Scenics from S.E. Idaho rivers

[Ben Cochran]

Thanks John, I am glad that it helped some. I didn’t want to make it too technical and complicated but I also wanted to stay as true as possible to the multifarious definitions involved with photography.

Dave, think of the histogram as a reactive tool that can later be used as a learning tool for proactive shooting. The main thing is to just get the shot to the best of your abilities as, not all conditions will render a really nice histogram. Remember that the histogram records and yields the information that allows us to see how much data we captured and where it landed in the 3 different zones: Bright’s, mid-tones and shadows. Let the human eye determine your own personal taste by viewing the photograph first and if you like it, that is good enough and actually, it is the better test.

You can look at a picture and see that it is overexposed, then look at the histogram and it should confirm it. If the image appears overexposed but the histogram displays a good placement of data, then you know that the LCD is turned up to bright.

As I said above, relying on the histogram is more important in high end shoots with large budgets and extensive print campaigns. Don’t let it rule your direction and keep it as simple as possible. As has been mentioned, about better time of day and lighting conditions, keep this one very important tool in mind: If there is a large variance from light to shadow, the images are going to be either flat, underexposed or overexposed. This is when filters and post edit is most handy.

If the lighting conditions are really horrible, try zooming in and see if you can frame an area that has a shallower variance, from both ends of the spectrum. Sometimes a far more artful shot is hidden inside of a wide-angle shot.

Also remember that you can adjust the EV value in order to increase the data or decrease it, in much smaller increments.

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