Histograms, Are Tools: Don't Let Them Limit Your Vision

[MyReality]

Photography has many tools to create photos. Histograms are useful in trying to create what your eyes see. Some photographers use those tools to create average looking photos by centering most of the histogram to use as much detail as possible. Sometimes this can result in average looking photos by always trying to open up shadows or showing detail in highlights.

Sometimes rules need to be broken for affect or to show drama. Photographers were doing this before histograms existed.

Some of mine:

Some photographers that did not care for opening up shadows and a lot of detail in highlights:

Fan Ho: Master of photography | The Independent Photographer

Though lesser known than some of his Western contemporaries, Fan Ho was one of the most important street photographers of the 20th century, the remarkable images he captured of Hong Kong during the 1950s and 60s assert the zeitgeist of the time and continue to influence and inspire to this day.

independent-photo.com

https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/josef-koudelka/

 

[chrisfisheye]

Hi,

You can do this during post processing.

Using the histogram can help to optimise the recorded image (to lift shadows, avoid blown out highlights...) but then you can apply for instance a specific tonal curve to achieve the result you want.

 

[Sajiu]

It is perfectly okay to let shadows...be shadows.

 

[MyReality]

Hi,

You can do this during post processing.

Using the histogram can help to optimise the recorded image (to lift shadows, avoid blown out highlights...) but then you can apply for instance a specific tonal curve to achieve the result you want.

Those are what I currently sometimes do in post.

 

[MyReality]

It is perfectly okay to let shadows...be shadows.

Agreed and the same for noise, but probably not to most DPR users who just bought expensive PP software.

 

[jiberlin]

Hi,

You can do this during post processing.

Using the histogram can help to optimise the recorded image (to lift shadows, avoid blown out highlights...) but then you can apply for instance a specific tonal curve to achieve the result you want.

If you have set your camera to RAW or RAW+JPG you have to consider that the hoistogram is based on the JPG conversion. Using histograms to optimize the recorded RAW image works only if a 'flat' JPG style is selected.

 

[MyReality]

Hi,

You can do this during post processing.

Using the histogram can help to optimise the recorded image (to lift shadows, avoid blown out highlights...) but then you can apply for instance a specific tonal curve to achieve the result you want.

If you have set your camera to RAW or RAW+JPG you have to consider that the hoistogram is based on the JPG conversion. Using histograms to optimize the recorded RAW image works only if a 'flat' JPG style is selected.

Yes, I know. I always shoot RAW+JPG and edit the JPEGS in post. I use the RAW as my backup. I only process RAW if I am thinking about making a very large print. I used to sell prints only from JPEGS.

Today' s JPEGS coming from the latest cameras are more than good enough that many pros just use JPEGS.

See Ken Rockwell's site about shooting JPEGS and editing them.