We have all seen a histogram at some point during our photographic education, although sometimes it can be difficult to read a histogram. In short, this type of graph tells the photographer how his/her tonal range is distributed: shadows, highlights, mid-tones. By understanding how to read a histogram, a photographer can better expose his/her images more accurately.
In the five minute video below, John Greengo explains during a lecture at CreativeLive how to read a histogram and what the graph is actually showing. When viewing a histogram, the "blacks" are recorded on the left hand side of the graph, the "middle grey" is in the middle of the graph, and the "whites" are recorded on the right hand side of the graph. Prior to watching the video, be sure to note that the "tonal range" does not refer to the individual colors that are seen within the image but the tones; the "darks" through the "lights".
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01. Burgett, Gannon. "Back to Basics: Your Camera's Histogram Explained." PetaPixel RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2014.
02. "Learn Photography." John Greengo Photography. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2014.