Abstract
What do you do if you take a photo and it turns out too dark or too bright? You can use your computer to fix it for you.Objective
In this experiment you will investigate how changing the contrast of a digital photo will change the colors and quality of the printed image.
Introduction
One of the most common photo edits is to change the brightness or the contrast of a photo. Brightness refers to how much light is in your picture. Contrast is the difference between points of color, called pixels, that are next to each other. The more different the two adjacent pixel colors are, the higher the contrast is. The two highest contrasting colors are black and white.
How can contrast help you make your photo better? Sometimes we take our pictures where there is not enough light. If the picture is too dim you can lighten it by increasing the brightness. The problem will be that as you increase the brightness of the photo, it will start to look washed out. Changing the contrast can correct for this by amplifying the differences in color between pixels in the photo.
Enhancing a photo by changing the brightness and contrast is tricky. You need to strike a careful balance between the two. If you over do the contrast, your picture will look very exaggerated. In this experiment you can investigate the limits of changing the contrast of an image. How low or high can you go before the image quality is compromised? Can you identify the window of opportunity?
Terms, Concepts and Questions to Start Background Research
To do this type of experiment you should know what the following terms mean. Have an adult help you search the internet, or take you to your local library to find out more!
Bibliography
Materials and Equipment
Experimental Procedure
![]() |
![]() |
| File Name | Contrast Setting | Description of result: |
| puppy.jpg | original file | |
| puppy1.jpg | -100 | |
| puppy2.jpg | -50 | |
| etc. |
Variations
Credits
Sara Agee, Ph.D., Science Buddies
Last edit date: 2006-05-31 11:44:00
If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring careers in Photography, Digital Photography & Video.
![]() |
Cartographers and Photogrammetrist Maps can give us much more information than ways to get from A to B. Maps can give us topographic, climate, and even political information. Cartographers and photogrammetrists collect a vast amount of data, such as aerial data and survey data to produce accurate maps and models. For example, by collecting rainfall data, a cartographer can make an accurate model of how rainfall can affect an area's watershed. The maps and models can then be used by policy makers to make informed decisions. |
![]() |
Film and Video Editor Lights, camera, action! It takes more than actors to put an exciting motion picture movie together. It takes film and video editors and cutting-edge computer technology to make an exciting movie that people want to see. From the many thousands of minutes of film and video, the editor has to choose the best shots to tell a cohesive and compelling story. In addition to having an artistic bent, the film and video editor must relish working with complicated computer equipment. If you would like to combine your artistic talents and your computer skills into a great career, then read on to learn more about film and video editors. | |
![]() |
Audio and Video Equipment Technician Ever wondered who makes sure the jumbotron works at the super bowl? Or that the microphones work at a presidential inauguration? These are the tasks of an audio and video equipment technician. Audio and video equipment technicians work to set up and operate audio and video equipment, including microphones, sound speakers, video screens, projectors, video monitors, and recording equipment. | |||
|
Join Science Buddies
Become a Science Buddies member! It's free! As a member you will be the first to receive our new and innovative project ideas, news about upcoming science competitions, science fair tips, and information on other science related initiatives. |