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It really helps to understand the histogram. To view the Kodak digital cameras, click this link.
Possibly the most useful tool available in digital photography is the histogram. It could also well be the least understood. Histograms are a very useful tool that many cameras offer their users to help them get a quick summary of the tonal range present in any given image.
Most higher-end digital cameras support a histogram feature that can be displayed before or after you take a photo. Though it looks like a complex chart, a histogram is merely a representation of an image’s brightness.
The histogram tells the photographer and how best to utilize the information. The beauty of a histogram is that the small LCD display on your camera will give you an idea of a picture. Checking the histogram can tell you this while you’re in a position to be able to adjust your settings and take another shot.
Kodak EasyShare C913 Digital Camera
The histogram basically is a graph that represents the maximum range of light values your camera can capture, in 256 steps. (0 = Pure Black, and 255 = Pure White) In the middle of the histogram are the mid-range values that represent middle colors like grays, light browns, and greens. The values from just above zero and just below 255 contain detail.
The digital imaging chip in your camera is very similar to color transparency film when it comes to its sensitivity to light.
Like slide film, if a part of the image receives too much light it becomes burned out, and if too little light it is rendered as black. A recognizable image is only recorded if the light hitting the chip falls within a range of about 5 F stops. Today’s digital sensors seem to be able to record about 5 or so usable stops of light.
Most real world situations there is no such thing as an ideal or “perfect” exposure. There is simply one that places the tonal values found in the scene most appropriately within the capability range of the camera’s imaging chip. And that means that the mid-tones found in the image fall roughly half way between the darkest and the brightest values.
If the histogram is weighted towards the left side with vary little if any curvature near the right, your photo will most likely be underexposed (too dark). Consider a slower shutter speed to allow more light to enter the camera lens.
If the histogram is weighted towards the right side with vary little if any curvature near the left, your photo will most likely be overexposed (too light). Consider a faster shutter speed to force less light to enter the camera lens.
Note that there are exceptions. Are you taking photos of fireworks in a night sky? Since most of the picture will be dark your histogram should naturally be weighted towards the left.
Again, exceptions can occur. Are you taking photos of a bright sunrise? Then your photo will come out bright and your histogram will shift towards the right.
If the histogram is balanced towards the middle, your exposure settings should be correct. Your photo should have a ‘normal’ exposure.
Again, exceptions can occur, so even if the histogram ‘looks’ right you should visually verify how the image will look with your viewfinder or LCD.
If the histogram is weighted towards the sides, chances are your image contains a complex combination of brightness and darkness. Waterfall photos or other areas of dark foliage next to a bright sky may exhibit this trait. In this case, you should experiment and save your photos, then pick out which one looks the best to you.
- article by the Webmster @ www.gotmydigital.com
