"two different kinds of light"

this is one my favorites from our latest photo assignment. it has a softness to it that i wasn't expecting and i find it to be really pleasant and calming...

and i'm really into the low contrast.

having taken several photo classes here and there since high school, i've noticed that people usually go for really high contrast in their photos. i used to do this, too, especially in the darkroom.

it's something to consider if you think it's a look that will add more to your composition, but i think people overuse it thinking it will somehow transform a snapshot into something visually interesting.

i'm now definitely starting to appreciate grays and middle tones more. especially in traditional black and white-- it's soooo much harder to pull beautiful grays from a photograph than it looks. that's basically what you should look for to tell how well a photograph is printed, right?

anyway, i'm not sure if this makes sense, and it kind of goes against what i've been saying about achieving perfect tonal range, but i've been thinking for a while now about exploring more of a low contrast style. i guess kiiiiind of like my photo above, which is subtle-ish with its whites and grays.

or something really dark, which i'm sure will, if executed poorly, come across as poorly lit. or something really grey, which also might, if unsuccessful, come across as muddy.

e.g.