This is #14 of 101 digital imaging tips I plan to post here over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Today's tip (from Laos): Set Your Camera's LCD Monitor to Display the Image and the Historgram.

The histogram is the best (only) way to check your exposure. If you are not checking your histogram, you are not checking to see if you have the best possible in-camera exposure.

The image on your display only gives you an approximate idea of the exposure. It's a JPEG of your RAW file.

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. Bonus tip: Keep your radar on all the time. The opening picture for this post is one of my favorite images from today. I got the idea after seeing the scene in a remote village: a young woman hanging several weaving on a line. I noticed the opening in the weavings and thought that it made a perfect frame for the woman. I simply asked her to walk into position and took a few shots.

Actually, I asked my guide, Vong a thit, the best guide in Laos, to ask the woman to pose for the photograph. Vong's email address: vongla@yahoo.com.

Hey, I know the image below is just a snapshot. I just wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the village.

I also shot the image vertically. It's usually a good idea shoot a scene both horizontally and vertically – because you may prefer one over the other at a later date. Which version do you prefer?

If you like digital imaging tips like this one, as well as general photography tips, check out my 24/7 Photo Buffet app.