camera histogram - how to read a histogram in photography and use it for your exposure
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- Опубліковано 28 тра 2024
- How to read a histogram in photography and how to use a camera histogram on location to expose your shots. You will learn what a histogram tells you and even more important what it doesn't tell you. Particularly photography beginners, but also advanced photographers need to know its strengths and weaknesses.
---- Content ----
0:00 intro
0:38 what is a histogram?
1:10 what do the bars in a photography histogram stand for?
1:48 basic histogram examples
3:26 histogram blacks
4:24 histogram shadows
4:45 histogram midtones
5:24 histogram highlights
5:31 histogram whites
5:51 the height of the bars in a photography histogram
7:14 can you use a histogram to expose an image
8:18 using photoshop to examine the histogram of an image
8:53 histograms of images with a big dynamic range/clipping a histogram
10:10 don't recommend the histogram to photography beginners
12:20 advanced histogram examples
----- Product links as announced in the video -----
display loupe
amzn.to/2JhF5cs
----- Find Wolf Amri on Social Media -----
/ wolf.amri
www.photo1x1.com
/ photographybeginnersgroup - Навчання та стиль
If only I had teacher's like you when I was at school, thanks for an enjoyable and clear explanation
Wow, thanks! Perhaps your teachers haven't been nerds like me, Rafi 🤣.
I agree with You - He is a fantastic presentator of information. Very intelligent Gentleman.
Your videos are great. The explanations are immensely informative and easy to understand. A natural teacher. Thanks you for the great lessons.
Thank you so much, Alvaro 🙏🤗🙏
You know, it really doesn't matter because in photography it's 100% subjective either you like the shot regardless of what the histogram says or you don't. If there was no such thing as a histogram you still would judge the shot visually like you would with a histogram. I love this guy.
Well, yes and no, Benny. If you know how to read the light e.g. in a landscape and you are out in the bright sunlight, it's easier to read the histogram than judge your display with all the glare around (unless you know your display really well, and/or are using a mirrorless camera or a display loupe).
I've been a photographer for over 15 years and this is the best explanation of the histogram.
Thanks so much, keeps me motivated to create new stuff like that!
Clarity, a breath of fresh air in the midst of all "tips" found all around the internet.
Thank you so much 🙏🙏
@@wolfamri Thank you foremost
Sir, please don't forget to make video about metering mode.
It's on my list, Muhammad. Just too much on my list 😬
Agree! I am waiting for that :)
+1
Your photo in black suit and red tie looked amazing!!!
awww, thanks, Pranjall! 🤗
The most informative photography UA-cam channel - no doubt about it. As a funny anecdote our high school biology teacher back in the 80s after exams: "You don't obey normal distribution." ;-)
😁 Thank you that means a lot 🙏🙏
Thank you. I have been lecturing across the country for 20 years not to judge your exposures with the histogram. I have been an advocate for using the Hoodman Loop to judge exposure since it first came on the market. The Hoodman is a must for DSLR to block the ambient light to better evaluate the exposure. Also, relying on the histogram while editing images can also be a disadvantage.
Great to hear that, James. Not many pros out there who would agree 🤗
You remind me of the old EF Hutton commercial: "When Wolf Amri talks, people listen." Thanks for another great video!
😂 I gotta google that. Thanks, Miley!
@@wolfamri I just googled it. Ouch! It's from the 1970's. Guess I just dated myself.
😂 I still found it when I googled it. Too funny!
The best explanation I heard about a histogram that makes a lot of sense.
Thank you, Rene, that's great to hear!
Thanks for such an organized, clear and complete explanation. I think I finally get what a histogram is and what it can and cannot do.
Thank you so much, David 🙏🤗
This channel is underrated.
Thank you for this.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Gallina!
This is the best explanation of Histogram that I have ever seen. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Joey. Much appreciated 🙏🙏
I'm not even a photographer but love this channel. Things too learn and practice.
😮😮😮 Thank you, Rahul 🙏🙏
Mr. Amri is a wonderful teacher and presenter of complex information. I subscribed after watching this video. I saw several other explanations on using histograms, but this is far superior. High quality content, thank you!!
Thank you sooo much 😉🙏
Well explained as always, congratz to 30k. Looking forward to your 30k-macro-special
🤣🤣🤣 Thanks, Jens. I remember announcing that a year or so ago, no? I'm really bad at planing things!
A new great video, Amri! Very good explained!
Glad you liked it!
I am very much a beginner to photography and like any beginner I encountered a few problems when attempting to take photos and they did not turn out as expected, after contacting others on UA-cam who were professionals in photography, I unfortunately came away with the impression that the professionals thought they were talking to another professional not a beginner and assumed that I knew quite a bit already about photography and so missed out a number of steps in there explanation.
Thankfully after watching Wolfs videos, I finally found a professional who could clearly communicate with a beginner and impart information and advice that I could understand and at the end of the day be able to take a decent photo.
Wolf seems to have the gift of providing advice, like sending a picture, please keep the videos going Wolf, they make my photography a lot easier.
Regards Charlie
Thank you, Charlie. That’s great to hear. My goal is always to explain so that people understand rather than have them learn anything by heart. So this kind of feedback is exactly what I‘m hoping for 😉.
Loved this video!! These free photography courses are incredible. Thank you! I’d like to see a video on tone curves/color grading in the future 😁
Thanks, Jason! That’s definitely on my list!
I found that twiddling color tone curves can radically change color histograms... with interesting results...
this is the histogram well explained. thanks
Thank you, Fernando 🙏🙏
Wolf thank you so much for putting all the free camera training on your channel you are the best and love the way you explain things s a 62 year olsd you make things easy to understand
Thanks so much for your feedback, Dave. Great to hear that the videos are helpful 🙏
Definitely the best explanation about histogram I have ever seen which made me subscribe the channel immediately :)
Thanks so much! Welcome aboard!
Very excellent information about Histogram. Never seen a clever video before like this....Many thanks for making such a wonderful video.
Self portrait....😮😲😲
So nice of you, Ravi! It helps having a lot of gear when shooting self portraits ;). I used 4 flashes with strip softboxes and cheap timer cable remote. Sometimes I also use a monitor because my camera doesn't have a monitor I can tilt so that I see myself. People who say it's all about the photographer and not also about the gear are just not honest 😉. But there are many workarounds to things, so one must not despair either.
@@wolfamri I was surprised about the complete black background. Awesome one.
Thanks again. The closer the light to your subject, and the further away the background, the darker the background will be.
But I need to admit, I had to remove the lights in photoshop, otherwise they would have been in the frame. But it was easy because all I had to do is paint black color over it.
Excellent explanation of the histogram. Especially the information about "black" and "white" being ranges in Lightroom and that the histogram stretches vertically. Those are things I seemed to notice, but I wasn't sure WHY it was being stretched.
Replying to myself to add: I also notice that when I push the white or black slider to the edges of the histogram in Lightroom, some sort of algorithm starts compressing the whites/blacks on the histogram. On the histogram, you see things getting smooshed together, and the amplitude in that area of the histogram increases as well.
IDK why it happens, how the algorithm works, or how to interpret results at the extreme ends of the histogram. Is it compressing the histogram only (as in, the histogram values from left to right are not linear in order to be easier to read), or is it compressing the actual photo, or maybe both?
I of course don't expect you to answer these here in this comment thread, but these are some things I'm thinking about after watching your vid.
Thank you, James. Well, if you raise the whites or lower the blacks, Lightroom basically reduces reduces the brightness of the tones that lay in that area. So it is kinda compressing the histogram too. But the histogram is a reaction to the image rather than the other way around.
However, when using either of these sliders, Lightroom isn't only affecting that area of the histogram, but also affects the other areas. Just not as much as the target area. I hope that makes sense 😬😆
I'm never understand the histogram like that. Thank you very much for your clear explanation 👍
Thank you, Hatem 🙏🙏
A super clear explanation of histogram. Been doing photography for years and heard those myths. This explained everything with examples. Couldn’t subscribe because I already was 😁. My favorite photography channel now.
Awww, thanks so much 🙏🙏🙏
Sir your presentation is awesome
Thank you 🙏🤗🙏
They’re well structured and educating
Thanks, Ryzer. I really appreciate your feedback 🙏🙏
Amazing explanation, thanks
This was puzzling me for a long time, but now it's crystal clear
Thanks so much, Yusuf! Love to hear such feedback!
Another great video Wolf, full of really helpful advice
Thank you so much, Elaine! 🤗
Wow. What a gift for explanation, has this man!!
Thanks so much, John! That means a lot 🙏🙏
you're the best photography teacher
Wow, thanks!
That was a very well presented and coherent presentation. More so you make learning photography fun!
Congratulations. I subbed my life away
Thanks for the sub! I couldn't ask for a better feedback. Much appreciated 🙏🙏
The best explanation on histograms I have ever seen, thank you!
Thanks so much 🙏🙏🙏
Wonderful explanation! Thank you so much!
Thank you, Bobby! 🙏🙏
This is absolutely fantastic! Thanks for doing this Wolf - Subscribed.
Thanks for your subscription, George 🙏🙏
Thank you so much. You have made this so much easier.
Thanks for your feedback, Rowan 🙏🙏
Thank you for great video as always!🙏
Thank YOU for watching ;)
Very useful video. Made me rethink histograms. Thanks
Thank you, Andy! Great to hear that 🙏🙏
I love your explanations. They’re very concise and easily understandable. As a newbie photographer, your channel is a big help! Thanks! 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for such a great feedback, AJ. Keeps me motivated 😉🙏
Have been watching a lot of histogram videos recently. Learnt more from this video than all of the other videos combined! Great video as always.
Thanks so much, Sameep. Great feedback 🙏🙏
Excellent excellent explanation!❤
Thank you 🤗🤗🤗
Wow I love this video! Thanks for sharing Wolf Amri.
Thank you, Jether 🙏🙏
Wooooww very helpful video!!! Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching, Elmar!
Awesome explanation. Can we expect a video from you on composition practising?
Thanks, Sharath. Absolutely. I plan something “big” 😉
You are a great teacher, the best I've come across whilst trying to learn photography, thank you very much for making these videos and helping others learn
Thanks so much, Rocco! Feedback like that keeps me motivated 😉.
Thank you sir these videos are so clear and informative! Hope you have a wonderful day!
Thanks a lot, Michael, great to hear that. Have an awesome day too!
@@wolfamri thank you!
Thank you - such a clear explanation - I appreciate your hard work and learnt a lot
Great to hear that, Ade! Happy New Year 🎆
I came, I saw, I liked and I subscribed. Great Presentation!!
Thank you, David! Much appreciated. A lot more to come 😉
The best part of the video is at 13:46 ! It nails the whole concept! Infinite grazie, or Danke Schon!
Best photography tutorial
Thank you 🤗🤗
Very well explained .... loved it
Thank you, much appreciated 🙏
Too good. You are making high quality instructional videos. I am a beginner and use the histogram but i understand the purpose and will continue to use it but not rely on it solely. Thank you!
Thanks, Eddie! Great to hear that! 🙏🙏
Nice video. What i like the most is- everything going and changing in the background while u explain it. Loved when you place yourself in the corner proportional to the white mountain. I feel, a lot of work goes in making such beautiful videos. It makes learning so much fun.
Thanks so much, Aparna. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But it’s fun and if it helps people, it’s worth the effort 😉
Totally ❤️
Excellent video, thanks very much
Thank you 🙏 🙏
You're right... this is the best histogram video. Subscribed!
Thank you so much, Greg! 🙏🤗
I found your channel by accident and watched almost all of the turtorials and boredom videos.
They are very well explained.
I really enjoyed the creative things to do at home.
Made me want to restart my fun with the camera.
Thank you very much.
Thanks so much for watching and for your feedback! I really enjoyed creating them!
that was awesome ! thanks for taking the time to upload and yes I subscribed to your channel
Thank you so much, John 🙏🙏
Awesome video and tutorial 👌
Thank you 🙏🙏
Thank you for dispelling the myths Wolf
Thank you, Sebastian 🙏🙏🙏
Will explain, thank you sir👌
Always welcome, thank you for your feedback!!!
Thanks for such a good video! Coming from a stats background (I've published peer-reviewed stats papers) the histogram has always made a ton of sense to me. I'm just starting to get into photography and it seems like a lot of people don't actually understand what a histogram is. Your video really sets it straight and I think all photographers, even pros, should watch this.
While in the field, it seems to me that the histogram is more there for you to look at when you can't trust the image on the back of the camera. If you are in bright sunlight it will be hard to see the screen properly, and the histogram will let you see what the photo looks like. You can then compare the histogram to what you see with your eyes to make sure the image is as close to reality as possible, or the look that you want to get.
Thanks for your feedback, Alex. Absolutely. It has its use, but it takes a lot if experience and analyzing.
Got my subscription after three videos and this one was a full load of knowledge about Histograms. I just love your Keynote style, where you are not to prominent and distractive. The easy to look at graphics design of your videos including your clean backgrounds, clear and professional charts, fonts and size for core messages, plenty of examples. We really learn a lot. What can I say more, …. Yes right your hairdo is awesomely fitting in your presentation. Thank you man…
Thanks so much. “Hair”style is everything 😂
All arguments were very properly, correctly and well exposed :) hahaha Amazing Wolf, too good !
Thanks a ton! 🙏
Great information 👍
Thank youuuu 🙏🙏
Excellent video thanks. It would be interesting if you could a similar one on how to use the tone curve in lightroom - which feels like a black art to me!
Thanks, Dave! It’s definitely on my list of things to do. Maybe I should do it quicker than I wanted 😉
wow...nicely explained
Thank you, Suraj 🙏🙏
A true pro...salute!
🙏🤗
Already subscribed! Thanks for clarifying that. I've often seen photographers on UA-cam talk about checking the histogram and so I do... but despite the histogram appearing stacked too much to the left or to the right, the image still looked ok, so I was confused what I should be looking for. Now it makes sense why.
Thanks, Raphael. Great to hear it was helpful. Way too many people just recommend using it because it’s cool to recommend it. The histogram is helpful, but not nearly as easy to use as they tell you.
Perfect 👌🏾
Thanks, Douglas 🙏🙏
The best tutorial I have ever came forward. We want your t shirts in India too.
Awww, thank you! I’m just wondering, do you see t shirts under my video? I just recently tried to add them and youtube said it is available in India too.
@@wolfamri No i didn't see any tshirt under your videos. I am eager to get those tshirts😍
Thanks 🙏🤗 I need to further investigate!
Excellent sir, thants realy great 🙏
Thank YOU 🙏😉
This means a lot to me...thanks
Great to hear that, Malitha! Thanks for your feedback!
Thanks again
Thumbs up 👍
Thank YOU 😉
This is very informative
Great to hear that, Ronald. Thanks for your feedback!!!
Awesome!
Thank you so much!!
Nice plug-in with little you on the corner hitting the glass of the screen! Hahaha! Thanks for another super helpful video!!!!
😂 Thank you, Georgia 🙏🙏
I just watched 5 of your videos sequentially
Thanks so much for watching, Ryzer. If you are learning, don’t forget that repetition is key to understanding. As much as I appreciate binge watching 😂. The best way to learn is to watch one or two, and then repeat within 24h to store it in your memory 😉.
This guy is awesome!!!
Thank you 🤗🤗
I would love to see a video on how to use the gray card method, please.
Thank you, Judith. It’s on my list 🙏
Awesome!!!!
Thanks so much, Yanni. I knew the greek soul in you would like it 🤣
That was very helpful advice! thank you.
I want to add one last tip and that is to use the zebra function on your camera if available. this shows you exactly what parts of the image are about to clip and you can decide if you want to save the details or not.
A good example use case would be natural light portraits; I often have to blow out the background and clip large parts of it in order to expose the subject correctly and there the zebra function is extremely useful.
Thank you, Ed. I totally agree 👌. Good tip!
Who are you and where have you been all my (photography) life? :) Hahaha! Just subscribed a few days ago after watching your great macro lenses/attachments video. Thanks for your very clear explanations! I'm finding a lot of your content to be super helpful.
😆 Thanks so much for your feedback! Great to hear the videos are helpful!
Thank you. I believe have I learned that clipping to pure white is fine as long as it reflects the scene accurately, especially when there are bright light sources like the sun or very bright lamps.
Hi John! Thanks. Yes, exactly 👍.
Hi excellent thanks,one question so sometimes you don’t pay to much attention to blinkers? Best regards Tim
Thanks, Tim! Very sorry, but I just googled "blinkers" and still not sure I understand 😬🤣
@@wolfamri Hi what I mean is when parts of your image on the back of the camera flashes to indicate that some of the details are lost either blacks or whites the histogram is to far left or to the right burnt out highlight Bests Regards Tim
Thanks for explaining, Tim. No, I don't pay much attention in this regard. But they can be helpful if you want to make sure to not overexpose. You would have to understand what exactly they tell you. If it's 100% white or black, or less than that. Some cameras offer zebra overlays that would let you set a specific value. E.g. 98% that is more useful IMO.
You're the kind of master I need
🙏🙏🤗
@@wolfamri I'm going through each video on this channel right now haha.. You've already busted the myths of histogram and ISO for me.
I struggle badly with my export settings and optimal settings for Instagram/other social platforms right now. No clues on settings for portrait/landscape for best quality upload. Hopefully I'm enlightened for those as well here.
I have a video about facebook upload. 2048px on the long edge. And it’s essential to upload from a browser and not from the app. Biiiiiiig difference. And thanks for watching 😉
@@wolfamri do you have an Instagram account ? I'd love to follow your work everywhere. For some reason Instagram does better for me on app than browser.
Found it in description and subscribed. Thanks for quick response.
Hi Wolf + follows.
Personally I unusually take 3 or more shots of the same image .. beginning with the one that looks right to my eye on the screen, and 4 more at -1,-2 & +1,+2 ( stops )
( that's take a shot that looks correctly exposed on the screen, followed by one rotating exposure wheel clockwise 3 clicks followed by another at 6 clicks. ( then return wheel back to original position, then repeat process rotating it in the opposite direction) ..
Then when you view the image on your PC ( in lightroom etc ) if for example the image you shot at +3 clicks looks better, you now have your solution.. 🤗
Hi John! You can set that in most cameras to make it automatically for you (it’s called auto exposure bracketing AEB) and you can later even combine the, into one shot (HDR).
I watched two videos and then went online to see if you had a photography course I could buy. Impressive teaching style: really impressive! Unfortunately, there is no course. I'll just have to keep watching your UA-cam videos!
Thanks so much. A course is long planned. But I’m just too slow 🤦♂️😂.
@@wolfamri If you give this much value in your free material, I can't wait to see what any future course provides. I've been binge-watching your videos for the last two hours and am having to force myself to go to work! :-)
😂😂 Thanks. If I can give you a recommendation: Rather than binge-watch, repeat a video after 24h. Much better for learning. Repetition will be a key element of any new course 😉.
Enjoy your workday 😉
This is amazing! Subscribed. I'm wondering, how do you point to parts of your slides/images so precisely when you are presumably standing in front of a green screen?
Thank you for your subscription! I have a few monitors. One on the camera, and one on either side. I still feel it looks fake 😂😂
First, the content of your videos are amazing! Second, the production of the videos is just a great. Do you edit your videos or do you have an editor??
Hi Jerett, thank you! I’m editing myself 😉.
@@wolfamri awesome work with the graphs. I’m a math teacher, and if you had a program you use to get the graphs on screen, I’d love to know what you used.
Thanks again. I'm afraid I do it manually. Back then I think it was a mix of adobe illustrator and after effects. Nowadays I'd use illustrator and premiere pro. But I'm afraid it's not a super easy solution either. I brought screenshots of the histogram in photoshop into illustrator and converted it into a vector graph. And for the single graphs, I just created them as single rectangles. I hope that makes sense ;).
@@wolfamri it does make sense. I assumed that’s what you did, but it never hurts to ask. Thanks
Your the best.
Thank you! Seychelles? Really? 😮
Nice!
🙏🙏
I have a general problem with the histogram, I just decide if my picture looks ok or not by looking at it. Maybe on a sunny day it is helpful?
To tell the truth, that’s what I do mostly and what. recommended in the video. But facebook r DSLRs and sunny days the histogram or a display loupe can be helpful 😉
really really good! Thanks a lot. Can you make the same for waveform please?
Thanks! I’ll consider it. Waveform is much better and easier though. It shows the brightness levels in your frame from left to right. So on the left side of the graph is the left side of the frame and on the right side of the graph is the right side of the frame. The brighter the area in the waveform, the more parts in this “column” of pixels have that brightness level.
Question for you, what about exposing for the highlights????
Exposing for the highlights or ETTR is very popular, but some have shown that in never cameras the advantage isn’t as big as it used to be. And it would’t make sense to always do it either. Only for shots where there is a need to brighten the shadows and maybe the blacks). But I admit I do it at times.
Wow nice
Thank you for your continued support 🤗🤗
Another really useful Vid - you mentioned a photography Facebook group in another tutorial, do you have a link?
Thanks, Simon. With pleasure. Would be great to see you there. Please make sure to answer the questions and agree to the rule when you join because we are a big moderator team and others may catch it first 😉
@@wolfamri Thanks - what is the name of the group?
@@Budfrog23 It's "Photography Beginners Group"
I have a question, when I use grey card to correct white balance, why do it become even worst? Like it become too warm than using presets. I try replaced it with white card, but still same.
It could be your computer monitor that is off. What do you edit on?
Hi Wolf, love your content. I went to the site but is down more maintenance. Is it still active? Thanks!
Thank you so much. I currently work on completely revamping the site. But perhaps my other new site might be interesting. exposure-triangle.com 😉