This page shows you the
result of correcting two photo with ContrastMaster and similar
tools. It is meant to give you the chance to compare ContrastMaster
with other tools. We tried to do the photo corrections in the
other tools as accurately as possible and didn't try to cheat
by using them wrongly. The names of the other tools aren't mentioned
(only Photoshop), but they are sorted according to their price.
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Enhancement
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Comment
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ContrastMaster
- Normal Effect
($70 / $40) |
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This is just one of the various
looks that you can produce with many effects of ContrastMaster.
ContrastMaster improves the overall contrast by brightening
shadows and darkening highlights. It also increases contrast
in small and large image details. The original colors
of the image are kept.
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ContrastMaster
- Strong Effect
($70 / $40) |
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This ContrastMaster effect was
deliberately made quite strong to show how much contrast
adjustment can be applied without damaging the image.
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Photoshop Unsharp
Mask |
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Unsharp Mask
is sometimes used for local contrast adjustments. In this
case the shadows become even deeper and the highlights brighter
up to the point of blowing out. Larger details are emphasized
a bit, but smaller details stay soft. |
$150 Tool |
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The colors
have been altered and look less natural. The clouds have
not been emphasized very much. There are very few adjustment
options, so you do not have much control over the effect.
Higher effect settings sometimes produce artifacts or blown
highlights. |
$100 Tool |
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At full intensity
the effect is still a bit moderate. The overall contrast
is improved, but the contrast in the details is only slightly
enhanced. There are no options to adjust the effect apart
from the intensity slider. |
$70 Tool |
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The sky looks
too grayish and other smaller details have not been emphasized.
It looks softer than the original. |
$50 Tool |
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Looks very
unnatural, because shadows and highlights have been removed
too much. The result is oversaturated and the sky became
quite ugly. |
$40
Tool |
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It seems that the contrast has
been greatly reduced instead of increased, which makes
the image look faded. In the extremely brightened up shadows
ugly artifacts were added.
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$30 Tool |
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This tool
produces a very strong effect. The contrast is increased
in larger details, but smaller details come out soft. The
original colors of the image were changed and do not look
natural anymore. |
Freeware
Tool |
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This tool
floods the image with ugly artifacts. They can be blurred
away a bit, but then the image becomes too soft. |