Photoshop help. I think...

slodave · slodave's Garage

OK, with the weather providing opportunities dramatic scenery, I went out to play with HDR images. All was great until I saved the image from Photoshop.

This is a screen capture from PS and then cropped to get the pic.

This is the saved image.

I really don't get it. Yes, the OS is Windows and I know that Windows has been lagging in the color management dept., compared to Apple.

That said, can anyone with Windows and PS CS3 knowledge shed some color, er, I mean light on this... Thanks!!!

Steve Carlton · 02-09-2009, 11:22 PM

You're on the right track. The second image is in the Adobe RGB color space. CS3 "knows" that and adjusts for it. On the web, it'll look different. Your first image is in the sRGB color space. (I believe) you shouldn't be using Adobe RGB unless you're printing yourself with a profiled printer. If you're not doing your own printing, I would convert the color space in CS3 by going to Edit > Convert to Profile and select the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 as the Destination Space. (Don't use Assign Profile). Go into the menus of your D100 and change the color space to Nikon sRGB or whatever it says is sRGB.

slodave · slodave's Garage

Thanks Steve! I had a feeling. I'm a hybrid, my pix pretty much end up on the web. Any pix I print, I print off my dad's computer, as he has the better equipment. My laptop is setup for printing, yet I "print" to the web. I guess it is decision time for me.

Isn't there a happy medium?

Steve Carlton · 02-10-2009, 12:18 AM

I think Adobe RGB can generate a slight improvement in home printing, if you've got things calibrated and profiled. It tends to make images look washed out on the web, unless you're using a browser that's capable of adjusting for it, like with Apple. The difference between your two images are significantly more dramatic that what I'm used to seeing on my PC for just a color space issue, but hopefully that's all it is. Not much else it could be, I'm thinking.

slodave · slodave's Garage

My dad is my mentor. Even though he thinks he is an "amateur", I think he is pro caliber. He also gets to go on week long adventures with outdoor photog pros - He's headed off to Alaska next week to shoot Bald Eagles.

As far as he is concerned, the camera is set to AdobeRGB, as is PS, but he calibrates his monitor. That said, he basically prints large photos and a few for his website, but since the web photos are small, I don't think it matters for him.

As for the above images, the first is over saturated, but I was playing and then noticed the difference in the saved image. I'm going to take my laptop to my parents later today and deal with this more. At least I can get a better idea of what everyone is seeing.

Steve Carlton · 02-10-2009, 07:29 AM

Adobe RGB is better for printing, as it has a larger color gamut. Easy to convert to sRGB for web posting. They probably have to be re-sized (and perhaps re-sharpened) anyway.