2015/12/19

That Wavelength Thing

Late morning, I realized I could do anything I want to today, and not being able to come up with draft ideas, I decided to work on my online pop-up shop. (I go back and forth between pop-up "shop" and pop-up "store". Ben's more Kiwi than American when it comes to word choices and he voted for "shop" so "shop" it is. It does rhyme (?) better with "up" so I can live with it.)

Although a little unusual, I decided to list maybe three pieces at first and add more at a leisurely pace in the next couple of weeks as I fine-tune the format/setup. But I wanted new photos.

It's always baffled me how different the photos look on the camera monitors vs my laptop, and between software, so Ben recalibrated my monitor, (which shows only 60% of sRGB colorspace), which made everything look so yellow/orange. Even my favorite gray pieced looked pale gray-green, like our living room walls in the afternoons, and Ben's face on on the wallpaper looked flushed! So I asked him to turn it back, to the all-too-blue default. But now I wonder what my photos look like on your screens, if they are overcorrected, too yellow. One of Ben's screens apparently shows over 90% of the aforementioned thingie, while his tablet shows 98%. Both are ideal for editing photographs, because that's how Ben chooses his gadgets, (and I look at max simplicity, min weight and reasonably low price,) and for me to at least check my photos on. Goodness, the banner on top of this blog, the gray "pillar" piece, looks a little green/brown on his tablet.

So I got discouraged and ate half a bag of potato chips and am now watching sitcom reruns. I'll decide what to do re. photos but hope to put up 11 pieces before the end of the year and keep the shop open until the end of January. Crazy timing, I know, but it's a start for me and a practice for hopefully many more pop-up openings. And I'm declaring it here so I can't back down.

Here are some unedited pics for your weekend laughs. I dragged Ben's chair to the front hallway and experimented with indirect light though the corrugated plastic roof while the sun was on the whole very bright.
White balance is one of the most difficult for me, and my newer camera has so many choices. Unless I'm outside and the light is obvious, I rely on "color temperature" or "auto white balance"; the former yields warmer colors than I see, while the latter, cooler. Here the colors are all washed out.  
In some software this looks like a neon sign of a smelly disreputable establishment. I didn't notice bubble wrap saying hello.
An experiment in showing how one piece looks predominantly purple or green depending on the light. The colors are washed out again.
Trying a moody shot, which also looks neon-y in click/view photo gallery software.
And then sometimes I get freakishly true colors, in some software. Aye yay yay.

In terms of software, I'm dependent at minimum on the camera monitor, the click/view photo gallery, my photo editor, and the web browser. That's four. I've got to come up with the simplest step/s and combination of equipment to show as close to true colors in the shop.

At least I've got an idea for drafts.

6 comments:

Laura Fry said...

Totally understand about the monitor to monitor issue of colour display. And sometimes my camera just doesn't 'see' the colours I see!

Meg said...

And my cameras don't seem to capture red too well. But today's surprise was the difference with same monitor, different software. Crikey.

Dorothy said...

Screen calibration is never perfect. For my work I take the printed magazine, compare it to my layout files, and get the monitor to the closest approximation. This is one reason I like to have printed proofs to check. I have often tweaked the colour of images after seeing the proofs.

And as for photos, and the sensors in different cameras and their limitations... and the big changes I watch happen with some images, but not all,on converting RGB to CMYK!

My best tip with your twills is to try different kinds of natural and artificial light (for different light temperatures)and introduce different background colours to see what works best as they can get the sensor to behave differently.

Meg said...

I'm waiting for a light rain day as the light through the window is closest to indirect, or a sunny morning in the front hall if I get ready early enough. I don't worry so much with blogs and such, but it is rather important when it comes to merchandises, isn't it? I am amazed Ben's tiny tablet has such a good screen - I wouldn't mind connecting that to my laptop when I edit photos, but alas, it goes to work with him every day. So I'll have to try his BIG screen.

Cate Rose said...

That red piece is a total knockout!!

Meg said...

I like it, and I thought it was once of the prettiest thing I've made, but my cottons don't sell in galleries and it's never met the right human. I'm almost tempted to keep it, but I prefer wider cotton pieces. I suppose I could make one. LOL.