Judge Exposure Accurately – How to Use the Histogram Correctly

Verfasst von Markus

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Digital camera displays a histogram with a landscape photo during sunset in a field.

Histogram Instead of Guesswork

The camera display or viewfinder can be misleading – in sunlight, an image often appears too dark, and in the shade, too bright. The histogram, on the other hand, objectively shows how brightness is distributed in the image:
Left = Shadows, Middle = Midtones, Right = Highlights.
A strong peak at the edges indicates lost image information – especially overexposed areas are hard to recover.

Remember:

  • Use the live histogram in the viewfinder or display if available.
  • On older cameras: take a test shot, check the histogram, and adjust exposure.
  • The goal isn’t a “perfect” histogram, but an intentional use of light distribution.

The histogram is your most important tool for precise exposure – not just in challenging lighting conditions.

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Markus

🇩🇪 Wer schreibt hier:

Servus zusammen,

mein Name ist Markus und seit 2014 widme ich mich der Video- & Fotografie von Naturmotiven. Diese Leidenschaft begann während meiner zahlreichen Reisen durch Japan - von Hokkaido im Norden bis hinunter nach Okinawa im Süden. Diese Erfahrungen haben mich wieder stärker mit der Natur verbunden und auch die WildeNatur vor meiner eigenen Haustür entdecken lassen.

🇺🇸 Who is writing here:
Hello everyone,
My name is Markus, and I've been passionate about video and photography of nature scenes since 2014. This passion started during my many trips across Japan—from the northern reaches of Hokkaido all the way down to Okinawa in the south. These journeys have helped me reconnect with nature and also explore the wild beauty right outside my own front door.

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