My question deals with monitor brightness. Is there a proper brightness that all photographers use when examining images? If so how do you know when you've got it?
The reason I ask is because last night I posted an image on ESS that was worked on on a particular monitor. Since then I've looked at it on my son's monitor and the colors are faded (bright monitor) and at my job where the image lacks the morning's lightness (slightly darker monitor). So the image only looks right on the screen I worked on.
I wouldn't care that much about monitor brightness except that it affects the entire color spectrum.
P.S. I am familiar with Adobe Gamma adjuster but that doesn't seem to be the whole story on this subject.
So the image only looks right on the screen I worked on.
In addition to the gamma settings, cross-platform issues and monitor calibration (on your monitor and on those who view your photos), there's no consistency across manufacturers or even within a manufacturer's product lines. About all you can do is calibrate your monitor, make certain you are using sRGB profile and hope for the best.
Don't even get me started on the headaches of posting compressed JPEGs...
Is your image over on ESS the Joshua Tree image? If so, that looks reasonable good in terms of color and brightness.
Probably the best place to start with answering your question is to know if the monitor you are working with to make adjustments is color calibrated. Adobe Gamma does a decent job, but it is affected by how you see color (there is a slight difference in eyes, often even from left to right, between most people), room color, room lighting, and experience. Depending on your goals and finances, you may want to consider the purchase of a product like the Spyder2 for color calibration of the monitor. That will take a lot of variables out of the equation that will affect color.
With regards to the different tonalities between monitors, that is why I am suggesting a calibration system of some sort. What you saw is pretty typical for the general consumer world. Most photographers who work digitally are aware of the problem (or in your case, become aware of the issue) and eventually move to a calibrated environment. This means that the color I see on my monitor should match what you see on your system.
Unfortunately, this does not solve the issue of what happens when an image is displayed on an uncalibrated monitor. There really is not a good solution to this problem because there are far too many variables to deal with. The best you will be able to do is calibrate your son's monitor after doing yours, and ignore the fact that the work monitor is off.
Discussion
2 repliesThe reason I ask is because last night I posted an image on ESS that was worked on on a particular monitor. Since then I've looked at it on my son's monitor and the colors are faded (bright monitor) and at my job where the image lacks the morning's lightness (slightly darker monitor). So the image only looks right on the screen I worked on.
I wouldn't care that much about monitor brightness except that it affects the entire color spectrum.
P.S. I am familiar with Adobe Gamma adjuster but that doesn't seem to be the whole story on this subject.
In addition to the gamma settings, cross-platform issues and monitor calibration (on your monitor and on those who view your photos), there's no consistency across manufacturers or even within a manufacturer's product lines. About all you can do is calibrate your monitor, make certain you are using sRGB profile and hope for the best.
Don't even get me started on the headaches of posting compressed JPEGs...
Probably the best place to start with answering your question is to know if the monitor you are working with to make adjustments is color calibrated. Adobe Gamma does a decent job, but it is affected by how you see color (there is a slight difference in eyes, often even from left to right, between most people), room color, room lighting, and experience. Depending on your goals and finances, you may want to consider the purchase of a product like the Spyder2 for color calibration of the monitor. That will take a lot of variables out of the equation that will affect color.
With regards to the different tonalities between monitors, that is why I am suggesting a calibration system of some sort. What you saw is pretty typical for the general consumer world. Most photographers who work digitally are aware of the problem (or in your case, become aware of the issue) and eventually move to a calibrated environment. This means that the color I see on my monitor should match what you see on your system.
Unfortunately, this does not solve the issue of what happens when an image is displayed on an uncalibrated monitor. There really is not a good solution to this problem because there are far too many variables to deal with. The best you will be able to do is calibrate your son's monitor after doing yours, and ignore the fact that the work monitor is off.