Neal Dougherty always used to tell his Digital Media Foundations students (about Photoshop), "Friends don't let friends Auto Contrast." I know this because Tyler knows this. Actually, I know this because I was an Art Lab T.A. during my first year at UT.
Since nobody was here to stop me, I hit Auto Contrast for my images of/through the plexiglass at a local playground. Here are the befores (upper) and the afters (lower). Ultimately, I favor the befores. . .