Histograms

mattchewone

mattchewone

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Matt
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Not sure where to put this. Please move if in wrong section.

Was reading about how important histograms are and thought I should increase my knowledge on them and how to get a better understanding on them.

I was at my grans on Sunday and to be honest I didn't pick the best time to play around as it was pure sun at about 14:00 no clouds and direct sunlight.

I was trying to read it but I couldnt get it right, either the graph was spiking high and clumped up at the right on was even ish but slightly more the left and what looks like the subject is dark but foreground and background where exposed well.

Was it just the wrong time of day or am I not able to take a well exposed shot?

Thanks
 
Oddly enough i never really looked at my histogram for years until recently, now ive been looking at it all the time when im out and about. I often use to get a few that looked good on the LCD only to fnd they are under/over when i look at shots for the first time on my comp, the histogram has helped me spot a few that have been no good on the spot
 
The Histogram can be all over the place depending on how many light and dark things are in the frame. I just use it as a guide to show me if the shot is generally under (all to the left) or over (all to the right) exposed so I can adjust accordingly.

The shape of the peaks and troughs is down to what is in the frame. Seem to remember that much more info is held in the right hand third than is the left hand two thirds put together so more opportunity to get detail out if the shot if veering towards the right third.
 
Sometimes there is simply too much dynamic range for the camera, hence you not being able to get the histogram right.

At that point your choices are:

1) Expose for the highlights and block out your shadows
2) Expose for the shadows and blow your highlights
3) Add ND grads to bring the sky into a more managable exposure
4) Take multiple images with different exposures and either blend them in PS, or HDR them.
 
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