Silverrails wrote:
I am looking for some advice, explanations, definitions of a Good and proper Histogram of Digital Image. I have observed other Photography sites, but I want to hear from an expert on Histograms here at UHH.
Thanks in advance for your knowledge on this subject.
Any 'expert' that tells you there is such a thing as a 'good and proper' histogram clearly is not ....
I'd suggest you consider a few interrelated issues:
1) Are you shooting in RAW?
2) If you shoot JPEG, do you plan / want to edit further or do you want straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs?
3) What is the noise profile of your camera model?
To me, the histogram has become less relevant than the highlight warning (aka blinkies). When I review test images / in-progress images, I look first at where the highlight warnings occur. If I have warnings, I know, without even looking at the histogram, the histogram will be pushed to the right edge. With extensive experience over tens of thousands of images, I know from a glace at the location of blinkies whether I can recover this highlights in post from my RAW files. If have concern, such as a close-up portrait, I'll adjust the exposure as needed to remove the highlight warnings, pulling the histogram back to the left.
Why are my three questions relevant?
As a Canon EOS RAW shooter, I want that histogram as far to the right as possible for every ISO value and I adjust the exposure in post, whether RAW or JPEG. This Expose to the Right (ETTR) approach reflects the noise profile of every EOS body I've used. For my Sony camera that has a different noise profile, I'm less 'over the edge' of the right side of the histogram, but still seeking exposures that cause some highlight warnings.
You / no one can say what a 'perfect' histogram would look like for every camera and every exposure situation. Rather, develop your own hands-on knowledge with your camera, and if applicable, your processing software.