CHIAROSCURO - The Dynamic Range Mistake

[@Erumesson]

That 80's KZbin intro is absolutely GORGEOUS.

[@brianpaton6687]

You can get the luts and mogarts in the retro pack on Jamies site.

[@JasonONungesser]

"The right exposure is subjective" is probably the most profound things said in this video.

[@andreik3096]

+ exposure to the right is objective necessity in digital :-P

[@IgnacioDure]

Jason O. Nungesser photography is subjetive, photography is art and you can use it how you want...

[@NGameReviews]

@@andreik3096 one could argue exposure to the left is a necessity as it allows you to bring up in the exposure in post. There's no right or wrong answer.

[@sitka15]

I agree, it is hugely significant to remember this

[@Garacha222]

I cringe viscerally when I hear an instructional video use the term "correct exposure". (which suggests that anything else is 'wrong', regardless of intentional placement of values.) Personally, I am black and white film centric, so the application of intentional development technique is intentionally applied in conjunction with the exposure settings for my purposes.

[@aleksandras146]

Jamie Windsor. Making people with a camera understand fundamentals of photography. Brilliant.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That intro was gold, I thought I had time traveled to the 1980's!

[@patmcdonnell7784]

So important of a lesson, thanks Jamie. And by the way your retro intro, and sound at the beginning was brilliant! Please keep’m coming!

[@ManuKa122]

I would actually like to learn more about how to achieve these effects. Jamie is very much on a theoretical level of content. I appreciate this a lot(!)but I feel that Jamie could also share a bunch of practice as well. I am a photography trainer myself and I know talking about things you know is quite easy. Much easier than actually showing how to do these things and explain the steps of why and when. And - if you are not only a trainer but also a photographer - you don't want to share your tricks easily with potential competitors. So I guess that's the reason why Jamie doesn't share his tricks easily with KZbin, since these special effects are essentially what makes his videos special compared to other more "theoretical" channels.

[@emmaloushoare]

I agree!! (To the original comment) Brilliant intro!!

[@bluefilmsltd]

A lot of it is key framing and transform (distortion) techniques in Premiere Pro. They are easier to than than he makes it look, though he does use these techniques very well. @@ManuKa122

[@thenicflynn]

I also really loved that haha I was thinking "OoooooOOOooo" :D ahahah

[@kris4637]

I'm not a photographer. I'm a filmmaker. I've been watching content like this for the past 6 years and this simply THE BEST advice I've ever gotten. Thank you.

[@timgomes4810]

most youtubers make me want to go out and buy new gear. you make me want to go out and shoot. I love this CHIAROSCURO. But I need high dinamic range for real state photography. I shoot a single raw and my pics get good enough dinamic range by this tecnique. But as for my other work I love shadows. And I rarely click on lens correction on lightroom because I want those shadows on the corners.

[@cocatezz]

Nicely put.

[@FachyMarin]

My thoughts exactly

[@dharlow5810]

You and me too.

[@Vladimiradventurephotography]

Talking about gear is so much easier than to have creative ideas.

[@atistiltins6163]

Tim Gomes, as a professional interiour, RE, shooter, i would recommend not relying on pushing a single raw if you want to go next level. Learning how to light with flash in a way, that feels natural, will do you more good, than 20 stops of DR

[@dominey]

"Use darkness as a canvas to showcase light." Fantastic video Jamie. Love how you connected this topic to long arc of art history.

[@chrisbaker8533]

"Learn the rules, so you know how and when to break the rules". Not sure where I picked this quote up, but its served me very well.

[@randomcommenter6734]

It's van gogh I think, he said learn the rules like a pro to break them like an artist

[@danzbeard]

👌

[@lyingeyes5579]

A quote from Picasso

[@TL-xw6fh]

Jamie, you give us such a wealth of photographic knowledge and experience that it is priceless. This is far far better than the rubbish we get from watching the American couple, Polin, Kai, and all the others who talk rubbish (bokeh, equivalence, dynamic range, etc) and get millions of views simply because they know that people watch them for the gear reviews and "7 ways to improve your photography" techniques. Do carry on with quality and not quantity for click baits. Thank you!

[@cybr600]

5:48: Try using darkness as a canvas to showcase light. Brilliant!

[@klausphotobaer5754]

Brilliant and necessary to mention, specially in these times where the first thing you are likely to be told is : “pull the highlights and brighten the shadows “, until the image looks like a comic book. 🙏 for sharing!

[@davidcunicelli1430]

you have a very witty and offhanded way of explaining pretty complicated subjects. really entertaining and educational.

[@sampledude8846]

The way you follow a red thread in your videos, the segways and transitions, it's so professional! We are blessed to have you Jamie!!!!

[@tanawhaadventures6091]

In the past I have fallen into the boost shadows approach, but I noticed my photos lacked the weight and depth of others work I admired. I recently realized my mistakes and have really embraced “the dark side” and it has made my work 100 times better. Great explanation as always Jaimie on something a lot of photographers need to know, remember, and work on. Including myself

[@MSladekPhoto]

Thanks so much for the phrase - "Narrative Focus." This is so helpful, concise and descriptive of what we hope to achieve in our photos. I'm so enjoying your latest videos about concepts and "bigger picture" thoughts about photography. Thank you. Thank you!

[@fragmentoresco]

The poems are remembered, the descriptions of the dictionaries are easily forgotten. Thanks for your video.

[@willkrause3979]

Really refreshing to see someone else who has the same view on this topic. Whilst having detail in every single aspect of a photo with super beautiful and vibrant sunsets and stuff is all well and good, I have a massive soft spot for images with less going on. Less ambient detail, and more focus on a singular point through the use of darkness and light, and lack of detail in such parts. I think it's a hugely underrated thing in modern photography, and I love trying to incorporate it into my shots, and it's always a fun challenge to carry that style over to film on the off occasion that I shoot with my 35. Thank you for making this video

[@DarthissGameplays]

That selection of images it's so awesome. One of your best videos! Keep it up! 💪💪💪

[@FranklinLiranzo]

Well said!!! I was having this conversation with two fellow photographers... a technical photo does not necessarily translate into an artistic shot, and vice versa... so dynamic range plays a role as long as you know how to implement and when.

[@claymould8700]

As always your videos are intelligent and thought provoking - you really are a natural teacher. I must admit the over sharpened, uniformly shaded and over fussy photos seem to be everywhere. Nice video 👍

[@blakkhrs]

Jamie, I just wanted to tell you how much I look forward to your videos. I can get a lot of advice or expertise from several of the Photographers here on KZbin, but your POV on several topics really reminds me to focus on what I really love about Photography and the reason I love it so much...THE ART.

[@Ybaa]

Thank you for actually teaching us something rather than just rambling on about techy-stuff and blaming it all on the equipment.

[@bananasandbass]

Totally agree. Directing the viewers eye can be done in many ways. Composition, focus & depth of field. Color, contrast. And contrast is often forgotten or taken away with digital cameras. Sean tucker also did a great video about this with a very similar message. And if you watch a good film, you’ll see how much shadow and black is used.

[@peterrosa34]

"There's no need to be afraid of the dark." WOW. So obvious, yet so important to learn. Thanks!

[@01r1sh]

As a vampire I concur!

[@joshuacamacho9755]

THIS is why I love your channel and will always watch all of your videos the second they drop, you always explain your topic simply but effectively even on basic subjects you still have a wealth of great technical advice!

[@hakonsoreide]

I often use the chiaroscuro effect myself. Having something black in a photo also makes the colours seem more colourful without actually adding more saturation to them, and I often end up even reducing dynamic range in my photos, blocking up the shadows rather than opening them up. It is still useful to have the wide dynamic range available to you so that you don't miss out on the details that you did want to preserve - something that many impulsive photographers would decide on later. I like being in full control of which parts of my photo go to black and which turn white. Especially for B&W photography. There's a reason it's called "Black and White" and not "Grey".

[@colypuzzuoli5906]

I love how you put the philosophy and feeling of photography first above all. This is a fantastic channel, thank you.

[@vikassm2383]

Finally someone talking sense instead of specs!! Thank you, subbed.

[@samjankins6119]

The 80s intro is eerie and beautiful at the same time. This guy knows stuff!

[@Tom_YouTube_stole_my_handle]

I'd go with '70s Open University. I thought it was great!

[@JesusChrist-xb7jq]

While I had been doing photography for bout 4 years, I finally decided to take a class because I wanted to hopefully learn more. On a few assignments I had submitted, my teacher said they were over/under exposed. I thought, “but this is how I want it to look”. When, in good faith, I tried his suggestions for re-submission, I didn’t like the way they looked. I basically thought the same thing you said, exposure is a matter of personal preference, not a hard rule. I decided not to re-submit. I still got an A+.

[@madnessbydesignVria]

Without darkness, light loses its meaning... Love the video. Lots of great examples. Well done! :)

[@Devopsmasood]

This is one of the best photography lesson video I have ever seen! You just opened up a different dimension in the thought process! God knows how many days I wasted just thinking about the dynamic range of a camera.

[@mohamedraafat9248]

Wow! With this quality, how haven't you hit 1m subscribers already?!!!!

[@tonychaar6780]

He will and very soon

[@andrewford80]

@@tonychaar6780 Yeah, he will. He really does fantastic videos and has such a refreshing perspective.

[@thomassandfield835]

Totally agree!

[@JamesClark1991]

My thoughts exactly. These videos are actually really helpful in learning some of the principles of photography. Most other channels just go by news/trends and tips/tricks (which is fine, but different)

[@scottyzepplinphotography1188]

Quality over quantity.

[@gaboacr6389]

This is great, starting into photography, so many photographers saw some of my "chiaroscuro" photos and the first reaction was ... "I'm going to show you how to take those shots so you don't have so much shadow or black in them"... I was, for a while, constantly thinking "I like this why is it wrong?, I want this shadow". Until I met a GOOD photographer who told me basically what you just said. You're a great teacher, at least to me. Congrats!

[@chrismulholland6202]

Your videos are always a welcome sight! Looking forward to this one.

[@Abdulaziz2003]

Hey I'm a young KZbinr and photographer just learning the basics, and previous to this video I had always thought to bring up the shadows and bring down the highlights to give it a balance. But now I've learned that that's not always the case. this video in itself will help so much in the future both in my vlogs and photos. Thank you

[@rodhill6091]

You have just explained why one of my photographs just didn't look right. I couldn't figure out why! Thank you

[@dominey]

The example at 5:40 brings to mind the phrase, "just because you can doesn't mean you should." Perfect example of prioritizing technology over story and subject.

[@christophmunch4796]

When I took a photo because I liked specifically how the scene actually looked for my eyes, then of course I recover shadows, pull down highlights etc. to get an image as similar as possible to how I remember the scene. For that, a big dynamic range is very helpful, and that's one big reason I upgraded from my little Olympus to the Sony A7III. But in other cases of course working with dark shadows and perhaps even blown-out highlights can make for a better, clearer, simpler photo. It DEPENDS, and therefore a camera with high dynamic range is the best tool because then you have the widest array of choices!

[@IvoPavlik]

He doesn't contradict that, does he?

[@Stonewall1815]

I think this is the only photography channel that actually talk of real photography techniques. Everyone is focusing on the gear side of the photography showing off their big camera. Every photography channel should be like this one. Very good video, keep up the good work, it's amazing as always :)

[@gregstevenson7401]

Your content is so good. Man, you make everything interesting even if the context is not new. Great stuff - I mean really great stuff. Your edit is pretty much better than anything else I watch. And it continues to get better. Keep going, I think you are walking the right path.

[@soccerchamp0511]

Legit probably the best advice I've ever heard about light in photography. I took photography in college and used an old school film SLR with black and white film. My professor didn't like my style of photography which utilized more contrast between light and dark in my images. I've always loved that look for some reason.

[@TooManyKangaroos]

What a great lesson! Absolutely love this. Thanks for making this video Jamie. It's going to change my photography

[@MrTeebaum]

i love your videos because they broaden my horizon and lead me to abandon conventions and try new things - apart from that, you have a very sympathetic personality. thank you!

[@papajupri1070]

Love the motion graphics. Love the knowledge shared. Love the content!

[@bringmeknitting844]

This is probably the most genuinely useful photography video I've seen in months, something to actually advance my technique rather than worrying me about gear! Thank you!

[@RohanGillett]

I've been taking photographs for nearly 10 years now, and while I've felt I've made improvement in many areas the use of shadow has not been one of them. To be honest, I've been one of the crowd who usually tries to open up every shadow they can find in a photo. I've watched this video a few times now but never really got what you were saying. However, after visiting an art gallery here in Tokyo that exhibited Meiji era Japanese painters I noticed they used no shadow in their paintings and it looked really weird (like your HDR comment), once I realised they used zero shadows!! So using shadows in a photo is just like we see in real life! Not everything needs to look bright and sunny.

[@Hoffbottraces]

You're a breath of fresh air, Jamie. Thanks. Took up shooting film to supplement my digital and love it. You quickly learn to embrace the shadows...

[@HesselFolkertsma]

Dynamic range is good to fix under of overexposure, but I agree people are slightly overdoing it with compressing the tonality of an image. Just because you CAN pull back shadows, doesn’t mean you should. Well done, Jamie.

[@ManuKa122]

You cannot blame the people. Rather you should blame marketing teams that like numbers, since they are easy to understand and to compare. It is easier to understand (or believe) that ISO up to 4 million is better than ISO only up to 250.000, it is easier to think that 14 stops of dynamic range is better than 11 - on the other side it is very hard to sell unique features like "live view on long time exposure pictures" on the Olympus cameras or "live crop FHD out of 4K" on Panasonic cameras. Most consumers are no photographers, they are just "consumers". They want to buy (invest in) a product that is "up to date" and is "the best" for a long time, since they don't want to be outdated with other cameras from the moment they put a lot of money on the table - hence the "better numbers". They don't know that pictures with 4 million ISO will look like the hardest crap they ever took or that they don't even know how to understand dynamic range and in the same way they don't understand all the special features of special cameras. They have no time to understand this. They might have a hard job or two, a family to support, friendships to maintain ... you cannot blame people for all the marketing shit. Camera manufacturers want to sell their products. Marketing teams sell numbers.

[@andreik3096]

everybody should read at least once that good wiki on ETTR

[@kevindiaz3459]

@@ManuKa122 "Most consumers are no photographers, they are just "consumers"" Word brother. This is why so many people will buy a new camera without ever once investing in anything other than the lens that comes with it, let alone learning good shooting techniques. They hear what people are saying about things like DR while having an imperfect understanding of why experienced shooters appreciate it.

[@bamadealvideographer]

This is a great video! I used to be afraid to show deep shadows in my photos because I wanted the perfect details in every photo. Now because of youtube photographers like yourself, I am embracing not having this "Everything must be exposed Picture!" Thank You.

[@tonychaar6780]

Agree with you 100% I think you are one of a million I was once impressed with dynamic range editing but realized lately that I’m loosing the mood And the subject of my image

[@TheJohnnieMedina]

OMG, Jaime, what an amazing video! I am stunned, not only by the beauty and artistry of the photos, but by your knowledge of the subject! You made the concept interesting and easy to understand. Well done mate!

[@jakobhovman]

Ciao Jamie Chiaroscuro...Yes yes yes, Great story, video and editing...! Dynamic range: Some feelings dwell down there in the dark mystery...!

[@ErickRedcloud]

I love your channel. Where a lot of photography channels go over technical skills you bring me back to my training at art school. Although I studied graphic design I get to apply art theory to my photography.

[@GuillaumeLemay]

Funny that you covered this topic because this is something I've also had on my mind lately. Couldn't agree more!

[@wonder7139]

Same here!

[@oneeyedphotographer]

I have a list of technical terms to learn. This is one of them.

[@matiasnruffa]

I agree a 100% with you. New technologies blinds us from the real meaning of photography; from it being a tool of expression. I think the same happens with over sharpening an image. Brilliant videos, going into the soul of our beloved job.

[@novotnydaniel1]

Today we have on KZbin millions videos without value. However this short movie have huge one. It's so brilliantly made with goal and feelings. That speach is very precise and surrounded by great sounds and effects. One of greatest videos of the year (at least). Great job Jamie!

[@fahadbashraheel1187]

the best who ever talked about dynamic range

[@pete49327]

Excellent point, well presented. I think a major reason night time street scenes look so much better on film in cinema is because there are patches galore of really dark, black areas, contrasted against the lights of the city and street. These professionally made features shot on film have a punch and contrast that just pops on screen. All these new age digital cameras for consumers and prosumers with their extra sensitive sensors actually show too much detail in shadows often times imo, and the result is the flat image so common on youtube videos. I've heard several cinematographers in interviews talk about wanting the dark areas in scenes to be a true black, not a noisy dark area that's simply not black. But of course as you mention, the rest of us can improve our footage simply letting more shadows go black and using noise reduction in post when necessary.

[@jasonandrews7355]

Great video! Sean Tucker has a two part series on shadows and highlights that are some of my favourite videos on KZbin. We definitely need to study light more and gear less as a photo community :).

[@amitabhsrivastava1255]

Was looking for this comment.

[@tomweston3239]

I really can't say enough how impressed I am with all of your newer videos. I really enjoy your video essays and I find myself using your language in the annotation of my own work. I also love that you so rarely put your own photos into the videos which I think shows a certain element of modesty that's missing in so many other photography based channels. You're one of the few people I follow online that if you were to release a book tomorrow in something I'm even slightly interested at less than £40 or so, I'd buy it in an instant. I can only say that about a very select few. (That said I haven't bought your presets - purely because the photos I take just don't want presets applied to them)

[@howardhsiao7917]

Protect the highlights and embrace the shadows. Sean Tucker vibes here

[@flatulent-1]

I was thinking the same thing. The blackness in his images is gorgeous.

[@stevechandler6171]

Right on!! You hit a nerve with me on this subject. I have been traveling down the road that you eloquently portrayed in this video. So concerned about managing the shadows and highlights that I lost the grasp of what will make the photo most compelling. Bring the drama back, I will think once again. Thanks for the reminder. Good work and a great intro into Skill Set. I’ll give it a go on your recommendation. Steve

[@MJLangdon175]

Completely agree after all we are “painting with light” (photography).

[@staLkerhu]

My sis is a good painter (well, in my opinion), and while she had the time she painted some of my photos (mainly landscape). Sometimes I find myself thinking about the picture I'm about to take "How should I do it to work as a painting?"

[@Sam-ch9mn]

Jamie, a big big thank you for making this video. I didn’t know the term before but the chiaroscuro look is what I’ve been trying to capture for some time... so far with little success. Heartened by your advice, I’ll keep trying. Brilliant to have someone who can really convey the artistry of photography beautifully as well as technical advice.

[@GreenMorningDragonProductions]

6:48 I'd love to sign up, Jamie, to play a small part in keeping you in the flat caps to which you've become accustomed, but something weird keeps happening. Each time I watch one of your excellent vids, which I think I am well advised to do, because I've only had a camera for six months (although I get out and about taking pics alot), the vast majority of tips that you give are things that I've adopted instinctively already. I think I've inadvertently stumbled across something for the first time in my life that I have a natural aptitude for. And I'm only fifty! Love the vids!

[@KayOSweaver]

Thanks Jamie, this is a trend that's been bothering me for the past several years as well. The examples you chose do a great job of demonstrating why its not always necessary to have absolutely everything in the frame perfectly detailed.

[@Po-Oc]

Sean Tucker once said "Embrace the shadows". I keep that in forefront of my mind when shooting now.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

I really love your videos. I'm not a photographer I just have an interest. There's nothing much more to this comment other than to say I'm a fan and appreciate the work you put into them. Best of luck

[@justahuman8052]

The true secrets of photography I hope they understand what you’re trying to tell them

[@PMcDonnell]

Probably my favourite photography video of the last 12 months! Thanks so much @Jamie for reminding us to concentrate on content and meaning/expressing feeling rather than *just* on technique!

[@Albanez39]

7:05 "The courses are done by professionals" Matti Haapoja appear xDDD

[@Cypsky]

I like your channel more and more because you are one of the rare youtube photographer talking about art.

[@phoenixgaming.8083]

I get angry when i see jamie has 171k subs and tony northup has 1.5m. Life is not fair .

[@danadrian2752]

PhoeniX Gaming. Don’t know who that is, is it a photography channel I should avoid and why?

[@TheSullenDude]

Oh why, don't you like comparing pErcEptUaL MeGapiXeLs?

[@MyBinaryLife]

Them butthole eyes are hard to look at lol

[@Taykorjg]

They don't even do the same thing so I don't know why you'd be upset.

[@strixxx896]

@@danadrian2752 there's no reason why u should avoid them,they're great ,and as someone said in the comments theirs type of content is not similar to this channel....

[@marvJarv]

I didn't think your videos could get better and more interesting, and yet they did. Thanks a lot Jamie, you really are one of the best out there making me want to know and learn more and more about photography

[@rootstudio247]

I get your point, but it seems to me that deep shadows with beautiful highlights is the very reason why you would want a camera with a wide dynamic range.

[@epictetus9221]

Which sounds a bit like you didn’t get his point :)

[@hetverhaalvandewasbeer]

I agree tbh. Of course he makes a good point, but the point of a wide dynamic range camera is not just to show the entire range in every photo.. The point is to be able to capture it all bottom to top, and upon postprocessing AFTER taking the photo having the freedom to go for the blacks - or the whites if you feel it'd be more fitting.

[@epictetus9221]

@@hetverhaalvandewasbeer You're absolutely correct, but a lot of people don't understand that and get the wrong idea. Hence this video

[@bovinicide]

This is spot on. I have found myself with this 'detail in the shadows and highlights' niggle when taking pics and shooting video. It's the balance of technical versus creative, technical seems to have a louder voice sometimes because it is specific and concrete whereas creativity happens at a gut level/instinct, at least that's how I generally describe my own personal experiences.

[@uglyigor3055]

what? No we need absolutely more HDR sunset picture of a boat on a lake in front of a mountain. How dare you!

[@kennyjonespiquero7791]

Well, in Landscape photography you want to highlight the whole image so HDR is useful. What he's trying to is that use light to focus the subject, ex : Portraits

[@bilalbawab5568]

This short video really changes the way how I see things, as always, much appreciated

[@denisboschiero6938]

CHIARO - SCURO In Italian "chiaro" is the opposite of "scuro". Thank you for your videos, they really inspire me.

[@jonathanchater6105]

I love this video and I show it to my beginner photography students every semester. I particularly like the line "try using darkness as a canvas to showcase light" Thank you for making it Jamie!

[@kaasis85]

Spot on. High dynamic range or ironically no or flat dynamic range has become something that is akin to the loudness war in the music industry. You want parts of the image to remain dark and some parts bright because they're just not important and don't contribute anything to the artistic vision of a photo. Unless your vision is iPhonisation of your photo. Dynamic range isn't a measure of quality of art but a technical capability of your camera's sensor so that when you need to boost shadows or pull back highlights you know what your limits are. But those with no artistic skills often conflate the two just like they erroneously believe that more expensive gear will make them a better photographer.

[@MeAMuse]

Great Video! I always remember someone who said “embrace the shadows” and suggested to people to “shoot to the left - not the right” because the detail in highlights is often a lot more interesting. The only reason I like a camera with high dynamic range is to give me options in post processing. Ok you could argue about “getting it right in camera”, but sometimes you just have to “grab” the right moment with your camera at the wrong settings and make it work later. It’s a safety net.

[@violinoscar]

Thanks for posting this. I work primarily in pastels and charcoal and I am presently studying chiaroscuro. The principles are the same whether one uses a lens, brush or pencil. I really enjoyed watching your clip. Incidentally many years ago I was a wedding/portrait photographer. I wonder if any watchers are familiar with these cameras: Mamiya 645, Mamiya twin lens reflex c220 and the Mamiya ZeX 35mm. I also used a couple of Metz 60cti's for the formal shots. Getting the light right was not point-and-shoot in those days so i always had a hand held light meter. Actually the Mamiya c220 had no dedicated hot shoe for the flash so every flash shot had to be manually calculated. At the time I knew my F stops etc so well that I could do these calculations on the fly, seemlessly. Ah, Memory lane, a dangerous neighbourhood sometimes. KZbin does this to me every time. Thanks again for the great video

[@davidjones8070]

Jamie you are the first photographer that I’ve heard that embraces this particular way of shooting. Emulating master painters in photography is more appealing to me than worrying about opening the shadows. It somehow makes everyone’s images look the same. Thanks for bringing this to the forefront.

[@VoGusProspecting]

I watch your videos with enthusiasm every time because I start by wanting to learn more about photography and end up revisiting my philosophy school days.

[@justinlloyd6455]

I just had to comment on the "RetroWave" type into. The old film look. The jitter of film frames. The softness. The fonts. The music. The nostalgia. I love it!

[@billymurphy3]

I became obsessed with this stuff after a video Sean tucker did a long time ago about exposing for the highlights. This is a fantastic video Jamie!

[@hermansurkis9229]

Brilliant. I have often had an image criticized that I had 'crunched the darks'. I hate having to come back and say it is deliberate. Worse, it often keeps me from doing it. We need more where it shows that it is ok to have parts of the subject disappear into black, a shoulder, part of a face etc. But like everything else, for it to work, you have to carefully choose what is going to disappear. Accidents don't count.

[@kevindiaz3459]

About time someone said it! I have been saying a similar thing for a little while now, about how massively underexposing an image to save highlights and then pulling up shadows later results in images that have no real contrast or interesting light. Or how most the time there are better ways to produce an image that doesn't even come close to pushing 15 stops of DR, let alone a "lesser" camera that might have 13 stops or less. I never knew about chiaroscuro, or at least not by name. Have always loved that look, nice to have a name to put to it now.

[@GV_777YT]

This is one of the best videos on you tube period. Darkkness as a canvas to showcase light?? pffff mind blown in to dust !

[@johnsmith1474]

This is a fantastically useful (for learners) video. You are the first vlogger I have seen here that is focusing on art history to teach photography just as is done in a university BFA program. I've been directing young learners on other channels to the art history section of their libraries for years, and being pretty much ignored, so this is gratifying. [Two thoughts: 1. I disagree that you should only break rules you know, rather teach learners to ignore rules, see if they can manage. Master your own photo ship first, see if it sails. Now, this advice is risky because it will generate a lot of bad art out of the 90% with lousy vision which will have to be given a failed grade. But it will also generate unique creativity out of the few who have great vision, and that is what matters. Find the prodigies. Training up legions of rules-bounded pseudo artists is a pointless project except to take their money for telling them they are doing great. 2. If we are agreeing that this art process is Photoshop-centric, and we agree that chiaroscuro rocks, then direct all learners to those non-automatic, hand manipulated, gotta-make-a-visual-decision-for-every-tiny-change burn & dodge tools! Challenge the learner to darken their own blacks, by eye & hand not just by a slider. Set pure whites where they should go, by eye and by hand not just by a slider.]

[@marksharman8029]

You nailed another one Jamie, excellent. I have been a photographer of sought for many decades and I often find myself scratching my head at trends or interpretations that push one or other technique over another. For me, shadow with or without detail is often the telling factor in a composition. Determining how much detail I want to reveal, and why, is part of my workflow from beginning to end. More correctly I suppose this is simply just a factor of painting with light. Thanks for offering this forgotten concept into a photographic terrain that is often casting about for drama in the wrong places.

[@susanvos2011]

Dynamic range is just a tool and the artist needs to understand when and how to use it appropriately. The better the dynamic range, the more options you have in how you present your work. There is nothing wrong with doing both and comparing them, then choosing the right edit for the situation. I often find that I like different edits for different reasons. Also, having both on layers and choosing where they each shine through will give you the best of both worlds in a final product. I can appreciate both side of this and many people overlook either one side or the other, but they both have value. It is just a matter of knowing when one is the better choice for the application and having the tools and determination to pull it off. I say determination because one can have the knowledge, but if they aren't determined to do it and to get the best result they can, they will settle long before the realization of what they can achieve. Brilliant video and well presented for the side that people tend to overlook, but don't discount the other side too quickly as there are times and places for both or even an amalgam of the two.

[@withoutwroeirs]

Excellent lesson. Part if the reason I'm liking to shoot with exposure bracketing on my portraits is indeed to capture the mood.

[@ryanphotostudio]

I love the concept you introduced of using darkness as a canvas to showcase light. Cleverly said and a great way to get your message through to people

[@stephengregory6598]

Very well put. Expose for the highlights and let the shadows take care of themselves. Thanks you for putting it much better than I ever could.

[@alexjcorona2605]

It's so true. I really got overly focused on how I should and could bring the shadows up to conserve detail, because I had become obsessed by the specs of the Sony A7III because it was my biggest upgrade for video work. The way I got out of it was by looking back and analysing images that I loved. I actually look back on my older images thinking shit, why did I do that!? The most important part to improving my work has been learning how to properly play with light and shadow in a way that emphasises the image and narrative quality of the shot. Thanks for highlighting this again.

[@QippysChannel]

Super love this video, often times the sheer pressure to produce work that is overall well exposed has plagued photography and it has caused this trend o 'perfection' in all images exposed, but what this has caused is a lack of character in the shots we see today..and character is so important to a shot and it can convey a more dramatic as well as a more visually appealing narrative to a shot taken.

[@tvariuness]

i do this in my photos often. it's the reason why i love night street photography. the darkness of night forces the contrasts between light and darkness; between the colors and the blacks. good advice.