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Feanor
Joined:
11-05-2011
Messages: 316
from Cape Cod Massachusetts, US
 OFF-Line
|  New Message Posted!2012-09-28 02:30
Hi Sem
I never used either Vista or even Seven. Still on trusty old XP. (Waiting to see what becomes of Eight, coming next month.)
HP as well as several other 3rd-parties failed in providing Drivers for Vista. BIG disappointment for printer-owners everywhere! (Now everything's retro'd, so no worries there.)
Anyway, I didn't intend to get 'Technical' - just a few observations after many years of dealing with the pros & cons of both systems.
I do a lot of image restoration these days so I've had my toes wet for a while.
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sem
Joined:
12-11-2003
Messages: 1704
from Bridgend,S.Wales
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-28 00:15
Aaah Neil, now you're getting technical - I've still got proof prints of CMY&K for a printer I disposed of years ago, and only because HP didn't provide drivers on Vista for one of their £350 printers!
I think the main thing is to sort your monitor and printer out. The only system I've used is Adobe Gamma (comes with Photoshop) and having just reinstalled my OS I am on a relearning curve here.
Another problem is "translating " a 10+mb file (this seems to be the standard camera picture-size) into a 300kb web-sized file.
Aah well!?!
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Feanor
Joined:
11-05-2011
Messages: 316
from Cape Cod Massachusetts, US
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-27 23:43
I would never take another digital picture without my Photoshop for post!
I use Nikon, and as lovely as the glass is, by the nature of either the old CCD or CMOS, things get cloudy.
Yes - white balance is a toughy - but caution should be used when adjusting it in a shot unless you have experience with what it actually does.
Histogram is another one that will either fix the white or totally butch a photograph.
The beauty of Photoshop is that it's Black-Based Zoned, ala film.
Auto-Set exposure value to 'Cloudy' for outdoor warmth. (As also suggested by others)
guile: What you're experiencing is the drastic color-conversion from a Mac-Based delivery system to PC Gamma. These are factory settings that no one ever pays attention to, but is a common issue with huge visual implications.
In addition, if you post-process in Photoshop, set the Image-Preview at "Let Photoshop Determine Colors", rather than the printer-settings.
Alternately, go into your computer's VGA Gamma setting and convert it to either the Adobe 1998 values (Standard for digital), or (I believe) the 2003/4 Mac values.
FYI: All this stuff was developed by Adobe in 88/89 when Mac was King. When PC overtook Mac, the 1998 settings were a successful attempt at correcting the vast difference between the two systems.
(For all you HDR buffs out there, always use CMYK settings in PS rather than the regular RGB, indexed at 16-bit if your system has the muscle)
Neil
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PeteG
Joined:
21-11-2002
Messages: 287
from Avebury
 ON-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-26 19:20
most of the time photographs can be improved by over 50% by using a tripod and setting the timer to take the photo to avoid any camera shake.
If you haven't got Photoshop this works just as well.
http://pixlr.com/editor/
PeteG
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guile
Joined:
22-03-2010
Messages: 9
from y fêl ynys
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-26 19:12
i too am disappointed with my pictures, they often look muddy and dull. i have an i-phone, an i-pad and a digital camera. the i-pad ones actually look great on the machine but not all that on the computer, the i-phone4 is new to me so the jury is out, but the i-phone 3gs was terrible, and the digital camera hardly ever comes out with me any more, and often just sits in the bottom of the bag. e-bay is in its near future.
i suspect my pc has a rubbish graphic card and possibly the monitor is dreadful too.
*sigh*
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cerrig
Joined:
25-09-2009
Messages: 907
from Brecon Beacons
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-26 06:18
David, if you set your white balance to "cloudy" it will automatically warm up your photo's, even on a sunny day, although a very bright sky can overpower it.
Cerrig
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sem
Joined:
12-11-2003
Messages: 1704
from Bridgend,S.Wales
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-26 00:26
Quote:
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On 2012-09-25 23:39, davidmorgan wrote:
I see PeteG. That one was with a film camera in '93. I've found that a little contrast enhancement always works with them (and sharpen sometimes) - although what you've done there makes it better.
I still doubt if I'll ever win one of the monthly best pic awards  I'll give it a go, though, because it's good to create a nice image.
I also think it has something to do with my computer screens - my laptop appears to be "colder" than my desktop (neither CRT, by the way). Goodness, so many adjustments on so many devices to made, nowadays.
[ This message was edited by: davidmorgan on 2012-09-25 23:44 ]
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As Pete says later, dropping exposure compensation might have stopped the wall in the foreground "whiting out"- or maybe it was the scan of the photograph that caused it?
Sorry David, but yes there are so many adjustments on so many devices - and just when you think you've got it right, your screen packs in and you've got to start the colour-correction all over again. Welcome to the over-50's world of slow information intake.
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sem
Joined:
12-11-2003
Messages: 1704
from Bridgend,S.Wales
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-26 00:08
Hi David
The most common problem with any digital camera is a tendency to over-expose. Anything that is white (or close to it) stays white, but there are many different different shades of "black".
As a quick solution on a DSLR, try using a minus exposure compensation (1 stop or more) and then correcting in any photo-manipulation program you use. The auto levels in Photoshop then normally solves most problems.
Just had a quick browse through your last 100pics and most are in very bright settings with plain skies. Here a gradauted filter might be a good choice (as well as using the above method).
Hope this helps.
Sem
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PeteG
Joined:
21-11-2002
Messages: 287
from Avebury
ON-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-25 23:52
Ouch! I remember a solstice at Stonehenge looking like that during the 1970's!
PeteG
[ This message was edited by: PeteG on 2012-09-25 23:52 ]
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davidmorgan
Joined:
23-11-2006
Messages: 1600
from The New Forest
ON-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-09-25 23:48
Re: "overcooking" - this one was just for a laugh!
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