Adjusting Brightness - What's going wrong?

01/08/2004 10:13:09 AM · #1

Hi all,

I've looked through old threads but didn't find anything specific to my current problem.

When I pull into my DP Challenge a photo I've just worked on in Printshop 7, it's way darker than it was when I was editting it. I've had to go back into Printshop and increase the brightness +15 (so it looks washed out) so that when I load it again into my portfolio it's not so dark. Here's the shot as it stands right now.

Have you run into this? I've used a monitor adjust link just to test out mine and it seems fine.

Thanks

01/08/2004 10:46:57 AM · #2

Try levels.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

01/08/2004 10:55:34 AM · #3

Originally posted by faidoi:

Try levels.

I will, thanks

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

01/08/2004 10:57:40 AM · #4

Levels won't help the photo changing when you get it into DPC. That's just another way of changing the brightness during editing. I think the problem is the colour-space. I've heard before that people working in sRGB run into similar problems when viewing their photo in a web browser that uses RGB. Try making sure the setting are at RGB in Printshop 7.

edit: very nice photo by the way :) It does look a little washed out on my monitor tho, maybe +15 is slightly too much.

Message edited by author 2004-01-08 16:00:46.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

01/08/2004 11:05:23 AM · #5

Originally posted by Konador:

Thanks for the additional insight. Levels didn't carry over - as you predicted (I do appreciate the help, faidoi) I'll give the RGB a try. Interesting that the pic (thanks for the compliment) looks washed out on your monitor - it's still very dark on mine. I suppose it could be my monitor - sigh.

Lustre

Nikon D7000

01/08/2004 11:30:42 AM · #6

Originally posted by admart01:

I haven't used Printshop (unless you meant Photoshop) but I have seen very similar problems...

A lot of photo editing programs have a gamma adjustment, designed to displayed images differently. It's handing for printing who are working on photo's that will be printed in books, etc. As well as gamma, Photoshop has a "Proof Setup" menu option (somewhere towards the right of the menus).

Changing either of these settings can result in a very different brightness (and colour space) to other applications. I have been confused by the same problem as yourself, and used to always upload a copy to the site and verify it in a browser before being satisfied. I still have a similar problem when printing - the printer is darker than the screen - which I need to calibrate.

My best advice is to look at the gamma and "proof setup" options. In terms of knowing what is right you can either ask people here for advice (many probably have their monitor accurately calibrated) or just compare your images to other posted in competitions... I guess basically make other images on this site appear nicely on your monitor, then adjust your images to match.

One day I'll sort this issue out myself!

PS: The other poster is correct, the image appears a little washed out (assuming your dog is almost black in general), and perhaps a little flat. Try a little less brightness and some more contrast to lift the whites a touch - I think the image will spring to life.

Message edited by author 2004-01-08 16:33:19.

edhendricks

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

01/08/2004 11:56:52 AM · #7

With my monitor, the photo looks great...maybe a little dark, but that seems to fit the image. It is definitely NOT washed out, as viewed on my screen. Interesting how different devices display the phot in different ways. Maybe that's why we get such a wide range of votes sometimes...we all see something different.

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/08/2004 01:30:30 PM · #8

Originally posted by edhendricks:

Same here - photo looks great, leans toward dark, but I don't think it detracts from the shot at all.

01/08/2004 01:40:05 PM · #9

Originally posted by lhall:

Originally posted by edhendricks:
With my monitor, the photo looks great...maybe a little dark, but that seems to fit the image. It is definitely NOT washed out, as viewed on my screen. Interesting how different devices display the phot in different ways. Maybe that's why we get such a wide range of votes sometimes...we all see something different.

Same here - photo looks great, leans toward dark, but I don't think it detracts from the shot at all.

She's mostly black with an almost pure white patch on the chest.

This has been an interesting learning for me. I viewed the shot on my husband's monitor and it's a bit washed out! Hearing the different takes on the pic ("leans towards the dark" vs. "a little washed out") I'm thinking that's too large a spread for personal taste. Could monitors be correctly calibrated AND see a photo so differently? Would setting the gamma adjustment and/or the RGB within the jpg affect how it's viewed on different monitors?

I'll play with this tomorrow or over the weekend to see if I can see a difference and I'll ask a few of you to give me your takes.

I agree with edhendricks point about the different scores.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

01/08/2004 01:47:16 PM · #10

Why not download the original on to the forum and the experts can tweak it, make it pretty, and show you the steps. We've down this multiple times before. It's a great way of learning.

Shelley

Nikon D200

01/08/2004 01:51:21 PM · #11

I also agree with the point spreads. Often I will get comments about my pictures that say it looks washed out or dark, and on my monitor it looks okay. My problem has been that my pictures get light, not dark when sending them to DPC. I use the Adobe RGB1998 workspace, I think it gives a wider range of color values, and I also make sure that my scanner, is also set up to the same workspace, so everything matches. But getting back to the voting, maybe we all have to be a little more forgiving on some slight darkness or light issues when voting and give everyone some benefit of doubt when it is close. Some things are obvious tho

timj351

Sony DSC-F707

01/08/2004 02:06:02 PM · #12

I have read that it is best to first convert your images to the sRGB color space, make sure it looks good, and then upload it the web. Make sure your monitor truly is calibrated and using the light to dark scale on this site can, at least, help with brightness levels.

T

deafwolf

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF for Canon

01/08/2004 02:10:16 PM · #13

Theresa, the one you have posted doesnâ��t look dark at all to me. This post, along with some others was why I posted the viewing habits post. I seen some images from here at work, under the florescent jungle of lights and they suck, then I come home and do it under the proper viewing conditions and they rock. I guess the wrong conditions are like watching TV outside in the sunlight, nothing looks right. At least thatâ��s my impression so far.

01/08/2004 02:14:35 PM · #14

Originally posted by faidoi:

Why not download the original on to the forum and the experts can tweak it, make it pretty, and show you the steps. We've down this multiple times before. It's a great way of learning.

Great suggestion!

First the disclaimer - I wanted to learn more about editting software - specifically playing with lighting (my New Years Resolution shot is getting criticized for poor lighting - rightly so). I would not display this shot except to help me (and others) learn.

In Paint Shop Pro 7, I used an unmask sharpener, adjusted the light for indoors, removed some background stuff with a clone, and adjusted the brightness, reduced noise and jpg artifacts.

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF for Canon

01/08/2004 03:10:05 PM · #15

Not an expert but here's my take on it:

Levels, Contrast, Curves, Unsharp mask, Selective color adjustment.The processes I used should be challenge legal. I used the picture that you posted at the beginning of the thread.

Also remember that the contrast/brightness will look different depending on the moniter adjustments, PC Vs. Mac.

Message edited by author 2004-01-08 20:44:04.

deafwolf

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

01/08/2004 03:34:36 PM · #16

I don't have much time, and also am just learning all of this, but I chose the natural color approach. Good, bad or ugly, I liked it best.

undieyatch

Olympus E-10

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

01/08/2004 03:37:02 PM · #17

curves - w/dropper set black & white point (input 124 output 137).
brightness/contrast - set brightness to -3.
unsharp mask - (in lab colour and 16 bit)
threshold - 0
radius - 0.4
amount - 100%
save for web - (in rgb & 8 bit) quality 98

pcody

Canon PowerShot G6

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

01/08/2004 03:48:15 PM · #18

It took me about 2 seconds to correct the one that had the blue wb setting. In paint shop pro, I did a manual color correction choosing the patch of light fur on his chest and made that color white. All the other colors shifted. I didn't adjust anything else. oops. I did crop.

Message edited by author 2004-01-08 20:48:49.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/08/2004 03:56:18 PM · #19

Thanks to the four of you (pcody, undieyatch, faidoi and deafwolf).
To my monitor, faidoi's looks the closest to my original. The three others look a bit darker.

pcody - what did you do (other than cropping) and which shot did you use? Seems deafwolf's had a blue cast. Pcody's has such a dark background that I've lost some of the fur detail the others have. Does it look that way to you?

HRoxas

Canon EOS-5D

01/08/2004 04:01:43 PM · #20

My take (sorry couldn't resist)

Adjusted shadow/highlight in Photoshop CS, a little bit of level adjustment, boosted the whites under selective color.

deafwolf

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF for Canon

01/08/2004 04:05:02 PM · #21

Theresa, I'm just learning all this adjustment stuff, so this was a fun excersize for me. I've learned a lot about balance and color tones from this thread. It's all good! :)

pcody

Canon PowerShot G6

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

01/08/2004 04:12:34 PM · #22

I used the one you posted about four posts back from mine. It had a blue cast. I didn't adjust levels or contrast or anything else. By choosing the lightest part of the chest fur, I reset the white point and therefore, all, the colors in the picture. Have you tried the manual color adjustment in psp? It's really a useful feature.
Are you on a mac or xp?

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/08/2004 04:13:02 PM · #23

On the fly:

Increased contrast, sharpened (Graphic Converter)

One-click Enhance, sharpened (iPhoto)

01/08/2004 04:13:34 PM · #24

[quote=bruchen]My take (sorry couldn't resist)

Adjusted shadow/highlight in Photoshop CS, a little bit of level adjustment, boosted the whites under selective color.

That's the brightest yet. What did you do to the shadow/highlight? Also, what got the whites boosted?

Just like deafwolf - I'm learning a bunch on this. Glad you all participated - must be a quite evening on the TV ;-)

Message edited by author 2004-01-08 21:20:40.