impressive Image Contrasts

Tonal Contrast provides you with powerful tools to effectively control contrasts in your images. With the right adjustments, you can not only change the saturation but also specifically alter the highlights, midtones, and shadows.