The histogram
All you need to know about the (not so) mysterious histogram
No matter what your level of expertise, the histogram will become an excellent, loyal and free companion to you during your entire photo journey. From beginners to professionals, photographers use it (and love it) everywhere.
The brief essence of the histogram:
The histogram provides the FASTEST and EASIEST way to check whether you’ve exposed your photo right.
Histogram interactive block
Take a look at the animation in the interactive block below! When you’re finished clicking through our histogram material, feel free to check out other topics referenced in this lesson.
Summary
Want to know more? Watch this video on our YOUTUBE channel to learn more about the histogram and how to use it best!
Use it while shooting!
Even a histogram shown on your camera’s LCD display can provide substantial help. It’s worth learning which button will bring out it out, so you can check the histogram while shooting. It’s a great way to see whether everything is going all right!
Usually you have to press “Info” or “Display” when you’re in PLAYBACK MODE. (The histogram only appears while viewing pictures.)
The histogram is your best friend during editing
Since your camera/sensor has a fixed dynamic range, but your subject’s dynamic range changes constantly, it’s best to set the exact values during editing (dynamic range correction).
About the author:
Bence Gyulai is a photographer and professional photography teacher. Grand Prize-winning photographer of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, regular invited speaker at photography events, founder and host of visualgangster.com. More info & images >>