Prints whose color has little to do with the color on your computer monitor!

These color management issues have always been the most intimidating area of digital photography for me.  And wouldn’t you know that readers have requested tutorials on this stuff!  So I’ve done some research.  I wouldn’t claim to be an expert, but I’ve definitely learned a lot.  And now it’s your turn!

First, the technical color management background

Recreating a specific color requires a different formula depending on where that color is being reproduced (a camera sensor vs.  a monitor vs. glossy paper vs. luster paper etc.).  The International Color Consortium created ICC profiles to allow various input and output devices to map their color definitions to a common language.  That way, the desired color can be reproduced no matter which device is reproducing it.

An ICC profile defines how a particular device reproduces color – this color reproduction is also known as color space.  ICC profiles can be created for three types of devices:

• Input device (camera or scanner)
• Display device (monitor)
• Output device (printer)

My Color Management Process

Start with your camera to manage the colors correctly.  Most dSLRs today allow you to embed or assign color spaces to your images.  The choices on my camera are sRGB and Adobe RGB.  My camera is set to sRGB, and I use sRBG consistently throughout this process.

Next step, color correct the monitor.  Calibrating my monitor is a huge help in getting prints to be consitent with the monitor display.  I have a Huey Calibrator something like this:

Unfortunately, my Huey was $100 when I bought it and it’s about $60 on Amazon right now.  Oh well. . . .  For my purposes, it works just as well as the more expensive calibrators.

I calibrate my monitor about once a week and can always see a visible change in the appearance of colors on my display.

For step 3, configure your photo processing software to use your color space of choice.  From Photoshop Elements’ Edit menu, select Color Space.  For a long time, I had PSE set to Always Optimize for Printing.  But the colors on my print were always significantly darker than on screen.  My prints come out much better now with everything set to sRGB.  (For you Lightroom and big Photoshop users, the steps are very similar.)

Do you ever get that message when opening a file in PSE about the embedded color space not being the same as your working color space?  That means that this particular image came from a device whose color space is not the same as the default you have established for PSE.  Go ahead and change the embedded profile for best results.

Step 4 – Manage color from PSE to the printer. Photoshop Elements (and LR and the big Photoshop for that matter) will try to manage the flow of color from the screen to the printer for you.  But I have had much better luck putting my printer in control of that process.  (I use an Epson R1800.)

To let your printer manage the color space, after you’ve opened Elements’ print window, select More Options.  Then choose Color Management and in the Color Handling field select Printer Manages Colors.  If your setup works better with letting PSE manage the colors (and it just might!), make that selection and choose the appropriate ICC profile from the Printer Profile field.

To get these paper-specific ICC profiles, go to the paper’s website.  You will most likely find various ICC sets for different types of printers and paper types.  For instance, Red River Paper has specific ICC profiles for many printer/paper combos.  After downloading the ICC profile to my computer, I save it on my desktop.  Installing the profile is as easy as right clicking on this file and selecting “Install Profile.”

When printing, choose the paper type (glossy, matte, etc.) that is as close as possible to the paper you are printing on.  Based on the instructions that came with my printer, I select ICM for Color Management and check the Off button for No Color Adjustment.

Ok, so that is a rundown of the process that works for me.  There are as many different possible setups as there are hardware/software/workflow combinations.

If you’re not getting great prints using the “Let Printer Manage Colors” option, try letting PSE manage colors.  Make sure you have those ICC profiles if that’s the case.

And look up these sources if you want more info, or are having trouble sleeping:

Adobe

Color.org

So, I’m curious.  Do you print mostly on your own printer, or do you use a service outside your home?  Vote in the poll on the right to share!

Have a good week, everyone!

Texas Chicks is concluding the series of posts about Robert Shults with this action.  In honor of Robert’s gallery exhibition which opens this weekend, I am contributing 10% of my gross income from sales on this website  during the next week to the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.

If you purchased a Texas Chicks subscription, use your login information to download the action here:

Otherwise, buy the action here for $15.  You can also purchase a subscription to Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics for $6 per month and receive all the actions I publish! After you sign up, return to this page and click the download link.

That $6 subscription price is an introductory offer only and will increase when I release my next action!

This action puts you in complete control of how each separate element in your image is converted to black and white.  It does require work on your part and your image will still be in color until you mask in the appropriate black and white versions for each element of your photo.

About the Channels Black and White Conversion Action

• Robert shoots all images in color (Raw mode)
• He performs global edits in Lightroom, while the image is still in color
• He exports a 16 bit TIFF file to Photoshop and extracts each color channel to a separate layer using the Channel Mixer
• His next step is to mask these three channel layers to blend in the various black and white layers to taste
• The final step is to dodge and burn the tones using our old favorite, the non-destructive Soft Light layer filled with 50% gray using a soft brush at about 10% opacity.

Since Photoshop Elements doesn’t have channels, how is it possible to convert this process into an Elements friendly action?

Magic, of course.

Just kidding.  This action sneaks the 3 color channels right into Photoshop Elements for you to blend as best suits your image.  Note that it’s not possible to use 16 bit files in PSE.

Thank you, and have a good weekend!

1. Play with kids before beginning your session to make them comfortable and to show you how they like to interact
2. Choose backdrop or location
3. Set lighting and /or preset camera
4. Position kid in proper location, and possibly face him or her in a specific direction
5. Give them a prop like a flower, hat or toy, or play with them a bit more to allow them to naturally position their body (With toddlers especially, their very ability to sit up or reach for an object can make an important photograph in itself.
6. In family photos, arrange faces into a triangle or broad rhombus to underscore the solidity of a family’s relationship.  Erin’s note:  A rhombus is a diamond or square, for those of us who are too far removed from high school geometry.
7. And, of course, position smallest members of a family toward the front of a group so that they don’t get “lost” among the adults
8. Think about the most important relationship in the picture you are about to capture, and set your composition in order to draw attention to that relationship (perhaps the gaze of a mother at her child or the hand holding young girls.)
9. I am a huge fan of indirect light from a north-facing window for indoor photography
10. Outdoors, I use the sun’s light in the open shade or as a backlight, and use collapsible reflectors and Lumiquest diffusion products on my shoe-mount flashes for fill.  I am particularly fond of the Lumiquest Ultra-Soft.  It provides beautiful, soft fill light while also adding visible catchlights to the eyes.  Erin’s note: Adds visible catchlights?  Are you kidding? I’m in.  I just ordered this from Amazon:

    See examples of Robert’s portrait photography here.  And if you’re in the Austin area, visit his  gallery exhibition!

    To wrap up the Robert Shults series, on Friday I will post an action that replicates his Photoshop B&W conversion process and will make your black and whites look something like his!

    Subscribe to Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics to make sure you receive it!

Design the Christmas card that will wow everyone on your list, then print the cards at Shutterfly.

I’ve been using PSE 8 for several weeks now, and I’m just about ready to review it.  Subscribe to Texas Chicks so that you can read all about it!

Free Clickin’ Moms Subscription for Blog Giveaway

Clickin’ Moms wants you to have a free subscription to give away on your blog.  Join Clickin’ Moms here. Explore this fabulous website for women with a passion for photography, read about the fabulous affiliate program, and contact Kendra for information about giving away a subscription to Clickin’ Moms on your blog.  Even if you are already a member, Kendra just might give you a freebie subscription for a blog contest!

Use the contest to bring in affiliate income and draw readers to your blog.  Plus, send me an email and I will promote the contest for you right here on Texas Chicks!

Anyway, head on over to the contest and enter!

Plus, stay tuned to Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics for tomorrow’s post about how you can get a free subscription to Clickin’ Moms to give away on your blog. Contests are good. And with a Clickin’ Moms giveaway, you could not only bring more readers to your blog, but also earn a bit of extra affiliate income!

Until 5:00 PM est on November 3rd, ColorInc. is offering 5×7 Express Prints for $.29 each!  Christmas presents, anyone?  Buy a frame for these high-quality 5×7’s and you’ll make grandparents, aunts, uncles and your wallet happy.  Click here to buy!

Also, stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway on Texas Chicks sponsored by ColorInc!  You professionals are gonna love this one!

Note:  I thought today was November 2nd and that you had a whole day to take advantage of this offer!  ColorInc has frequent (but short-lived) sales and I will post the next one I hear about for you!

Last week I presented the question “Do We Really Need Both Eyes?” which began my challenge to look for the “parts” of the photo that tell the story.

This week as I’ve done my editing I’ve noticed that often cropping a photo from
vertical to horizontal, or vice versa, can have a huge impact on the mood of the photo.

Of course when dealing with photography it’s way easier to show than explain…so here ya go!

The particular examples I’ve included today were really fabulous photos in their original form and probably didn’t need to be messed with…but…I have a compulsion and just can’t help myself!

This little sweetheart is just too cute…

…but I like this composition better, it’s unexpected and the focus is completely on him, as it should be!

Here’s another adorable little guy, I was so thrilled to get this shot.

But I tend to go for the dramatic angle and when I cropped it horizontally it really highlighted his sparkling eyes.

Now here’s a shot that every mother dreams of…momma and her sweet baby girl.

By changing the view from vertical to horizontal I think the “feel” of the moment is better portrayed.

This young lady has the cutest little grin and those eyes are just stunning…

…which is why I love the horizontal crop…there’s nothing to distract your eye from that beautiful face.

My last example is a shot that’s just pure perfection..the girl is beyond gorgeous and I really liked the composition…

…but where’s the fun in perfection??  I cropped it horizontal, added a touch of drama and ended with a shot that
really gets your attention.

So while there’s certainly no right or wrong to any which way you crop, I want to keep the challenge alive to search
for new angles, new views and new attitudes when shooting and editing.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these examples and share with us how you continue to challenge yourself in photography
and editing.

Get On The Kids’ Level

Come on, Robert, we’ve all heard that a million times.

But remember that a child’s “level” can be just about anywhere, and successful photographers usually follow.  Don’t be afraid to climb playscapes, crawl under tables or scale boulders in order to present the child’s perspective on the world.

Ok, you’re right, Robert.  Most people equate getting on a child’s level to hitting the floor, which can be quite restrictive.  Good tip!

Preset Your Camera

Learn to anticipate what the child is likely to do next, and set up ahead of time.  For those using point and shoot cameras, this can be as simple as framing your composition and half-pressing the shutter, which will combat excessive “shutter-lag” that is common among these cameras.  For those using SLRs, you must also meter your scene, focus and possibly allow your flash to charge, and begin shooting just as your subject moves into the frame.

Shoot a Burst

My digital cameras are always set to continuous shooting mode, and I never press the shutter release without making 3-5 frames, no matter what I am photographing.  With children, this vastly increases your odds of getting a “keeper.”  Begin shooting just before they get to the position you have selected for your composition and keep shooting as they move through it.

(Holy cow, this is great advice.  I picked up my camera this week and realized that it was set to burst already.  I just never use it.)

This technique is not just for actions shots either.  Shooting a burst during a portrait session will help you get just the “right” expression on the child’s face.  Sometimes, the most interesting natural expressions occur just before or after a smile forms, when a certain look of discovery flashes across a child’s face.

(I think shooting portraits in burst just might change my photographic life.  I am so excited about this!)

Smiles Aren’t Everything

Many “newbie” photographers too often look for that brilliant smile or broad laughter.  Childhood is made up of a continuum of emotions, and photographers should also seek out those moments of uncertainty and pensiveness that are common as children approach new developmental milestones.

To Be Continued

Stay tuned – Texas Chicks has more great info from Robert about composition, lighting and black and white conversions!

Subscribe to Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics so you don’t miss anything!

And for those of you who will be in the Austin area on November 7, try to attend Robert’s opening reception.  I guarantee that you will be inspired.

And now, as a way to pay you back and to spread the word about Texas Chicks, I am introducing the affiliate program!  Texas Chicks will pay you to display banners and blinkies on your websites and blogs!

You will receive 15% of every purchase made by someone who clicks on a Texas Chicks affiliate link from your website.  And if the purchase is a monthly subscription, you will receive that 15% every month, as long as your account is active.

Finally, if your referral displays Texas Chicks affiliate banners and people make purchases from their websites, you will receive 5% of every purchase referred by your referral.

(That’s a mouthful.  Did you get it?)

It won’t take you many referrals at all to earn back what you’ve spent at Texas Chicks!

How do you sign up?

Well, anyone who purchases a product or subscription from Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics is automatically signed up!  Access your affiliate banners, statistics and earnings here and login with the user id and password you created when you made your purchase.

That’s it!

Post a comment or leave a note in the forum if you need help posting the banners or have questions!  Thanks so much for spreading the word!