Photography Forum

2/17/2011

Histograms and Safari Photography - Part II

In the previous edition of Classic Africa News, we learned how to read and interpret histograms, now it's time to consider their practical application for safari photography.
The first thing to know is how to access your camera's histogram display. Details will differ between makes and models, and it behoves the photographer to read the instructions manual thoroughly, and be familiar with your camera before safari!

Secondly, it is of critical importance that you don't allow the LCD screen and histogram to be a distraction: use the histogram sparingly, and only when the situation allows. Before setting out on game-drive, and periodically during slow times on drive, check your camera settings (click here for a safari photographer's checklist). On arrival at a sighting, focus your attention on the scene and the subject, and take several shots before you even consider looking at the LCD screen. Once the action settles down, take 30 seconds to review a few of your shots and the accompanying histograms; make any necessary exposure adjustments, and then return your full attention to the subject(s).

As a rule, if the histograms are "clipping" on the left side, increase exposure by opening the aperture, slowing the shutter speed, or/and increasing the ISO setting; and vice versa if the histograms "clip" on the right side. The goal is not to achieve perfect exposure with the histogram (that's a job for post editing) but, by making sure that all pixels fall within confines of the histogram, to capture the maximum amount of detail in an image.

It is advisable to use the histogram in conjunction with your camera's highlight overexposure alert (aka the "blinkies"). If the histogram is "clipping" to the right, the "blinkies" will immediately identify which part(s) of the image are over-exposed, which has bearing on whether or not to make exposure adjustments. Some subjects are not expected to show detail - e.g the sun's orb at sunset - so you wouldn't decrease exposure if these are the only over-exposed parts of an image. .

Some scenes are just too high in contrast for a camera's sensor to capture the full tonal range - in other words, no matter how you adjust exposure, the histogram will always "clip" to the left and/or right. Advanced photographers can work around this using High Dynamic Range techniques and software, but this typically requires the use of a tripod. An easier solution is to try re-composing the image to eliminate extremely bright or dark regions (i.e. decrease the contrast of the scene). If forced to choose, a general consensus is that it is better to allow a histogram to "clip" on the left than on the right - i.e. underexpose the shadows in order to retain detail in the highlights.

It bears repeating - don't miss a great shot because you're fussing with the camera's controls or playing back images on the LCD screen. Even professional photographers will sometimes use the Program mode to capture shots when the action is fast and furious, and there isn't time to manually set the camera.

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