A reconfigurable holographic antenna and a method of shaping an antenna beam pattern of a reconfigurable holographic antenna is disclosed. A baseline holographic pattern is driven onto a reconfigurable layer of the reconfigurable holographic antenna while a feed wave excites the reconfigurable layer. An antenna pattern metric representative of a baseline antenna pattern is received. The baseline antenna pattern is generated by the reconfigurable holographic antenna while the baseline holographic pattern is driven onto the reconfigurable layer. A modified holographic pattern is generated in response to the antenna pattern metric. The modified holographic pattern is driven onto the reconfigurable layer of the reconfigurable holographic antenna to generate an improved antenna pattern.