Why your camera’s histogram lies and how to fix it
Here’s why your camera’s histogram isn’t the full story, and how exposure compensation saves the day.
The histogram. That mysterious graph on your camera – it looks complicated, but it’s supposed to be your guide to perfect exposure, right? Well, not exactly. While histograms are fantastic tools, they have limitations, and relying solely on them can lead to disappointing photos. Here’s why you shouldn’t be blindly trusting your histogram, and how exposure compensation can become your new best friend.
Histogram 101: A crash course
First, a quick breakdown. The histogram shows the distribution of tones in your image, with blacks on the left, whites on the right, and everything in between. A well-exposed image will have a smooth curve throughout the graph. Clipping, however, occurs when there’s no detail in the shadows (histogram spikes on the left) or highlights (spikes on the right). This means you’ve lost information in those areas – they’ll appear as pure black or white in your photo.
The Histogram’s Achilles Heel
So, why shouldn’t you trust it blindly? Here’s the catch: histograms represent the entire frame, not specific areas. Imagine a photo with a white dress against a dark background. The meter might prioritize the larger dark area, making the dress appear grey! This is where understanding exposure compensation becomes crucial.
Other examples may be photographing a beach in summer, where everything is bright and reflective. Same goes when photographing in the snow. Take the example images below of two artichokes on a dark timber box, against a black background. Everything is quite dark. The camera did not get the metering correct in this photo. I used the Exposure Compensation to adjust and exposure as I wanted. This is 2-stops underexposed.
2-stops underexposed using Exposure Compensation
Exposure compensation: Taking back control
Exposure compensation allows you to tell your camera exactly how much lighter or darker you want the overall image to be compared to the camera’s automatic meter reading. Let’s revisit the white dress scenario. By using positive exposure compensation, you can instruct the camera to brighten the entire scene, ensuring the dress retains its detail.
Taking great photos: It’s all about balance
Learning to use exposure compensation alongside your understanding of histograms is a game-changer. Here are some key takeaways:
Use the histogram as a guide, but don’t let it dictate your exposure.
Consider the scene – is there a specific area that needs proper exposure (like a bright subject against a dark background)?
Adjust exposure compensation to achieve the tones you desire.
Mastering exposure compensation: The path to photographic freedom
With practice, exposure compensation becomes second nature. You’ll be able to creatively control the brightness of your photos, capturing details in highlights and shadows that would be lost with automatic settings. So, ditch the blind trust in histograms, and embrace the power of exposure compensation. It’s the key to unlocking your camera’s full potential and taking stunning photos that reflect your artistic vision.
Consider the examples below, histogram 1 is considered well-metered in the camera, but it is actually overexposed. The subject is quite dark so the camera’s meter will try to balance it and even it out. The second image is a much better exposure for the subject but the histogram has everything on the left. This has been taken with 2-stops under-exposed using the Exposure Compensation.
So, don’t always trust your histogram, it doesn’t always tell you the full story. Sometimes, you need to trust your instinct and what you see in the liveview. Granted the JPEG display of your image isn’t always 100% correct, but it’s pretty close in many cases. This is where shooting in raw and editing your images in post-production and give you exactly what you are looking for.
Happy shooting!
