by Editor Miro Susta 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 10^th of October 2025

‘Oslo Opera House Deep Blue’ by LIANG CHEN

Our fixation on sharpness and contrast through large apertures has caused us to overlook the alternatives.
Contrast is also an excellent subject for photographic compositions, as it can transform subjects that would otherwise appear ordinary and mundane.

‘Black Cat’ by Davorin Baloh

In photography, contrast refers to the visual difference between various elements in an image, such as brightness, colour, structure, temperature (cold or warm), direction, sharpness, texture, shape and quantity. There is also simultaneous contrast.

‘Paused in the Glow’ by Yohei Kawashima

It is an important design tool for directing the viewer's attention, setting the mood and emphasising details. Higher contrast tends to appear more energetic, while lower contrast appears gentler.

‘The voices of nature...’ by Thierry Dufour’

For example, tonal contrast refers to the brightness of the different elements within an image. If a photo contains extremely bright and dark areas, it is said to have sharp contrast. If there is a wide range of tones, from pure white to pure black, the contrast is medium.

‘Tonality’ by Margareth Perfoncio

Let us explore the following types of contrasts.

·      Brightness contrast.

·      Color contrast.

·      Structural contrast

·      Cold-warm contrast.

·      Direction contrast.

·      Sharpness contrast.

·      Texture contrast.

·      Shape and perspective contrast.

·      Quantity contrast.

·       Simultaneous contrast.

BRIGHTENESS CONTRAST …
This applies to the difference between light and dark areas of a picture. A photo with significant differences between its lightest and darkest tones is described as a high-contrast photo.

BETWEEN SHADOWS by Patrick Ems

Tonal contrasts, or contrasts in light and dark, are particularly prominent in black-and-white images. Hard tonal contrasts symbolise strength, power and resilience.

‘Ebony and Ivory’ by Udo Dittmann

Soft, subtle and flat tonal contrasts represent qualities such as softness, gentleness, mildness and friendliness.

‘Curves’ by Rana Jabeen

‘Behind the pillar’ by Greetje van Son

COLOUR CONTRAST ...
This involves combining at least three pure colours that are as far apart as possible on the colour wheel. 'Pure' means that the colours are not toned or only slightly toned with white or shadowed with black. This creates powerful, colourful designs, also referred to as pure colour contrast.

Untitled by Miguel Angel Vidal

This principle is particularly effective when using the primary colours of yellow, red and blue. Green is often added to this combination.

'Pyramids' by Hans-Wolfgang Hawerkamp

'Three colors houses' by Miro Susta

STRUCTURAL CONTRAST…
This is a visual effect created by contrasting elements that differ in structure, shape or arrangement, in order to create tension and draw the viewer's attention.

‘Sunny day’ by Luc Vangindertael (laGrange)

‘Structural waves’ by Francesco Bianchi

‘Kolkata News Paper’ by Subhajit Das

COLD-WARM CONTRAST…
Colours are divided into cool colours, such as violet and green, and warm colours, such as orange and red. Colour temperature can also be used to create three-dimensional depth and a sense of space. Cold colours appear more distant, while warm colours appear closer.

‘Poppy Bloom - Walker Cyn, CA’ by Wanghan Li

‘Face off’ by Mikhail Potapov

DIRECTIONAL CONTRAST…
This is created by lines that run in completely different directions. The larger the surface area, the more pronounced the contrast becomes. The effect depends on how noticeable the lines are.

‘the window and the mirror’ by Gilbert Claes

‘Funtimes In Babylon’ by Laura Mexia

SHARPNESS CONTRAST…
This effect occurs when sharp and blurred parts of an image emphasise each other. Most viewers interpret the sharp and blurred parts of an image as being at different distances. The blurred parts of an image draw the eye to the sharp elements.

‘Haller fantasy’ by Wil Mijer

‘goldfish' by Cesare Sent

TEXTURE CONTRAST…
This occurs when objects with different textures are placed next to each other; for example, smooth surfaces contrasted with rough ones.
Generally speaking, juxtaposing different surface structures can lead to texture contrasts that attract the viewer's attention.

‘Gehry's Pearl’ by Mike Kreiten

‘Layers of land’ by Robin Wechsler

SHAPE AND PERSPECTIVE CONTRAST…
This arises when different types and colours of structures relate to each other. Shapes or shaped parts that are similar in size are always related to each other.
Similar shapes visually complement each other, while contrasting shapes stand out more. Contrasts, i.e. differences, can be influenced by various shape characteristics, such as shape, size and structure.

‘Shapes’ by Arnon Orbach

‘Architecture of blood’ by Jorge Pimenta

QUANTITY CONTRAST…
It is the distinction between two volumes of colour. It is strongest when a small area of colour is juxtaposed with a large area of colour; for example, a red splash on a large, distinct surface of colour. The small area of colour should be positioned within the golden section or at the centre.

‘Castle’ by Miro Susta

SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST…
The way in which the colours of an object are influenced by the environment in which they are viewed is known as the phenomenon of colour perception. When two colours are viewed side by side, they can appear different and influence each other, creating a visual contrast. Simultaneous contrast is most intense when the two colours are complementary colours. Complementary colours are pairs of colours that are diametrically opposite each other on a colour circle, such as red and green or blue and yellow.

‘Still life with Many Pumpkins’ by UstinaGreen

Finally, we might ask, 'Why is contrast so important?'

Viewer guidance: The human eye is naturally drawn to areas of high contrast, making them important 'eye-catchers'.

Mood and impression: Contrasts can create a certain atmosphere; for example, sharp contrast can create an active and energetic impression, while lower contrast can create a calm and gentle mood.

Recognition of detail: Higher contrast can make details, textures and shapes in an image more visible.

'Sunset' by Joško Šimic

And last but not least, here are two important recommendations for applying and editing contrast.

Use of light: Dramatic lighting conditions and sharp light edges can create natural contrasts; for example, during the golden hour.
Image editing: You can adjust and optimise contrast using image editing programmes such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

We can claim that photography is not just a technical method for depicting reality, but ideally a fascinating blend of technical skills and artistic vision.

‘Son of the Night’ by Pedro Jarque Krebs

www.mrsphoto.net
[email protected]