Understanding that funny fuzzy line thingy

In following with my last post, I found another good explanation page for something most amateur photographers know nothing about; the Historgram. One of the keys to improving your photography is to gain an understanding of how your camera sees the world – and it doesn’t see it like your eyeballs. Understanding the Histogram is key to getting a ‘correct’ exposure. Learn to check your histogram while shooting in the field, and you can know right away if you need to add or subtract more light from your exposure to render the scene as you would like it to appear. This will help keep you from trying to “Save the image by using Photoshop” – an often common approach to ‘fixing’ what could have been ‘fixed’ in the field. This will help you tremendously, whether you’re shooting dark and dramatic storm clouds over a desert landscape, or a high-key portrait of your family or pet while playing on a back-lit beach scene.