Mar 7, 2012

Need Your Thoughts...

HELP!

So, I've been posting photos, and looking at all of your photos for a few months now. I love checking out everyone's work. It all looked good to me as far as brightness went. Then, a few weeks ago, I decided to have a couple of my photos printed at a local department store chain. They came back way too dark. I figured it was just bad printing since it was so cheap, and didn't think much else about it. A few days ago I decided to get a couple more printed again, but this time ordered from a professional online photo lab. They arrived today. When I opened the tube they came in they still looked a little dark to me, but better than the ones before. Then I brought them in and compared them to the ones on my monitor. I know they are going to look a little different because the way a monitor is lit, but there was a very noticeable difference in brightness. So I finally broke down and went and bought a monitor calibration tool. $220 later and now I have a correctly calibrated monitor. At first it all looked so dim. But, I left it like it said it's supposed to be. I went and opened a few of my photos and they all look too dark now. The bad news is I have to go back and brighten every single photo that I ever decide to print. The good news is they shouldn't come out so dark next time. But here's my dilemma. Most people don't have calibrated monitors. So now every photo I process will look good to me, but I'm afraid it will be too bright on most people's screen. I tried Googling this problem and there were quite a few people asking the same thing, but no one had any straight forward answers for them. That's why I want your opinion. Have any of you run into this same problem? I'm also going to post a couple photos below. One is an old photo processed before the calibration, and the other is one I brightened quite a bit (even though it still looks a little dark on here) and I also had to adjust the colors to match the print labs color profile I downloaded from their site. (I have much more respect for professional photographers now btw. I'm glad I didn't know what all was involved a few months ago or I might have taken up a different hobby). So what do you think? Is the new photo too bright or does it look better?

Before the calibration

After the calibration


Before the calibration

After the calibration



13 comments:

  1. I think it must be the same for me...
    ;-(
    Best regards,

    Pierre

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  2. Hmm, after calibration the photos look way to light for me :/ I had same problem with prints but from night photography (I have one from Hamburg on my site) and never checked it again in better work-shop. But with other prints I am quite fine (on 40x60 size) :)

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    1. I did notice that one of the prints that was a little darker to start with ended up being a bigger difference in darkness when compared to the original. Maybe printing somehow intensifies the darkness that is already there.

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  3. Your images do look better after calibrating. I think many of us ponder this question. I like how my images look on my monitor.. but how about others? And some look at photos on their laptops and phones. I really don't think there's a clear answer.
    PS.. I love your work!

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    1. Thanks Laura. It is weird. I can look at these photos on this monitor and see quite a bit of difference. I look at them on my cell phone and they look pretty much the same. If I move them to the TV that I have connected to my computer the newer ones look too bright. It has me second-guessing everything.

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  4. I wonder about this problem a lot and have noticed that when I view my edited photos that are on my blog, on other computer monitors, they look different. This is especially true when viewing them on laptops, since my editing is done on a bulky 'old' Dell desktop. I reset my monitor to 'factory settings' and discoved a huge difference in all my photos, they were lighter and brighter! I think there is no way around this problem since a lot of people adjust the color, contrast, etc. to their preferences for comfort.

    Your work is fantastic, and love that you use a lot of HDR!

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    1. Right, and I think the problem is only going to get worse since monitors seem to be getting brighter and brighter. I wish I had an old CRT hooked up to compare to.

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  5. uff! same problems,I heard from many,I think it has something to do with the monitors,and my teacher from a course I did years ago said that when I go to a printing studio,I have to explain to that person how I want the photo and they make some changes and then it looks ok -usually brighter, and he also said I should go on only to that print studio after,cause they will have my changes memorized and they will apply on each the same.
    when I first printed my photos they were really dark-I had a professional photo printer at home,so then I started brightening the photo on my computer and printed it till I got out the right photo! well..I had to do it really bright! but then I already knew how bright to make them so that they will look good on printing.. and I still don't understand why..and next days I should go print some photos and I already think how to do it and where..and how open will be the workers there to help me.
    someone told me that the really old monitors were the best because they showed the real color-you know these big monitors(for desktops) with big back that you needed lots of space to put them on.. I might have one in the cellar..

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    1. :) yes,the CRT monitors! forgot how they were called..

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    2. I was told the came thing about the old monitors. It's funny how the new technology is making things harder for us.

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  6. I tend to like my prints darker but try to remember that everyone's monitor is different as is everyone's taste. I've been calibrating my monitor for about a year now. Before this, I had sent some photos out to a lab for prints I was to use in a photo contest. They came back with off-colors as well as blurry and sized improperly. Needless to say, they never made it to the contest and I withdraw my 'intent to submit.' After that, I started callibrating AND bought an Epson photo printer (got a great deal at B&H). It's taken some practice and tweaking but, for the last contest I entered (in January), I printed two prints twice and was happy. One of the prints came in 3rd. Stuff on our monitors always looks great. Photos seem to jump out at us and glow...all due to that light coming from behind but, once you start to put things on paper, all hell breaks loose and it's super frustrating. I have a friend who just sent some B&Ws out for the first time. Cannot wait to see the results. The move to digital from print was wonderful....immediate gratification, money saving, great results. Now, if they can only figure out a way to make it that easy to get the photos on paper without a hassel!

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  7. Congrats, your pictures look amazing. I love them, especially the second one !

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