Jacqui Burke Loc: Perkiomenville, PA

I am looking at my photographs that I took last month during my trip to Baja. There are a lot of photos of dark whales in dark water. I knew that I would need to dial in some negative exposure compensation as the camera would tend to lighten the scene. I did not know how to read the histogram for this type of situation and even thinking about it at home I am confused. I did not travel with a computer as we were encouraged to travel light. Also, my husband (not a photographer) was with me and I didn't want to get sucked into looking at photos on my computer during down time rather than being with him.

I am now finding that overall -.3 performed the best for most of these photos, but the histograms are hard to read. When no exposure compensation was used, the histogram looks "normal" with no clipped highlights or shadows but those photos are clearly overexposed. When negative compensation was used, the histogram is shifted to the left with no highlights touching the right side. Since I find it hard to evaluate photos by looking at the LCD screen, particularly "in the heat of the moment" and in the sun, are there some guidelines anybody can give for knowing the correct exposure factor in such a case and in reading the corresponding histogram?

Thanks in advance for your help!

BebuLamar

If you shoot RAW there is no need for any compensation. You simply reduce the exposure in post to where you like it. If you shoot JPEG I think -.3 is too little to make thing look dark and things may look too bright for your taste although your subjects would have great details.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You might post an example or two, being sure to store the original, so we can speak to an example. A histogram of a posted example will be much the same as you would see on the back of the camera so we can speak to what you were seeing and what you were seeking to accomplish.

In the meantime, a few questions:

1) Are you shooting in JPEG or RAW?
2) Do you want straight out of camera images or are you trying to maximize the image data for processing?

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

But if you shoot RAW, you still need a computer to process the files! The OP stated they did not bring a computer on the trip, and wants to be able to view properly exposed images while on the trip. Shooting RAW is simply not a solution in this case.

repleo Loc: Boston

Remember, your exposure meter is trying to average out the frame to 18% gray. If the frame is mostly dark objects as you suggest, the camera will try to normalize the blacks to gray - sort of like shooting a snow scene but opposite. Your histogram will show a 'normal' exposure, but to your eye the darks will have been lightened too much.
That is why I like mirrorless. The histogram in the EVF will tell me if I am clipping highlights or blocking shadows but I can use exposure compensation to get the overall exposure to my liking.

repleo Loc: Boston

Remember, your exposure meter is trying to average out the frame to 18% gray. If the frame is mostly dark objects as you suggest, the camera will try to normalize the blacks to gray - sort of like shooting a snow scene but opposite. Your histogram will show a 'normal' exposure, but to your eye the darks will have been lightened too much.
That is why I like mirrorless. The histogram in the EVF will tell me if I am clipping highlights or blocking shadows but I can use exposure compensation to get the overall exposure to my liking.

Jacqui Burke Loc: Perkiomenville, PA

So far none of the posted responses have been helpful. I shoot JPEG. I do understand the benefits of RAW but I haven’t had the time to invest in learning LR and Photoshop. I also understand that the camera is trying to make everything mid tone and therefore is lightening up the scene, but how do you “trust” or interpret a histogram in these cases? Yes, I can correct a bit in the post processing I do, but the ones without exposure compensation have blown highlights and therefore won’t be as nice as they could be. But most importantly, I am trying to LEARN to do things right in the camera and was seeking advice for the future.

User ID

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Even if your images look overexposed they
might actually be correctly exposed. There
is no reason that the SOOC images should
"please the eye". IOW the black cat in the
coal bin should look like a gray cat in some
gray rocks, given that such a scene has no
bright highs to blow away.

The gray cat in gray rocks image will have
much more image data than the black cat
in black coal. More data means less noise.

If you need to blacken the gray rendering
to "please the eye", do it in PP.

With your whales, it's possible that some
reflections on the surface mean the cat in
coal analogy fails you, if such reflections
get bigger with more exposure. But if they
don't get bigger, the gray cat is the best
exposure. Any surface reflections already
lacking any detail will not "get brighter"
with more exposure. Blank white is blank
white. So if the reflections don't grow in
size, go for the gray look, not the black,
for your SOOC images.

All this means your histogram can be read
the same as usual.

And acoarst for jpeg-only, you should be
bracketing, for later evaluation, and not
vainly attempting to judge results without
a computer. Just bracket and know you've
got it in one of the brackets.

---------------------------------------


You should shoot jpeg + raw, as insurance
in tricky situations with important subjects.
In worst case scenario, you'd hafta process
the raw files. You overstate the complexity
of doing that. You do NOT need high end
software nor any fancy skills.


.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Sorry - but that is a gross oversimplification. Proper exposure often calls for exposure compensation or you run the risk of not getting the most dynamic range possible from the scene, even in RAW.

In this case using the camera settings without negative compensation should give more dynamic range since the highlights were not blown out. Darkening in post would get the resulting image to look as originally seen yet have more detail in the darest areas.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

You could turn on your "blinkies", a lot of folks find it easier to read and they do have the advantage of showing you, where exactly in the scene you will find some clipping. I myself are completely fine with using the histogram, but you might give it a try! It certainly speeds up your "workflow" in challenging situations!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Post one or more of your images, store the original, and we'll show you how to read and use the histogram.

repleo Loc: Boston

Practice, practice, practice !!!
or
Get a mirrorless camera

Bill_de Loc: US

The OP understands how to get the picture. She is seeking advice on understanding why the histogram displayed the way it did.

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repleo Loc: Boston

That has been explained in several posts above, but she says they were not helpful. She needs to practice and experiment for herself. She can't see live view on the rear screen. A mirrorless would help her see what she is doing in the EVF before she shoots - at least that is how I learned.

Do you have a better suggestion?

Muddyvalley Loc: McMinnville, Oregon

Doug Klostermann has a series of tutorials on Nikon cameras. I've invested in three so far. He has one for the D7100, which I believe you are using, as you mentioned purchasing one in an earlier post. Google his name, and D7100. It will be $10.00 well spent, and probably answer questions you weren't aware you had.. Far superior to relying on the Nikon manual.
Then, as others have said, post a photo with 'store original' checked, and someone here will do their best to help you.