Histogram Study by helenhall

Histogram Study

As I read up on the Black and White high contrast challenge, I realised how resistant I am to learning the technicalities of photography - preferring to stick with intuition. I vaguely understood what I was reading but to be honest hadn't got a clue how to find the histogram of a photograph and less so what on earth it was going to tell me.

So today, I set myself the task of seeking out some high contrast scenes to see what I could learn. I ended up with eight contenders which I made as high contrast as I thought pleased the eye, and then decided that which ever one had the best U shaped histogram (I've been reading @northy) I would post . This is the result. Taken in an arcade so I had to push the ISO up to 400 and it is rather grainy.

Reading some more on the challenge thread, I am obviously not there yet as there is too much mid tone in this photo. But I've enjoyed what I have learned so far and will continue to look out for high contrast options.

Oh, and whilst discussing challenges, I would love to see more of your artist inspired photographs - Sirkka Liisa Konttinen challenge ends at close of business on Saturday.
http://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/28580/artist-challenge-sirkka-liisa-konttinen
I like your reasoning. I would leave the blacks where they are and boost the whites a little. I admire the way you keep pushing yourself. That is the way I learnt a few things, and for me it's life long learning.
October 13th, 2016  
oh there's so much to learn! Sometimes I think I'm cracking it with a half decent picture, then I see somebody else's and I think I'm back to square one!....But then it would be boring if we knew it all. I know I'm so much a beginner, I wish I could give up work and go to college to learn it properly.....but that aint gonna happen!
October 13th, 2016  
@janemartin Jane - I was just thinking how much your photography had come on since I first started following you. You are producing some amazing shots. Like you, I wish I could just stop working and spend more time learning photography. Not going to happen for me either!
October 13th, 2016  
@ethelperry thanks for the encouragement and advice Ethel. I tried boosting the whites but perhaps not enough.
October 13th, 2016  
@helenhall onwards and upwards then! Thank you for the very kind remark!
October 13th, 2016  
That web address about B&W photography is so interesting - makes me want to look for an opportunity! i like your choice!
October 14th, 2016  
Gosh, I can relate to your first sentence - that's definitely one of my shortcomings! Like the scene you found to try this contrast. Nicely done.
October 14th, 2016  
Beautiful contrasts Helen! I applaud you for reading up on it and trying it out - I would like to do the same but now is not my time... :) I'm sorry I've been absent. I'm hoping this weekend is when I finally catch up a bit (I'm so behind in my project but also catching up with people!)...
October 14th, 2016  
I like your photo. It has a lot of contrast, but it may have been the sidewalk that gave it the midtones, but I like seeing the sidewalk in the photo with the soft shadow. I am currently playing a little game with myself where I try to figure out where my photos will fall on the histogram before I take the photo and then see how close I am to it.
October 14th, 2016  
You have captured the contrasts well here even though you had to up the ISO. We were only talking about histograms today and I rarely have the histogram on my live view but it is the first thing I check out when I open photos in Photoshop.
October 14th, 2016  
What great contrast, we learn more and more every day don't we? ;)
October 15th, 2016  
As mentioned in another comment, your images are inspiring me to venture into the world of B&W. I will readily admit I am much more drawn to color images...I absolutely love color! Which is all the more reason to expand my horizons and step outside my comfort zone into the world of B&W, right? I keep telling myself that and yet I'm not doing it. And so, it remains as one of my top photography goals. :-)
October 15th, 2016  
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