Contrast and Pivot Points in Color Wheels, HDR, Raw Controls…and more
Contrast sounds simple at first: the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. But once you start working with different color spaces, gammas, and encoding systems, the concept becomes surprisingly complex. In this Insight, Rafael Bernabeu recaps the differences between regular Contrast in the Primary Wheels tab and HDR Contrast, while also explaining why you should generally avoid using Contrast in the RAW tabs.
Understanding these distinctions will help you make smarter grading decisions that respect your original exposure and deliver consistent results. We’ll explore how thinking about contrast “photographically”—in terms of stops above and below middle grey—can transform your approach to image making.
“The HDR version … is not going to move your RGB [values] while [moving contrast] up or down… which might feel a little bit awkward and usually gives more of that bleached bypass feel than a ‘regular’ contrast operation…”
Rafael Bernabeu Parreño, Colorist
Key Takeaways
By the end of this Insight, you should understand:
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