How are you dealing with colour management?

[elle_m]

<p>I'm not sure where to post this, since it really applies to all categories of photography...</p>

<p>But...</p>

<p>How are you dealing with colour management in a world where your images are being viewed and printed on a vast array of products?</p>

<p>For example, I process all the images on my calibrated mac. I then send them to a client (bride, commercial client, whatever) and they say they look washed out and blue, due to the fact that they're viewing them on an uncallibrated Windowos Vista monitor.</p>

<p>How do you compensate for that when you a) cannot view them on that monitor and b) you will not be printing the photos yourself and therefore have no way of consulting with the printing house on proofing matters?</p>

<p>If I handled all my printing, this would be a moot point, as my entire system would be set up to produce an optimal result. But in many cases where the bride or the client will be doing their own printing at places unknown (whether photo prints, albums, flyers, brochures, posters, etc.) there's just no way you can accomodate every situation.</p>

<p>So... how to resolve this issue?</p>

<p>And even more frustrating to me -- brides gushing over (and sometimes choosing over mine) the underexposed work of my competitors when viewing it on an uncallibrated monitor... but I digress...</p>

<p> </p>

[mparsons]

<p>Hi Elle,<br>

It sounds like it is time to print your work. This is the main reason that those of us who are hesitant to just deliver digital files still deliver high quality prints. If you still feel you must deliver digital files, I would build a set of prints into your price so that the client can appreciate the difference. If you are losing business over it--I think you must change. Brides complaining about your quality is not where you want to be. Sometimes we must set limits on our clients for their own good. <br>

In my business model I deliver wall portraits with each package and all small prints are sprayed and mounted. The wall portraits are canvas or metal prints and are printed at a high end lab. I have a sample to show clients of the same picture printed on a desktop printer and the sprayed and mounted one--guess which one looks better? They may purchase a digital file(at a premium) after they have spent a certain amount at my studio. Cds and Dvds may soon follow the path of the floppy disc--a print will never be obsolete. So by printing a high quality product you are putting the needs of your customer first as well as maintaining your reputation. Best of luck to you! </p>

[shawn_mertz]

<p>Maybe offer monitor calibration as a new service. I meant that as a joke, but thinking about it more... maybe<br>

You can't manage other peoples color. It does make me wonder a bit at all the pictures I see looking washed out and yellow maybe they were made on non calibrated dark bluish screens.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>There is no way to control how clients/prospects see your work. So I don't attempt to control it. I still sometimes print a limited proof set of 4x6 prints though, and those prints look terrific. So far, I have not had anyone complain about the digital files I've processed and I know they are getting their own prints made. I've seen some of those prints, and they look OK, mostly. I've also seen my work on client monitors, and they don't look so bad--mostly too light because most non color managed monitors are set too bright. Clients don't even notice, most of of the time.</p>

<p>I've never, to my knowledge, lost a booking due to perceived image quality based on monitor viewing, but who knows? These days, since decisions are often made without ever meeting the photographer in person, it 'coulda happened'.</p>

[pete_s.]

<p>First you should make sure all images you deliver are <strong>sRGB and nothing else</strong>.</p>

<p>If they are for printing they should have the sRGB profile embedded.</p>

<p>If you deliver large images for the web the image should be tagged for sRGB. In most cases you don't have to and it's better not to but the Safari browser on the Mac have some strange color space issues when it comes to untagged images. Windows machines will work fine. Read more about tagging and embedding color profiles <a href="http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html">here</a>.</p>

<p>Also put a gray scale on your website if people go there to see your images. Then they could at least get the brightness on their monitors more or less right.</p>

<p>PS. You competitions underexposed images may actually not be underexposed at all. It could be a Safari problem on your Mac. Only 4% of all computers are running Safari so you might want to check with Firefox and other browsers that run on OSX.</p>

[richardsnow]

<p>Pete S is correct. Make sure you are sending out your files in sRGB.</p>

<p>m Parsons is correct. Print your work.</p>

<p>Nadine is also correct that most uncalibrated monitors are too bright and also too blue because this makes the monitor look "better" under less than ideal lighting, (like in a big box store with fluorescent tube lighting)</p>

<p>Pete S is also correct that your competitor's images may not be underexposed, but your Mac may be reading the image incorrectly.</p>

<p>Here's what I can add for you:</p>

<p>Do not send digital samples to your customers. Send and display only high quality printed images from a lab that you have calibrated your monitor to.</p>

<p>Don't focus on your competitor's image quality when displayed on a monitor. This is never the reason you lose a booking. You lose bookings for some other reason...perhaps price, perhaps the product you produce (your style), perhaps personality. I can't tell you what it is because I don't know you and I don't know your business model, but it can only be one of those three things. </p>

<p>DISCLAIMER:<br>

I'm not a professional wedding photographer and only shoot referrals and people that seek me out for my style of photography. I do not advertise and I don't try to compete with other locals price-wise... it wouldn't be worth my time if I did. I have a day job and don't need the income from photography...I do it because I enjoy it and others like what I produce.</p>

<p> </p>

[pulpmojo]

<p>just give em some prints like M Parsons says. That's what I do. I started off my business just handing out CD's but after a few weddings I came to realize that my work isn't really represented properly that way. So I include prints with all my weddings now. And if you hand them a CD, at least recommend a decent lab.</p>

[markonestudios]

<blockquote>

<p><em>Windowos</em> Vista monitor</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's the problem right there. They're using cheap knock-off monitors.... :)</p>

[thesaltypeanut]

<p>I go through this at the time of my consults. I explain everything that you went through in your original post... then I show them a book that I put together which has 5x7 examples of<br>

1. My calibrated lab professional print<br>

2. Walgreens<br>

3. Walmart<br>

4. Target</p>

<p>Works like a charm!</p>