Step 2 of 9 · Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes
Check the histogram
Check the histogram — step 2 of 9 in Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes. The histogram shows the distribution of tones from black (left) to white (right).
Free photography tip: Check the histogram (step 2 of 9 from "Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes").
The histogram shows the distribution of tones from black (left) to white (right). If the graph smashes against the right edge, highlights are clipped — you've lost sky or white detail. If it piles on the left, shadows are crushed.
A well-exposed RAW usually has a hump in the middle with tails that don't smash either wall. If yours does clip, you'll fix it in the next steps — RAW has recovery headroom that JPEG does not.
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