Passports USA.com

Brightness, Contrast and Color

Guidelines

• Brightness and contrast should be adjusted to present the subject and background accurately
  
• Photos without proper contrast or color may obscure unique facial features
  
• Color should reproduce natural skin tones
  
• Fluorescent or other lighting with unbalanced color may cause unwanted color cast in the photo
  
• Appropriate filters can eliminate improper color balance

Photo Examples

Very dark or very light apparel may cause certain auto-exposure systems to overcompensate, resulting in overly dark or light flesh tones. A neutral gray card may be used to set exposure at a consistent level before placing the subject in the scene.

Contrast that is too high is usually due to the overall light and shade in the scene. Correct contrast can be achieved by directing diffused lighting onto the subject. Such lighting increases the local contrast while reducing the total contrast.

Picture is affected by the type of light used. Avoid mixing incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Corrective filters can improve the overall light that reaches the conventional film or digital camera sensor, and thus remove unnatural color effects. A neutral white card may be used to set the white balance level on some advanced digital cameras.

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