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JACK LARSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Charleston Harbor has its Fisherman's Wharf, but it certainly isn't San Francisco. Happy Silly Tuesday.
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USE YOUR HISTOGRAM - On his blog yesterday, David duChemin talked about "Exposure and Metering"; http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2009/08/exposure-and-metering/. His main point was that we need to pay way more attention to our histogram than what we see on the LCD screen. Here is a crucial quote, "the right half of the histogram is capable of storing exponentially more information in it than the left half. WAY more information. And the right quarter of the histogram, WAY more than the other three combined. How much more? Again, I’m simplifying, but if the right quarter of the histogram can hold 2000 levels of information, the quarters to the left of it can hold 1000, 500, and 250 respectively. There isn’t much information at all in the darks. That right quarter of the histogram can hold twice what the rest of the entire histogram can hold. It’s a WAY bigger bucket, can hold more information. More information means better image quality and more flexibility in the digital darkroom before noise becomes an issue." This is why all of the pros say, Expose to the right. If we expose to the right (without clipping), we will be capable of producing far, far better exposed photographs.
@SCOTT F. SCHILLING: Thanks, Scott. Whenever I see the words, Fisherman's Wharf, I automatically think of SF; I'm programmed that way. Charleston Harbor does have some sailboats (you can see some masts in this shot), but it is essentially a working boats harbor. PS - that albacore tuna is fabulous!
@Dulcie: Thanks, Dulcie.
@djedfre: In that respect, it's a real winner. The fish is incredibly fresh.
@Lydie et Roland: Merci.
@Magda: Thank you.
@PATRICK: Merci.
@Barbara: Thanks, Barb.
@10Fraction: Merci.
@Linerberry: Thanks, Caroline.
@hamzeh oliazadeh: Thank you.
@Mathilde Collot: Merci.
@Mhélène: Merci.
@MrsAmber: Right.
@Steven: Thanks, Steven.
@Lorraine: Merci.
@Tracy: Thanks.
@MARIANA: Thank you.
@LauraS: Thanks.
@Don: Thanks, Don.
@Michael Rawluk ht: The point is not a "pretty" histogram. Rather it is that in a digital camera, it is your primary source of information. If you go by the image that you see on the LCD screen (a mediocre in camera jpg rendering), you most likely will have more noise than need be. If you don't look at your histogram, and if it is not weighted toward the right, like it or not, you are throwing away valuable data. Unless I am shooting action shots, I use my histogram all of the time; it has proven to this almost 74 yr. old to be invaluable. I must admit, however, that you produce some outstanding photographs without using your histogram.
@marc battault: Merci.
@Ajay: Thanks, Ajay.
@Steve Rice: Thanks.
@"...م.ر.گ...": Thank you.
@Anna.C: Thanks. Me, too, on fish and crab; I love all seafood.
@Judy: Thanks, Judy. On the histogram, it is well worth reading the entire blog.
@Marie: Merci.
@jamesy: Thanks.
@Isidro: Gracias.
@Anina: Many thanks.
@Betty: Thanks, Betty.
@amy: Thanks much.
@PD: Yep.
@Lee: Thanks, Lee.
@Monique: Thanks, Monique. Our photo guild had its annual bar-b-q last Friday evening. We had marvelous tuna steaks.
@Judy: Digital is a whole new world! It's really hard for me to shoot to the histogram and not the image on the LCD.