Lightroom Quick Tips - Episode 58: A Histogram Trick 

Lightroom never ceases to amaze me. Thanks Anthony

I for one, pay close attention to the histogram, particularly when reaching what I think is the final product. While I did know about making adjustments within the histogram, this episode has given me a fuller appreciation of HOW I might use the many features AND what to watch out for. Thanks Anthony. Very much appreciate you posting this in spite of your personal preferences. You are a "true" teacher and coach. Regards from The Rock

I stumbled on this by accident when I first started using lightroom. Played with it for a while but went back to the sliders pretty quick. Another informative quick tip...love all your videos

Sometimes I pull the sliders, sometimes I adjust the histogram... what I hadn't noticed consciously was that the highlighted histogram area corresponds (correlates as you put it) exactly to the different sliders. Always good to know things in more details. Good tutorial, as always.

Thanks, Anthony. I probably won't used the histogram to adjust my images, but do appreciate your sharing with us. It is always good to know the various ways you can achieve the same effect. Thanks, again, for all your videos. Keep up the good work.

Anthony, I am not certain that I will move in the direction of abandoning the sliders, but the whole hystogram mystery is becoming clearer all the time and. I find myself using the LCD screen on the camera more for confirming composure specifics and referring to the hystogram to confirm exposure specifics. Additionally, the hystogram is becoming an ever increasingly important part of my exposure processing techniques. I never really understood the utility of the hystogram before. It is yet another thing learned at the MSAP........Morganti School of Applied Photograhy. Thanks again. Jack

Thanks! You taught me something today. Also, when using the sliders, if you hold down the alt key while you adjust, it'll show in the image which specific areas are clipping. You probably covered that in the past, though.

Thank you Anthony for teaching me so much about Lightroom. I use the histogram for whites and blacks after other adjustments are made.

I have been doing this for a while. Still enjoyed you showing it. Thanks!

another great tip Anthony. thanks for sharing. I have tried using this method to edit my photos. its not a bad way to edit your photos, but I prefer to use the basic panel. After I am done in the basic panel I may use this method to do some fine adjustments. like if a highlight or shadow warning light is lit. other than that I just use the basic panel. thanks again for sharing Anthony.

Very useful! Thanks for taking the time to do the lesson, even if you had in the past.

Informative and easy to understand. This video makes me understand the histogram better and know how the sliders or pushing from the histogram window could affect the picture. but for me.. when i edit a picture.. I usually dont care how histogram look or turn out to be.. I just push n edit the picture till it looks the way I wanted it to be. I think trick in this video could be useful if 1 wants a balance look or fine tune things to a good starting point before editing further... Thanks for sharing.

This is actually the way I always adjust exposure in lightroom. Great tutorial!

Great video and tip - I will definitely try this tip and maybe implement it to my workflow.

Nice one, enjoyed it - something I need to sharpen my skillset on. And especially paying more attention to it while shooting!

It's good to know the "small handy bits" in Lightroom, whether you use them or not is immaterial... It's nice to know they are there - Thanks Anthony..

Thank you again for the tutorials. I do agree with you in that I also prefer to use the sliders, but it's great to know this trick/shortcut.

Thank you again, nice to know . Unlikely to use. But all info available adds to knowledge. Very much appreciate all your tips

I actually used the histogram before I started watching your videos. After many watched videos (Thank you very much for the free videos) I mostly use the sliders now, but sometimes at the end of my editing I may go to the histogram if I want quickly to adjust one of the four sliders.

Good to know this option, not sure if I will decide to replace the slider adjustment method with this but worth a try.

I use the histogram for Marco adjustments then use the sliders for fine tuning. Thanks for the tip on the small triangles.

I think this is good to know. I'm going to give it a try. I did learn more about how the histogram works. Thanks

As others have said, nice to know, but like you, I prefer the sliders. Amazing how much functionality is in LR that most people don't know about. Thanks again for all your great videos!!!

Yes, Anthony... I do remember you covering this trick previously. And though I've used it occasionally, I find it cumbersome as opposed to using the sliders directly. Just me...but to each his own :)

I like it, and will try it on some troublesome images. Thanks for posting it. Charles

I personally probably wouldn't use this method, but it is very good to know about it can be done that way. I am so used to the sliders it would be hard for me to break that work flow...Thanks for posting, again, because it's useful to know.... Philip

Another brilliant tutorial. Thank you.

I agree with Marty Turner, I tend to always use the option key pressed to more easily fine tune along with the histogram.

I played with this method years back but had the same problems. It can be useful just to show what the different sliders affect.

I personally use the sliders. However, I do not feel the feature is useless, as it s very helpful in LEARNING how the sliders affect the histogram. This is useful in teaching how to target improvements to the photo quickly. Once a user understands the concepts, then I think the sliders are faster and more efficient.

Never knew that. Thanks for the excellent explanation. May use it.

Thanks so much. It's great to be aware of numerous methods to achieve the results you want.

Hi Anthony, I am an avid viewer of your episodes; and have learn't A LOT of useful tips for my editing. In response to your request re: Histogram trick - I am afraid I'm like you. I prefer to use the tabs to adjust things. Best regards, John from DOWN UNDER - in sunny Sydney!

Excellent explanation. Thank you.

I almost always use this method to adjust exposure. I just find it intuitive. I sometimes use it for the other sliders but not often.

Thank you. your videos are so easy to understand.

six of one; half dozen of the other to me. good to know. i've use it for blacks and highlights as a quick way to make sure image is not clipped. thank you!

I have always used the histogram in preference to the sliders - much easier because you only need to look in one place other than at the image!

Yes I think I would use the histogram tools you mentioned

Useful.... Glad you showed us.

You just answered what I was looking for, thanks

Thank you for your nice videos. I won't use this option, but it is good to know

I will definitely give the histogram a shot, but I am happy with the results of using sliders.

i generally use the histogram these days to adjusting the light... not for balance reasons, but i like it for the kind of visualization of it.

I only touch it when I get frustrated doing it with the sliders if I'm not getting what I want. Dragging it usually ends up doing things I wouldn't do resulting in a fresh perspective

My husband does it this way and his photos always turn out very pretty. :-) I enjoyed the way you explained it though. I really enjoy your videos. Thank you very much. :-)

Learned something I did not know, but seems like a lot of jumping back and forth. I'll certainly give it a try but not sure I'm sold on it.

I tried using the histogram some time back and for the same reasons you mentioned, I migrated back to the sliders.

personally I wouldn't use this way but didn't know about it so thank you for your video about it

I don't think histograms are very useful generally, except to look for clipping. It reflects the quantity of light, and if your picture has large area of dark or light it can be misleading. Maybe in a portrait, which was shot for even light, ok. An image shot for dramatic lighting needs very specific treatment by area with gradients.

Thank you for this tip, I like it. Thank you

This is nice to know, but I tend to fine tune with the sliders (with and without the option key).

Good to know this method too👍

If you know and understand this histogram then the numbers in the sliders are irrelevant and using it is all that is needed. However, as an interface, this overly small histogram display is clumsy, at best. I have used it for adjustments but if it were larger I'd probably use it more often. Also, you can't use the mouse wheel to make adjustments on the histogram.

Interesting, may try it but think I will stay with the sliders

I'll go for the sliders!

I'll give it a shot....different way of doing something....thanks

I liked the part about the clipping arrows. Otherwise just another way to do the same thing. Still this was a good video!

Good to know, but I'll stick to the standard method But thank you as always for showing us!

Good to know but I'll like stay with the sliders.

It is a great tip, thanks.... i still prefer the sliders... (y)

It seems to me to be a lot more added to your workflow. Nice to know it's there, but having to go back and forth and readjust the histogram when you make further settings is simply a waste of time in my opinion. Each to his own.

THANK YOU

I never use the histogram, the sliders are easier to adjust in my view.

I would try it but I like sliders

I personally wouldn't use this method either, but thanks for the reminder.

Sliders for me!

thanks, but it is pretty useless.

:-D You know I do. :-D

I're right. Not so usefull