Understanding Histograms

1.     What is a histogram?- A histogram graphs the tones of your image from black to white (left to right) It is a very useful tool that many cameras offer to help the user get a quick summary of the tonal range present in any given image.

2.     What happens to the visual when a histogram is skewed to the left? Right?- The visual when a histogram is skewed to the left will have a lot more darker tones, it will appear darker.(under exposed). When the histogram is skewed to the right the picture will be extremely bright with lots of whites in it.(over exposed).

3.     In most cases, what does a “good” histogram look like?- Even though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a good histogram will be about evenly distributed in the middle or center of the graph. This is what a good histogram looks like. The picture is not too dark and not too light.

4.     Why is a histogram a good tool for photographers?- A histogram is a good tool for photographers because it provides them with information that can help them design their photo to have the effect they want. It will tell you how your image is exposed so the photographer can see more on how many tones are in the picture