At a loss with setting color on lcd monitors

[stevecim]

Hi All

Is there any real way to set colours on a monitor without using a hardware device?, I have 5 LCD's at home and all are different , 3 are Windows 7 based systems and my main PC is a Mac mini with 2 screens. I have no idea if I'm setting colour right on my photos. Can anyone with a calibrated screen tell if this image colours look OK? ( Skin tones straight out of my A550 seem to have a yellow cast, but now I'm not sure if it's the images or my screens) This image is after I've tried to correct the colours.




Cheers, Steve

[Dusty]

I've tried Monitor Calibration Wizard and also Calibrize, and I've found Calibrize to be the better solution for my LCD monitor.
http://www.calibrize.com/index.html

Dusty

[agorabasta]

Steve, the colours in your sample appear very realistic in the sense that reality is very likely to look like that at times. I mean - white is white, skin tones very probable; but without seeing the original it's simply impossible to tell much more while staying objective. For example, how could we possibly know if the hues are correct?

[stevecim]

Thanks, Dusty. I'll have to try Calibrize on my windows PCs.

Here is the orignal, on my main screen, it's look slight yellow and the shadows in the face look "dirty"

[Dr. Harout]

I have noticed that it's not only the monitor's calibration but also different softwares react differently to the same picture.
After processing in LR, saving it and looking with e.g. ACDsee the colors differ a bit, looking through Image Lightbox shows different result with the same saved jpeg picture.
Odd but fact. Maybe I should change my LCD?

[stevecim]

I've noticed the same thing, I try to do all of my processing in DxO, just to avoid this

[Dr. Harout]

I have DxO and it's different from LR. I still have to learn a lot on that.

[stevecim]

I've been using it for 3+ years, but have only just started to setup my own "Presets" , it's work flow is very basic, 1. select photos for project, 2. make any adjustments, 3. process images..... nice and simple just the way I like things For me I found DxO easy to pickup, once I started using the "no corrections" preset rather then using the builtin presets which did not seem right...

[agorabasta]

Steve, your adjusted sample looks like something that may happen in real life. The unadjusted 'original' colours simply cannot happen in real life. So you are definitely adjusting in the right direction.
But it's only for you to tell how true to life it really gets, since you're the one who saw the true 'original' in real life.

Most of the digital cameras around produce very poor JPEG colours in low-K lighting. The exceptions may be found in Olympus and Panasonic cams, but still 'no cigar'. The Sony a700/900/850 could be adjusted to produce good enough colours, though too far from the default JPEG settings.

On the monitor calibration, you'd better read that short old thread here - http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=4588.
Then adjust subjectively.

[stevecim]

Thanks, Agorabasta and Dr.

Agorabasta, I was going to post, should I just get a color chart place it next to the screen and adjust the colours to match, but then I thought if it's that simple why do they make the $100s devices .

I've just reprocessed a bunch of photos from last year and the colours look much better

Agorabasta, if you have a Macbeth chart, does this tiff look OK
http://tonysleep.co.uk/node/536

Cheers, Steve

[agorabasta]

Yes, that target rendition from 'drycreekphoto' is correct. It's done with proper coordinates for D50 illuminant (horizon sun) for the current standard GMB chart. So just get this pic on screen, place a real GMB chart next to your monitor while having some daylight lighting that real GMB chart (not necessary to wait for the evening sun), and adjust the display colours with the monitor and video card driver controls. And tell the computer OS to not use any profile for your monitor.

P.S. I attach here an sRGB rendition of the same chart - it should be easier to use.

[stevecim]

thanks again