Digital Photography Question

[cjd-player]

I've dabbled in photography for years, normally shooting 35mm slides.

We got a good digital SLR a couple of years ago, and it works great for family snapshots, outdoors shots, etc.

Studio type stuff is driving me crazy. I shoot the images, but then the coloration of the images changes depending upon which computer monitor I view them.
It got me wondering ...
Is there such a thing as a reference video monitor with truely accurate colors?

 

[adorshki]

Is there such a thing as a reference video monitor with truely accurate colors?

The short answer is yes, but it's a little more complicated than just the monitor. While I'm out of touch with current state-of the art hardware, I CAN tell you that high-end graphic design systems fetaure that capability, this would be the stuff people design corporate logos and other material intended to ultimately be printed in one form or another, where color matching and digital proofing are mandatory requirements. I sell paper to printers/graphic designers, that's how I became aware of the capabilities of the equipment they use. BUT it's not just the monitor, it's also the software used to drive the colors thru the computer's video board. In any case it's not cheap! We're talking about stuff that defines colors by wavelength, and the monitors have been calibrated to a standard. Maybe other guys know of something more suited to your needs....
Another tac might be to check with some computer stores for monitors intended for an application like that, they commonly used to be bundled with a video card that could drive the monitor's full capabilities and would have color bar generator built in. Beware though that what might be "true frequencies" on the display might look bad to your eyes! True yellow looks greenish to me and red looks slightly magenta for example.
Hope that helps!

 

[cjd-player]

Thanks, yes it does.

I suspected that there must be some sort of reference or calibration standard.
I'm not looking to buy anything, the situation just got me wondering.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Carl, I also was having this same problem. I looked around on-line and there are some monitor "color standards" out there. Maybe you can find something that works for you.

 

[learnintoplay62]

Hi Cj. Al is right , but like he said this can and will drive you crazy, as well as empty your wallet. First I am speaking of real life experience and as a working professional photographer, I have spent needless amounts of money trying to streamline my work flow and see the images in "real view ". Unless you are going to direct print cmyk or rgb color is not all the end all be all, I make sure things are set up right before I shoot.
I also found a screen that reproduces the color pretty close to what I see and just view them on that screen.
Make sure your white balance is set correctly in your camera.
If you are doing studio work, are your strobes close to daylight rated. Some are cooler or warmer and will affect certain colors.
Are you involved with your cameras histogram ?
In my opinion, and how I choose to run my business as far as color balance/and viewing pics, I keep it simple. I know that if my images are not over/ under exposed and my camera is set to match the light, all will be good.
Finally, a number of years ago I spent around 600ish on a top of the line professional monitor and in hind site I was just a sucker for good marketing. Nowadays I use a 99 dollar flat screen and side by side comparisons I can't justify spending 500 more.
I hope this helps.
Bob

 

[cjd-player]

Hi Cj. Al is right , but like he said this can and will drive you crazy, as well as empty your wallet. First I am speaking of real life experience and as a working professional photographer, I have spent needless amounts of money trying to streamline my work flow and see the images in "real view ". Unless you are going to direct print cmyk or rgb color is not all the end all be all, I make sure things are set up right before I shoot.
I also found a screen that reproduces the color pretty close to what I see and just view them on that screen.
Make sure your white balance is set correctly in your camera.
If you are doing studio work, are your strobes close to daylight rated. Some are cooler or warmer and will affect certain colors.
Are you involved with your cameras histogram ?
In my opinion, and how I choose to run my business as far as color balance/and viewing pics, I keep it simple. I know that if my images are not over/ under exposed and my camera is set to match the light, all will be good.
Finally, a number of years ago I spent around 600ish on a top of the line professional monitor and in hind site I was just a sucker for good marketing. Nowadays I use a 99 dollar flat screen and side by side comparisons I can't justify spending 500 more.
I hope this helps.
Bob

I still use my old 3200K lights from my film days.
Setting the camera white balance to 3200K definitely works better than the auto white balance setting.
But the issue is soley with the PC monitors.
On my laptop at work the colors are correct.
On my home PC they're too bold, too red, and brighter.

 

[Graham]

I still use my old 3200K lights from my film days.

Please tell us you were behind the camera! :shock:

 

[capnjuan]

... But the issue is soley with the PC monitors. On my laptop at work the colors are correct. On my home PC they're too bold, too red, and brighter.

Hi Carl; does the monitor have hue and saturation controls? Any chance you might consider a new video card? Yours might be failing.

 

[cjd-player]

Please tell us you were behind the camera! :shock:

No worries, Graham.
No one would intentionally put me on the front side of a camera. :lol:

does the monitor have hue and saturation controls? Any chance you might consider a new video card? Yours might be failing.

Great minds think alike, capn. :lol: :lol:

I thought of checking that right after I posted above about the difference between my work PC and home PC.

Seems that the kids had the brightness and color saturation maxed out on the home monitor. :shock:
Video games. :roll:
Too many variables to think about with this digital photo stuff. What's failing is ME !
Give me my film back. I'm a geezer. :lol: :lol:

 

[GardMan]

Adobe Photoshop comes with a little routine (whose name I forget... Adobe Gamma something... Added: I think it is Gamma loader) that will help you calibrate you moniter... to a degree. I found it still troublesome, so soon after getting into digital photography I bought an inexpensive photometer for calibrating my moniters. Mine is an older version of this.... Plug it into a USB port, run thru the software routine adjusting the moniter... takes about 10 minnutes. It really helps me get consistent results on the various moniters I use (laptop and a couple of desktops). There are other makes and models... but you should be able to find something for <$125. Dave

Added: and the kids are under penalty of death if they fiddle with the color controls on the moniter (which is just a slightly higher end Dell 17" digital/analog LCD)

 

[Graham]

Please tell us you were behind the camera! :shock:

No worries, Graham.
No one would intentionally put me on the front side of a camera. :lol:

Yes, good point. :lol:

 

[markus]

Not an expert here, but I know there are gray cards for calibrating the camera's white balance and like this or this for calibrating a monitor.
(I love this Canon-oriented site by Bryan Carnathan; also the description of his workflow is very good. Easy to read and lots to learn! And lots of gear you'll never be able to afford … :shock: :wink: )

I have a gray card but never tried calibrating a monitor though …
Markus

 

[Telenator]

I work for a motorcycle magazine group as Staff Photographer.

Our monitors aren't even remotely calibrated.

The sad truth is this. Work with one monitor and get used to the way it portrays color. Adjust as necessary from there.

I take thousands of images and run them through my system, photoshop, and then onto the network where the art department picks them up and lays them out into magazine articles on their non-calibrated monitors.

You can really start chasing your tail around and get crazy over this if you allow yourself to.

Just work on one single monitor. Adapt that as your standard. Adjust as necessary for output into the rest of the world.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Just work on one single monitor. Adapt that as your standard. Adjust as necessary for output into the rest of the world.

Ah, but this is the crux of the matter. What does the rest of the world see, and what adjustments do you make for it?

Here's my story.

When I photogragh my guitars I always "bracket" them with the exposure. I find this is better then adjusting the brightness and contrast later. (That, and old habits dye hard!) I noticed on my monitor that I was selecting the more exposed photos in the bracket. Then, when I started printing them I found that they were washed out. So I guess my monitor is dying because I have the brightness turned all the way up! So now I select photos that are on the dark end of the bracket.

To test the "world", or at least our little corner of it here at LTG, I set up a poll under a seperate thread in Misc.
Maybe this will give us some insight as to monitor "standards".

 

[JerryR]

Just work on one single monitor. Adapt that as your standard. Adjust as necessary for output into the rest of the world.

Ah, but this is the crux of the matter. What does the rest of the world see, and what adjustments do you make for it?

".

Bit philosophical, but do we all see color the same anyway :?:

 

[adorshki]

Just work on one single monitor. Adapt that as your standard. Adjust as necessary for output into the rest of the world.

Ah, but this is the crux of the matter. What does the rest of the world see, and what adjustments do you make for it?
".

Bit philosophical, but do we all see color the same anyway :?:

o-o-o-o-h boy............... :lol:
Depends on the meds is probably the safest answer......... :lol:
Better yet, what do you see next to the dialog box on the right hand side when you post replies?

 

[Telenator]

So, how do these look to all of you?

I bet I'll get several different answers.

 

[killdeer43]

Tele,

In a word, superb!
I've commented before on your photos so you can lead the charge on this one. :wink:

Great pics,
Joe

 

[Telenator]

OK, now I'm looking at my photos on my home monitor and they look fine to me. My monitor at the office leaves much to be desired. It's dark, has too much contrast and is, sniff sniff, boo hoo, a CRT not a flat screen! Yup, that's what I work on all day and produce images that in my opinion are suitably balanced for color, density and contrast.

Calibration is fine but it can own you and make you a slave to it. Because my company is so cheap I'm forced to "develop my palette" for what's going to work and what isn't.

 

[adorshki]

OK, now I'm looking at my photos on my home monitor and they look fine to me. My monitor at the office leaves much to be desired. It's dark, has too much contrast and is, sniff sniff, boo hoo, a CRT not a flat screen! Yup, that's what I work on all day and produce images that in my opinion are suitably balanced for color, density and contrast.
Calibration is fine but it can own you and make you a slave to it. Because my company is so cheap I'm forced to "develop my palette" for what's going to work and what isn't.

You gonna have to let go of those old fashioned "do it yourself like a craftsman" attitudes if you wanna be happy in the new world.... :lol: