How To Upgrade Your Contrast, Pivot, Lift, and Gain Adjustments

Flexing Fundamentals Part 2 – Revisiting Contrast

In Part 1 of this series, we talked about the most important adjustment in any image we grade: exposure. Today we’re discussing a close second: contrast. No matter what I’m grading, the very next thing I start dialing in after exposure is tonal contrast, and my preferred tool for this is the contrast/pivot knob pair. I love these adjustments for their simplicity and intuitive operation, but I’ve learned over the years there’s far more to them than meets the eye.

Let’s explore!