Final Colors

[andykowalczyk]

<p>I walked past the magazine rack in my local store and noticed that

both Time and Newsweek ran exactly the same picture of Ronald Reagan

in a cowboy hat. But the final colors were extremely different. Side

by side, one looks almost yellow and the other gave rosy red cheeks.

<p>

Just shows how much correct color rendition is still an art in the

hands of the print maker / photoshop operator!

<p>

<a

href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/archive/covers/0,16641,1101040614,00.html">

<img

src="http://i.timeinc.net/time/images/covers/1101040614cov_white.gif"

height=138 width=107> </a>

<a

href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=617800&TICK=NEWS&STORY=/www/story/06-06-2004/0002187917&EDATE=Jun+6,+2004"

>

<img src="http://thumbs.newscom.com/db/PRN/prnphotos/docs/039/026.thm"

height=128 width=96> </a>

[lex_jenkins]

No surprise there. A lot of personal interpretation goes on between the photo that leaves the photographer's hand and the printer.

 

Usually radically different results are unintentional or harmless. However, several years ago during the O.J. Simpson-connected murder phenomenon, one of the two news magazines above deliberately altered a photo of O.J. (a police mug shot, as I recall) to make him look more sinister. Caused quite a stir of outrage.

[david_lau3]

Correct color, especially skin tone, is very subjective. My experience in taking portrait photos for young ladies reveals it. For the best shots I usually give them several versions of the same image to choose from - each has slightly different skin tone maniplated by me in Photoshop. Almost none pick their true skin tone. They like slightly red.

[rowland_mowrey]

Interesing answer about the ladies picking red.

 

That is why most professional or portait films have a slightly warm balance. It is well known that people prefer to pick warmer toned flesh in prints and transparencies.

 

Another note is the fact that it is difficult to design a film that produces all tones of flesh equally as well, and that some 'averaging' must be done between 'nordic', 'average caucasian', 'oriental', 'african american' and other representative flesh tones. I apologize for omissions. I am aware that there are very many types, and no offense is intended for omission. The mentions above are merely illustrative of the possible extremes in the range.

 

I have tested films with a very light skinned redhead model and an African American model side by side to force test the range of professional films.

 

Ron Mowrey