[Leica] Prints are way too dark. Driven to distraction

Sun Mar 1 18:43:00 PST 2015

Viewing via web and printing are two completely different animals. I live
by my histogram when shooting. I can recover black much more easily than
whites. This shot from the recent trip to Big Sur has an amazing dynamic
range (click the image for a larger view):
http://www.robertadlerphotography.com/p463316036/h1f8277d1#h1f8277d1
I don't miss Velvia AT ALL!!

Printing is a whole different set of horses. Less color to play with and
highly dependent on the "white" values of the paper.

On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 4:53 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> When I'm out shooting with many people some of whom I meet here they check
> the back of their camera having just made a shot and its well over a stop
> over washed out and they go "looks perfect" and they're on to to the next
> subject. So its gotten so I think its human nature to think that stuff
> which
> is light is normal. But I do wonder how they print and the answer is they
> don't.
> But I do see a whole lot of light washed out (no blacks) images on web
> galleries and websites. Its not my monitor as I also see plenty of spot on
> images from very mainstream well thought of websites... Famous photogs etc.
>
>
> On 3/1/15 6:09 PM, "leo wesson" <leowesson at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Sorry, it ain't supposed to work that way.  Ya'll are doing something
> wrong.
> >
> > Leo Wesson
> > leowesson.com
> >
> >> On Mar 1, 2015, at 16:28, Robert Adler <rgacpa at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> I now have 2 monitors: I have one darkened to match print output (I am
> >> actually trying to have a different profile on that monitor for the
> paper
> >> that I use) and one to work on for web viewing. I initially process for
> web
> >> viewing. I find that most times a simple pulling up on the middle of the
> >> curve adjustment in CC or LR works just fine for prints. Sometimes it
> gets
> >> more complicated.
> >> Bob
> >>
> >>> On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 1:23 PM, Aram Langhans <leica_r8 at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Similar. I noticed that, too.   No matter how I calibrate the monitor,
> the
> >>> prints are always darker than the monitor.  Whether I was printing
> myself,
> >>> or using Costso.  Since two outputs were giving me the same results, my
> >>> input must be at fault.  So, then, I learned a few years ago to turn
> the
> >>> monitor down.  I downloaded Color HCFR and got it to work with my
> Spyder
> >>> and found out the monitor was WAY to bright.  The profile software for
> >>> Spyder did not adjust the monitor brightness.  I had to turn my monitor
> >>> (Dell 1224 IPS) down to 17 to get to the recommended brightness.  It
> looks
> >>> pretty dark compared to my other monitor, but it works.  Prints are
> dead on
> >>> from monitor to my printer (R3000) or to Costco.  The trend in consumer
> >>> monitors seems to be bright and saturated, but that does not translate
> to a
> >>> standard print file, evidentially.
> >>>
> >>> so, try getting the HCFR Colorimeter program and see if you can get it
> to
> >>> work on your Monki.  The crank that monitor brightness down.
> >>>
> >>> Aram
> >>>
> >>> --------------------------------------------------
> >>> From: "Robert Adler" <rgacpa at gmail.com>
> >>> Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2015 4:02 PM
> >>> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
> >>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Prints are way too dark. Driven to distraction
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Personally, I don't think your missing anything Lew. Even though these
> >>>> calibrations are supposed to calibrate for "luminance", I tend to
> turn my
> >>>> monitor down 2-4 stops to match a standard calibration chart that I've
> >>>> printed on my printer. Then I adjust in CC or LR on a monitor that has
> >>>> been
> >>>> darkened by the above process. Seems really dumb, but it works...
> >>>> Best,
> >>>> Bob
> >>>> PS-Please let me know if you find out differently!
> >>>>
> >>>> On Sat, Feb 28, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Lew Schwartz <lew1716 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> I'm printing on Epson Proofing, using LR 5.7, Epson 4880, ViewSonic
> >>>>> monitor
> >>>>> and I've just re-profiled monitor and printer using colormunki, plus
> I
> >>>>> confirm that both monitor and printer are using the new profiles. The
> >>>>> resulting prints are aprox 2- 4 stops too dark. Too dark is an on
> going
> >>>>> problem for me, LR, the 4880 and this monitor; I expected things to
> get
> >>>>> better after the colormunki stuff. I've just been winging a solution
> in
> >>>>> the
> >>>>> past by using the exposure control in the LR develop module and the
> >>>>> brightness setting in the print module. Not a great solution, but
> >>>>> workable.
> >>>>> Now, with these new profiles, I'm not even close. WTF? Things are way
> >>>>> worse. What am I missing?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> -Lew Schwartz
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> Leica Users Group.
> >>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Bob Adler
> >>>> www.robertadlerphotography.com
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Leica Users Group.
> >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Bob Adler
> >> www.robertadlerphotography.com
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Leica Users Group.
> >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
>
> --
> Mark William Rabiner
> Photographer
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

-- 
Bob Adler
www.robertadlerphotography.com