diff --git a/viscy/light/engine.py b/viscy/light/engine.py
index 326639d6..6e658100 100644
--- a/viscy/light/engine.py
+++ b/viscy/light/engine.py
@@ -584,6 +584,7 @@ def __init__(
         stem_kernel_size: tuple[int, int, int] = (5, 4, 4),
         embedding_len: int = 256,
         predict: bool = False,
+        drop_path_rate: float = 0.2,
         tracks_path: str = "data/tracks",
         features_output_path: str = "",
         projections_output_path: str = "",
@@ -615,6 +616,7 @@ def __init__(
             stem_kernel_size=stem_kernel_size,
             embedding_len=embedding_len,
             predict=predict,
+            drop_path_rate=drop_path_rate,
         )
         self.example_input_array = torch.rand(
             1, in_channels, in_stack_depth, *example_input_yx_shape
diff --git a/viscy/representation/contrastive.py b/viscy/representation/contrastive.py
index 1dc269ce..13be2b15 100644
--- a/viscy/representation/contrastive.py
+++ b/viscy/representation/contrastive.py
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
+import logging
+
 import timm
 import torch.nn as nn
 import torch.nn.functional as F
 
 from viscy.unet.networks.unext2 import StemDepthtoChannels
 
+_logger = logging.getLogger("lightning.pytorch")
+
 
 class ContrastiveEncoder(nn.Module):
     def __init__(
@@ -15,33 +19,38 @@ def __init__(
         embedding_len: int = 256,
         stem_stride: int = 2,
         predict: bool = False,
+        drop_path_rate: float = 0.2,
     ):
+        """ContrastiveEncoder network that uses
+        ConvNext and ResNet backbons from timm.
+
+        :param str backbone: Backbone architecture for the encoder,
+            defaults to "convnext_tiny"
+        :param int in_channels: Number of input channels, defaults to 2
+        :param int in_stack_depth: Number of input slices in z-stack, defaults to 12
+        :param tuple[int, int, int] stem_kernel_size: 3D kernel size for the stem.
+            Input stack depth must be divisible by the kernel depth,
+            defaults to (5, 3, 3)
+        :param int embedding_len: Length of the embedding vector, defaults to 256
+        :param int stem_stride: stride of the stem, defaults to 2
+        :param bool predict: prediction mode, defaults to False
+        :param float drop_path_rate: probability that residual connections
+            are dropped during training, defaults to 0.2
+        """
         super().__init__()
-
         self.predict = predict
         self.backbone = backbone
 
-        """
-        ContrastiveEncoder network that uses ConvNext and ResNet backbons from timm.
-
-        Parameters:
-        - backbone (str): Backbone architecture for the encoder. Default is "convnext_tiny".
-        - in_channels (int): Number of input channels. Default is 2.
-        - in_stack_depth (int): Number of input slices in z-stack. Default is 15.
-        - stem_kernel_size (tuple[int, int, int]): 3D kernel size for the stem. Input stack depth must be divisible by the kernel depth. Default is (5, 3, 3).
-        - embedding_len (int): Length of the embedding. Default is 1000.
-        """
-
         encoder = timm.create_model(
             backbone,
             pretrained=True,
             features_only=False,
-            drop_path_rate=0.2,
+            drop_path_rate=drop_path_rate,
             num_classes=3 * embedding_len,
         )
 
         if "convnext" in backbone:
-            print("Using ConvNext backbone.")
+            _logger.debug(f"Using ConvNeXt backbone for {type(self).__name__}.")
 
             in_channels_encoder = encoder.stem[0].out_channels
 
@@ -58,7 +67,7 @@ def __init__(
             encoder.head.fc = nn.Identity()
 
         elif "resnet" in backbone:
-            print("Using ResNet backbone.")
+            _logger.debug(f"Using ResNet backbone for {type(self).__name__}")
             # Adapt stem and projection head of resnet here.
             # replace the stem designed for RGB images with a stem designed to handle 3D multi-channel input.
 
@@ -73,7 +82,7 @@ def __init__(
             encoder.fc = nn.Identity()
 
         # Create a new stem that can handle 3D multi-channel input.
-        print("using stem kernel size", stem_kernel_size)
+        _logger.debug(f"Stem kernel size: {stem_kernel_size}")
         self.stem = StemDepthtoChannels(
             in_channels, in_stack_depth, in_channels_encoder, stem_kernel_size
         )