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Tonality is what separates darks from lights in a picture. Between the highlight point (the lightest part of an image) and the shadow point (the darkest part of an image) are the tones that define detail in a photograph. The balancing of tones between these two bookend points gives an image personality.
Every photograph displays an emotion of some sort. These middle tones serve the critical function of defining what emotion is displayed.
The photographs on this page demonstrate how the placement of intermediate tones changes the clarity and printability of phtographs. In the waterfall scene above I've put the original and edited photos side-by-side. I wanted to bring out the detail in the layered rock behind and in front of the falls. At the same time, I wanted to retain the mist that arose from the water below the falls.
Tone placement can reveal detail in a photo that initially seems too dark or too light. Roll your mouse over the pictures to see my edits. Retaining the delicate lace texture of the curtain against a bright sun required carefull adjusment of the photo's quartones.
Throughout the Correct Color book I emphasize how the three dimensions of color must work together. Hue (the color of color), saturation (the intensity of color), and tonality (the contrast component) must all be balanced to deliver accurately the message of each image.
The book goes into great detail about how to set the five tonal areas of each photo. Every scene can be optimized for tonality quite easily and precisely.