Histogram Palette?

[steve_peters@adobeforums.com]

What is the histogram palette actually good for? I understand that it is giving you a graphical representation of the tonal range of your image. Shadows on the left, mid range in the middle and highlights on the right. But what good is this? You can tell by looking at your image wether or not it is a high key or low key image, you don't really need the histogram to tell you that. So I am just wondering if there is maybe something I am missing?

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

for color and tonal corrections it's extremly handy to see what your changes are doing to an image in a graphical representation rather than just what you see on screen.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

....but practically speaking you are correct, it has no real value, unless you want to get all hot-and-bothered about holes in your histogram from over-editing. If you use levels a lot it will seem more important.

-a Photoshop Philistine's opinion

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

It impresses the customers by making the room look more like a science lab.

[Ronald_Lanham@adobeforums.com]

Just one of many reasons: If the histogram begins to appear too 'combed' it's an indication there may very well be visible posterization occuring that even though you're not seeing it on screen... when the image is printed you will.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

.... and it impresses the customers by making the room look more like a science lab.

[JasonSmith@adobeforums.com]

Also it helps to see if an image is taking advantage of the entire dynamic range.

...and <sigh> it impresses the customers by making the room look more like a science lab.

that - and open a profile sometime in the Apple ColorSync utility - view in 3d mode.

....At least that impresses my boss.