Subtle Tone

William Trost Richards, Great Egg Harbor Shoals 

This work conveys the impression of the soft light of morning, or evening, through the use of subtle shifts in tonal values; however, there is still suffficient tonal contrast between the darkest and the lightest part of the image to give it strength. This can be seen more easily by digitally sampling the darkest and lightest tones and comparing them. When looking at the scene on site it can be difficult for the eye to read these tonal extremes, as it tends to see the overall picture.