What I have learned since getting a new screen

Part A
1) What I thought was focussed and sharp... wasn't
2) What I thought was "good" colour... wasn't
3) What I thought was noiseless or very little... wasn't
4) Much more.

Part B
1) I have a lot of photographs which will be junked
2) I have a lot of photographs which if not junked will have to be re-edited
3) I still have a MASSIVE amount to learn about getting the finished product from camera to print or web.

And I thought I already knew a lot. Now, I know that I don't know what I don't know.

Oh, yeah... and now, nearly all of the photographs I think are fairly decent have actually come from the GRD3, not the K-5 or X100. Go figure.
 
the $1,000,000 question now is have you saved the "original" and do you shoot RAW?
Post a few before and afters once you've "fixed" a few. I'd be interested to see the difference (if I even can on my crapola screen).
 
the $1,000,000 question now is have you saved the "original" and do you shoot RAW?
Post a few before and afters once you've "fixed" a few. I'd be interested to see the difference (if I even can on my crapola screen).
Well, see, thats the point, you probably wont be able to see the difference. I couldn't, on my laptop, nor on my iMac. Now I can, its disheartening. I'm keeping pix which cant be replaced or re-shot, I'm keeping stuff that seems OK to begin with. I'm going have a delete-fest from flickr and redbubble (not everything will go, just that which looks crap on my screen now), but not so much from the PPG because it takes too much to get accepted there in the first place, though I think some will face the axe, even so.

Its going to be a long time before I'll do before and after, Luke... (hell... freeze... ) though I appreciate your interest.
 
A good monitor is worth a thousand words. But we have to remember that what you had before was what most people have. However, if you print, then it becomes critical. I can only print from what I see on my calibrated NEC monitor.
 
I remember when I assembled a really great revealing stereo system. a handful of records sounded great and the rest sounded like crap. I think I'm probably happier without seeing how my photos really look.
 
Thanks, Andrew. Yes, I know that most people probably saw it as it really is - or maybe not, if they have screens that saturate colour (mine clearly did), and thats why its difficult to show what I mean, here... but for Luke, I'll try :)

Original flickr, and its on redbubble and PPG as well... like this, and to my eyes, washed out. It always looked a bit that way once posted to the web. But not here, in iPhoto or PS (it does now!!)
View attachment 56096
Big Surf by kyte50, on Flickr

The just edited version with more saturation, that day the ocean wasnt a pale blue it was a deep green blue. I still don't have the colour right, but its all I am doing right now and I hope that ppl will be able to see a difference.
7565810572_f7dd95f991_z.jpg

bigsurf1 by kyte50, on Flickr

Fingers crossed.

When I uploaded originally, to me, the second version here is what I thought I was uploading. But once it got to its destination, it looked like the first. Does this make any sense at all?
 
I look at the virtual world through this rubbish little 10" netbook screen - and those two images look vastly different Sue. That second one has another worldly light and spirit to it. Nice work!
 
Thanks, Mark. It looks a bit that way on my laptop too, but oversaturated. The first one looks washed out but on the laptop, the "home" version looks more like the second, and the home version of the second looks pretty wild. On the Dell screen, with the sRGB profile selected, the first is washed out and looks the same on the web as it does on the "home" version.... the second looks like its supposed to, on the web, and again. no colour changes from the "home" version.

Don't know how else to explain it.

Anyway, I think everything will have to be deleted from RB, not that anyone is buying from me, but if they did, the prints would be dreadful and they would be asking for refunds. I've decided theres too much on flickr to re-edit. I'll just have to do better from now on.
 
Sue,
You sure bring into focus what I have been dreading. What my photos actually look like to others, that have a calibrated monitor. I know that the few that I have printed, do not look like they did on my monitor. Hope to get a nice monitor and calibrator eventually.
 
I need to learn more about all of this stuff. I just read several articles about the relationship between exposure and saturation. A lot of stuff I understood and a lot I didn't. And most of it I wasn't even bothering to pay attention to even if I knew it. I like the colors better in the 2nd shot, but it looks out of gamut and oversaturated (which could very well be my garbage laptop screen). I think you should advance with caution regarding the delete button and be sure you're not just enjoying the new more for its' newness. Have you calibrated your new screen? Also, it may be useful to view histograms while working on the images. I barely know how to use them myself, but it would be interesting to see if certain channels are clipping in the newest processing (and that may actually be desired if that's what you're going for).

I know you've made me give a little more thought to using RAW (which I almost never do), exposing to the right and spending more time in processing and trying my best to get it right instead of just rushing it out.

Keep us in the loop with your progress.
 
Thanks, Andrew. Yes, I know that most people probably saw it as it really is - or maybe not, if they have screens that saturate colour (mine clearly did), and thats why its difficult to show what I mean, here... but for Luke, I'll try :)

Original flickr, and its on redbubble and PPG as well... like this, and to my eyes, washed out. It always looked a bit that way once posted to the web. But not here, in iPhoto or PS (it does now!!)
View attachment 56133
Big Surf by kyte50, on Flickr

The just edited version with more saturation, that day the ocean wasnt a pale blue it was a deep green blue. I still don't have the colour right, but its all I am doing right now and I hope that ppl will be able to see a difference.
7565810572_f7dd95f991_z.jpg

bigsurf1 by kyte50, on Flickr

Fingers crossed.

When I uploaded originally, to me, the second version here is what I thought I was uploading. But once it got to its destination, it looked like the first. Does this make any sense at all?


Sue both are great, however that second has real punch. Better monitors reallyare a help, right?
 
I guess ignorance is bliss! I can see quite a difference between the two photos you've posted but I prefer the original with maybe fewer tweaks because I think that in the second picture, the sharpening/contrast of the foreground now distracts from the main feature, the rolling wave and spray! Perhaps it's my iMac though :rolleyes:
 
After the prompting, I've just calibrated my MacbookPro screen. I'm not sure how much difference it will make yet - I did notice that some of my last prints were the wrong colour though.

Thanks for an interesting thread
 
I guess ignorance is bliss! I can see quite a difference between the two photos you've posted but I prefer the original with maybe fewer tweaks because I think that in the second picture, the sharpening/contrast of the foreground now distracts from the main feature, the rolling wave and spray! Perhaps it's my iMac though :rolleyes:

I agree I prefer the first the second feels over saturated and I am looking at it on a calibrated 30" monitor. Try just play with the green saturation.
Honestly though we never remember the exact color, we just have a mental picture of what we thought we saw.
 
Landshark said:
The main thing is to try and calibrate whatever screen you are on

Thanks, Bob, I'm really beginning to realise the need for a calibrator. How often do you think it needs doing? I'm on the brink of rejoining the photography club in order to connect with others and the club has a Spyder I can borrow when the time comes.

Also I have a number of profiles, one downloaded, some built in, and one for my printer (didnt even realise Epson provided profiles, well done Epson) which is actually not too bad in terms of how the print comes out compared to whats on screen. Shame the printer itself is crap.
 
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