{"id":7626,"date":"2024-01-05T10:54:35","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T10:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/?p=7626"},"modified":"2024-05-11T10:06:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-11T10:06:58","slug":"how-to-read-histogram-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/how-to-read-histogram-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Read a Histogram in Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Today I&#8217;m going to walk you through using Histogram for your photography edits, with examples from both Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with a quick look at what histograms are when it comes to digital photography:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Histogram in Photography and How to Read One?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A histogram is a very useful way to examine the contents of a digital photograph. It is simply a graph of the distribution of RGB values throughout the possible range of 0-255. In Adobe Photoshop\u2122, the histogram is called \u201cLevels\u201d and can be found in the pulldown menus via&nbsp;Image \/ Adjustments \/ Levels or via keyboard with Ctrl \/ Cmd \u2013 L. Lightroom on the other hand displays a Histogram in the top right corner of the Desktop app.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This high key image below shows that the vast majority of the image pixels are above the 50% mark (128). And given the large specular component, there\u2019s a spike of pixels at the maximum 255 value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-style-default\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"http:\/\/35.90.134.179\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-1-Spider-web-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr.png\" alt=\"Spider web and Histogram in PS and Lr\" class=\"wp-image-7628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-1-Spider-web-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr.png 1920w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-1-Spider-web-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-1-Spider-web-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-1-Spider-web-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-1-Spider-web-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Conversely, this low key image shows all of the pixels are below the 50% mark, with the preponderance well below 25%<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"http:\/\/35.90.134.179\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-2-Dark-Closet-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr.png\" alt=\"Dark Closet and Histogram in PS and Lr\" class=\"wp-image-7629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-2-Dark-Closet-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr.png 1920w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-2-Dark-Closet-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-2-Dark-Closet-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-2-Dark-Closet-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-2-Dark-Closet-and-Histogram-in-PS-and-Lr-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Read the Histogram in Lightroom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lightroom has a more comprehensive histogram than Photoshop, showing a separate graph for each color channel in your image. Furthermore, it gives you the option to highlight the areas of the photo that are \u201cclipped\u201d, aka too bright or too dark. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1524\" height=\"1080\" src=\"http:\/\/stageblog.truhu.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-3-Show-Clipping-in-Lighroom-Overexposed-Underexposed-1.png\" alt=\"Show Clipping in Lighroom Overexposed Underexposed\" class=\"wp-image-8251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-3-Show-Clipping-in-Lighroom-Overexposed-Underexposed-1.png 1524w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-3-Show-Clipping-in-Lighroom-Overexposed-Underexposed-1-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-3-Show-Clipping-in-Lighroom-Overexposed-Underexposed-1-1024x726.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-3-Show-Clipping-in-Lighroom-Overexposed-Underexposed-1-768x544.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1524px) 100vw, 1524px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, the blue and red areas represent underexposed and overexposed areas respectively. Lightroom does not allow you to edit the histogram manually (like in the Photoshop example below). Instead, to effectively improve your histogram in Lightroom, you have to go through basic light and color editing and determine which channels to reduce in order to improve the details of your photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Improve Photo Quality with Histograms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So this all very fascinating, but so far we just learned via the histogram what our eyes already told us \u2013 we have one high key and one low key image. However, the histogram can be conveniently manipulated, with the potential to improve our image quality. Let me show you how to do just that using Photoshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the photo below, we have a nice mid-day shot in the Sierra mountains. But perhaps it\u2019s a little more flat than we recall or prefer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In the Levels control<\/strong>, we can drag in both the upper and lower level end points a little bit toward the center to increase contrast. You can view the effect of your changes, prior to committing with a click on \u201cOK\u201d, by checking \/ unchecking the preview box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1494\" height=\"1080\" src=\"http:\/\/35.90.134.179\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-4-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS.png\" alt=\"Editing the Histogram in PS\" class=\"wp-image-7631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-4-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS.png 1494w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-4-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-4-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-1024x740.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-4-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-768x555.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1494px) 100vw, 1494px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting back to our high key and low key images, these too can also be potentially improved by manipulating the histogram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the right, we are making a dramatic change that changes the focus of the image. But if your goal was to highlight the patterns in the glass, this would be a desirable change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1526\" height=\"1080\" src=\"http:\/\/35.90.134.179\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-5-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS.png\" alt=\"Editing the Histogram in PS 2\" class=\"wp-image-7632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-5-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS.png 1526w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-5-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-5-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-1024x725.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-5-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-768x544.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1526px) 100vw, 1526px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With the low key image, this change represents an obvious improvement. It is worth noting that the improved image is still not great, because the original is so underexposed. I think the expression \u201cyou can&#8217;t make a silk purse out of a sow\u2019s ear\u201d applies here. The best approach is of course to take a better exposed photo, but that is not always an option, and the Histogram can be used to recover many marginal photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"753\" src=\"http:\/\/35.90.134.179\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-6-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-1024x753.png\" alt=\"Editing the Histogram in PS 3\" class=\"wp-image-7633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-6-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-1024x753.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-6-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-6-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-768x565.png 768w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-6-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS.png 1469w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One word of caution, manipulating Levels is \u201cdestructive\u201d to your photo, <strong>meaning it results in pixels being discarded<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what the histogram looks like after making that dramatic change to the low key image. All the \u201cjaggies\u201d in the histogram represent lost pixels. If it improves the image, then the loss is worthwhile, but there\u2019s no free lunch in image editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"753\" src=\"http:\/\/35.90.134.179\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-7-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-1024x753.png\" alt=\"Editing the Histogram in PS 4\" class=\"wp-image-7634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-7-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-1024x753.png 1024w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-7-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-7-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS-768x565.png 768w, https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Image-7-Editing-the-Histogram-in-PS.png 1469w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Photographer\u2019s Note<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I took the low key and high key image with my iPhone 12. The image processing in that device is so impressive, I really had to go out of my way to take an under and overexposed photo. It actually captures images better in marginal light than does my eye \u2013 amazing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to read and use histograms in your photography editing workflow. See how to edit histogram levels to correct photos and show more details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"aioseo_notices":[],"modified_by":"syed saqlain","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7626"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7626"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8253,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7626\/revisions\/8253"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}