I don’t know how you prefer your images, but I usually like mine to have a lot of contrast. I’m not talking about so much that the whites and blacks in the image have lost their detail, but I do like to make the shadows and highlights really pop!
Then there are times that I just want to tone everything down. Do you ever feel that way? It was taking me awhile to figure out why I wasn’t completely happy with the processing of an image but then it was like a light bulb went on over my head and I was certain of the look I was going for! I know toning can mean a different things when it comes to photography so the type of toning I am speaking of is when the overall colors/shadows/highlights of the image blend together to create a smoother appearance. I guess the opposite of the toning I am speaking of would be less contrast.
