How do I know if the photo exposure is appropriate?

Lead: Whether it is a DC digital camera or a DSLR digital SLR? Have you ever experienced that you can't see the photos on the LCD clearly in the sun and often wonder if the photos are not exposed correctly (too bright or too dark)? I'll tell you how to know if the photo exposure is appropriate.

How do I know if the photo exposure is appropriate? Is it too bright or too dark?

solution

Now let me introduce a very important and convenient tool in digital photography-histogram. This is a relatively new and "technical" thing for beginners, but once you understand the meaning, you will find it really useful! Now let me give you a brief introduction.

In the histogram, the X-axis represents the information from dark to bright, and the Y-axis represents the amount of this information. The following are the three most common exposures:

1. Overexposure

Most of the information is biased to the right, and there is basically no information on the left.

2. Normal exposure (average)

Information is evenly distributed from left to right, with more information in the middle.

3. Underexposed

Most of the information is biased to the left, and there is basically no information on the right.

Here are a few examples to make you more aware of the relationship between photo exposure and histogram:

The left picture shows overexposure and the right picture shows underexposure.

As can be seen from the last two pictures, if you take a photo and find that the histogram is left (underexposed) or right (overexposed), then you'd better add or subtract EV (EV+/-) or adjust the shutter aperture combination.

The myth of correct histogram

Does every photo need to be adjusted to the histogram of normal exposure? Of course not. Photography emphasizes the coordination between technology and artistic conception. An overexposed or underexposed photo can also be a good photo. Look at the following example:

Obviously, this moonlight photo is underexposed (there is no information at all on the right), but this is exactly what the photographer wants to shoot.

? This photo of trees in the snow is overexposed (there is no information on the left), but it can better reflect the effect of snow.

conclusion

Histogram is actually just a chart that truly reflects the dark and bright parts of a photo, and there is no right or wrong. However, if you want to take a normal exposure photo (such as travel photography, ordinary portraits, normal scenery, etc. ), the histogram is of great reference value. Therefore, it is suggested that you not only look at the photos after shooting, but also refer to the histogram to understand the influence of different aperture, shutter and ISO combination on exposure in different environments. Of course, the most important thing is to ensure that there is a "correct" exposure time in the photo!