RGB Histogram Basics:

Histograms are graphs that count how many

pixels are at each level between black & white

Black (darker) is going left, white (lighter) is

going right

Height of graph at each point depends on how

many pixels are that bright.

Can help you learn how many stops up or down

should be used for optimum exposure
Black    >  Dark   >    Medium   >  Light    >  White
 This photograph displayed in Adobe®
Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software:

-2 Stops Underexposure
Even the whitest
whites (the
diamond rings &
bracelet) are
medium gray. No
shadow detail
desired for this
pose, so no loss
there, but
blacks/browns
need distinguishing.
 This photograph displayed in Adobe®
Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software:

-1 Stop Underexposure
Some very small
highlights are
reaching towards
white. Skin has
emerged with its’
myriad of tones,
and the hand and
arms no longer
have a one-
dimensional look.
 This photograph displayed in Adobe®
Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software:

Normal Exposure
Pixels are where they
should be: close to
white, but not
clipped. The humps
indicate that values
are spread around a
bit, meaning there is
detail and not a flat,
washed-out
snapshot. More
exposure would be
okay in this case.
 This photograph displayed in Adobe®
Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software:

+1 Stop Overexposure
Overexposure
took away the line
details in the
fingers and showed
additional flaws in
the object surface.
If the backdrop of
the hands was
lighter in color, it
would produce a
“high key” effect.
 This photograph displayed in Adobe®
Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software:

+2 Stop Overexposure
Overexposed so
that there are a
ton of pixels blown
out to 100% white.
As you overexpose
more & more, the
graph moves
further to the right
& eventually clips
as your image
destroys itself.
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 How Full Is Your Cup ??

Consider this analogy: Water is the amount of light that you

allow to ‘pour’ into your camera during an exposure. You can
adjust the ‘rate of flow’ from the big bucket of light, but you can
also utilize your digitalized histogram to help guide you as well.
 Overexposed, but still decent
values to look for detail

I changed hues & increased

blacks/contrast plus sharpen
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