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Histogram. It's a word that strikes fear into the hearts of amateur (and many pro) photographers everywhere. 

With histograms comes not only a new vocabulary, but a whole new way of analyzing your images and adjusting your settings to get the perfect shot.  It's by no means a path to taking a picture the "right way," as there is no such thing, but it can help you get the picture the way you envisioned it to be. 

Histograms are an essential tool and with baggage limits what they are nowadays, a handy reference for understanding and using histograms is a necessity.

                                          Newmediasoup's new iOS app

Aiming to help break down the myths and mysteries of underwater photography, New Media Soup, working with pro photogs Marty Snyderman and David Fleetham, have created the "Shooting Like the Pros" series of apps for iOS devices.  Their first offering, "Silhouettes," tackled getting the perfect silhouette shot.  Their latest app is entitled "Histograms Explained" and sets out to do just that.

                   Developed with Pro-Shooters Marty Snyderman and David Fleetham

The overall look and feel of the app is great, with a nice dark background that doesn't detract from the attractive photo examples and informative text.  The App is broken down into eight parts, as well as an Introduction/Slideshow and an "About the Pros" Section.   You can navigate to each section via the easily accessible Menu located in a pull-up tab at the bottom of every screen.

                              The app's menu: complete with all types of histograms

The sections flow from one to the other, building a knowledge base then moving on to examples reinforced with practical "mini-quizzes."  These interactive features make the app far more interesting than just another book about underwater photography and really help the reader judge if they truly understand the concept presented.  The text is clear and concise and not overly technical. 

Understanding Histograms covers each type of histogram, from Luminance to RGB, debunking myths about shape and proportion.


Overall the app is complete and thorough, and with the easy navigation afforded by the menu, a handy reference to have especially for the on-the-run-photographer.  Although a bit small for the iPhone, those users that bring iPads along on their trips should keep this app handy - if for no other reason than to educate those poor lost souls you are likely to run into on your next live aboard trip that are still chasing the "bell curve".



The app is available from the iTunes Store: