Many of today’s digital cameras include overrides for controlling color saturation, contrast and sharpness. If your digicam offers these functions, you may be tempted to really boost all three aspects for more "punchy" images. But that can be a mistake, because inappropriate settings can produce unnatural effects as illustrated in the photo above.
A slight increase to sharpness, contrast or color saturation can be useful at times -- if needed for specific reasons. The problem is, very few cameras offer fine control. They require you to make a fairly significant adjustment. If you’re not happy with the results, it’s very difficult to fully correct a major problem using image editing software.
Hint - Evaluate Your Camera: Before you decide to use any of those three controls on a regular basis, make some test shots with your camera. Take some pictures of subjects that you frequently photograph: a person, a landscape and some buildings, perhaps. Start by testing the color saturation adjustment. Take the first image at the Low setting, the second at the Normal setting and the third at the High Saturation setting. When reviewing images on your computer monitor, ask yourself the following questions.
Does high saturation produce a very pleasing effect, or a garish, wet-paint look? Is it ideal for colorful icons that you might find while traveling but totally unsuitable for people pictures? And what advantage does low color saturation provide? When would this option be useful? Use the same testing approach with the Sharpness and Contrast adjustment controls.
Note: Most cameras’ LCD monitors are small and they rarely provide a truly accurate view of an image. Make all of your evaluations on a computer monitor after downloading the JPEG’s. If you don’t have time for extensive testing of your own camera, leave all three parameters at the default (Normal) level. The better digicams will produce surprisingly good results.
Does your camera produce slightly low sharpness, contrast or color richness? No problem. In fact, that’s probably ideal because it’s easy to boost any of the three aspects in a computer. Decreasing their effects (while maintaining a natural "look") is much more difficult. Use the appropriate tools in your image enhancing software. You’ll get ultra fine control and you can adjust the levels until the image looks perfect.
The Bottom Line: After testing dozens of digital compact and SLR cameras, I rarely find a need to increase sharpness, contrast or saturation with in-camera controls. Occasionally, I’ll select a lower level for sharpening or for color saturation, at least for some subjects: portrait and wedding pictures with a “softer” effect. And in very harsh, noonday light, I’ll decrease the contrast level for most types of images. Since it's easy to boost all three parameters in Photoshop or Elements, I’m generally satisfied with the end result.
Hey Peter--a really pretty shot. Did you shoot this in Valley of Fire in Nevada? Such a nice jet black road! I vote for the saturated version--I love rich colors :) jeff
Posted by: Jeff Wignall | May 13, 2005 at 09:09 PM