Input/Output/Workflow - - Odd color situation... Please help :)

surfingcali · #1 12-09-2007, 05:06 AM

Hello and Happy Holidays!

I am writing because I have a problem I can't figure out. Basically I use Canon gear and when I shoot images and do my batch processing through the Canon software the images look exactly like they did in camera. The lighting and colors are perfect and I have no issues. However when I open the images in Photoshop they look entirely different, well the colors are off and it takes me forever just to try and get them back to what they were supposed to look like.

People on another photo site said I need my monitor calibrated but why would this be the problem if the images look fine in my Canon software but not in Photoshop, it doesn't make sense to me? If I could just edit in Canon software I would but obviously that is not an option so I am hoping someone can help me with this issue. I am so frustrated so I really appreciate any help and advice you may have.

Take care and thank you for your time!

Alison · #2 12-09-2007, 05:52 AM

Have you checked your colour settings in Photoshop and the ones the camera is set too ? I would suggest that they both be the same.

Why do you use Canon software ? I create a folder on my computer and upload the images straight to that, then open with Photoshop. I really must start to use Bridge, but old habits die hard

Tom K · #3 12-09-2007, 12:25 PM

Hi Surf,
I am having a similar problem, some time but not all the time and it is driving
crazy. Ever since I got a Canon p&s my images in Photo shop
have had a very red cast. I also got a Huey so that the screen was calibrated
The images look normal when using the default Windows picture and fax
viewer, but when I switch to PS CS2 the same image looks red (quite red)
I have been thru all of the color settings that I can find without a real fix.

Good luck - maybe someone will come up with an A-Aha moment and a fix.
I will track this thread with my fingers crossed.

Tom

surfingcali · #4 12-09-2007, 05:13 PM

Tom,

Yes that is my situation as well... images look perfect with Canon software and default windows viewer but not close in Photoshop. I have not had my monitor calibrated professionally because I can't see that it would be an issue if one program is correct and the other is having issues.

Also to the other post, I use my Canon software to batch process my images because it is easier and faster than Photoshop. Honestly I love PS but if the Canon software had the same features I would never use PS again, it is just simple and quick.

Well hopefully someone has an idea.. if not a suggestion as to another place I can ask? Maybe I should write Adobe? I don't know, this is really confusing and frustrating to me. I need to work on images for people and I can't because the time it takes to adjust the colors alone takes such a long time

Alison · #5 12-09-2007, 05:48 PM

Surfin',

Read the rest of the thread http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00HMWR

Quote:

Steve Wright, Aug 31, 2006; 07:16 p.m.

Though a keen amateur for over 20 years, I only recently bought an EOS 5D (in January of this year). A couple of months later (unware of what the RAW format was)I shot a wedding using fine JPEG and the 'Portrait' setting (it was a bright day with strong, direct sunlight to make things worse!). Comparing the wedding pictures with others I have taken since using RAW and trying different shooting modes, eg. Landscape, Neutral, etc... I noticed the following: The wedding shots were VERY contrasty.. which exacerbated already tricky shooting conditions and.. all pictures appeared to have more red than expected. The excess of red was particularly noticeable in darker areas of the picture or if I underexposed even slightly...disproportionately so. Skin tones were badly affected by this excess of red.

As a result of my own experimentation, I've found that the settings that yield the most faithful results (especially in terms of colour balance, saturation and contrast) are: Use RAW format Adove RGB colour space 'Faithful' mode (excellent for taming high contrast)

Of course in RAW, many decisions can be made during the editing process, but JPEGs seem to benefit from these 'in-camera- settings.

I'm still very much on the learning curve so your comments/suggestions are most valued.

And another thread from the same place http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0098Rm

Quote:

David Mejias, Aug 11, 2004; 10:27 p.m.

I'm not sure if you are having the same problem I had yesterday, but after I calibrated my monitor using SpyderPro all the images that I opened in Photoshop CS and 7.0 had an extreme red hue -- more precisely, all the reds were REALLY red. It was odd. When I opened images in any other application the colors were fine. I suspected that when I calibrated my monitor I must have affected the way Photoshop and/or the Adobe RGB color space were "interpreting" the color red.

I spent a few hours messing around, and then noticed that in changing the monitor profile back to the most recent calibrated setting, the reds went back to their normal state. I recalibrated my monitor again, created a new profile, and that seemed to fix the problem.

I guess video cards can be sensitive to change.

David

Photo678 · #6 12-09-2007, 06:23 PM

you need to tick the option in color settings to ask what to do colorwise with the image.....use the embedded, convert to work space, oruse no profile......basically what is happening is you are viewing images with an attached profile, in a different profile space. also use soft proofing to get an idea

DWThomp · #7 12-09-2007, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alison

Have you checked your colour settings in Photoshop and the ones the camera is set too ? I would suggest that they both be the same.

Yeah, it sounds like they're opening in PS in a different color space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alison

Why do you use Canon software ? I create a folder on my computer and upload the images straight to that, then open with Photoshop. I really must start to use Bridge, but old habits die hard

Bridge CS3 has a lot of improvements. I used to use the same workflow with copying from my card to the computer and then copying again for backup to a separate drive. Now, in CS3 Bridge I just get the images from the card, it puts them in the folder I designate and makes a backup to the other drive in one swift keystroke. It is so much easier.

Alison · #8 12-09-2007, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photo678

you need to tick the option in color settings to ask what to do colorwise with the image.....use the embedded, convert to work space, oruse no profile......basically what is happening is you are viewing images with an attached profile, in a different profile space. also use soft proofing to get an idea

Hi Photo,

But wouldn't Photoshop say that ? I have opened images with a different profile and it always ask me - is that because I have it set to ask me .... now I'll have to go and look

Alison · #9 12-09-2007, 08:01 PM

Hi Dennis,

Quote:

Bridge CS3 has a lot of improvements. I used to use the same workflow with copying from my card to the computer and then copying again for backup to a separate drive. Now, in CS3 Bridge I just get the images from the card, it puts them in the folder I designate and makes a backup to the other drive in one swift keystroke. It is so much easier.

I'll have to check it out ..... I'm just stuck in a routine

Tom K · #10 12-10-2007, 05:35 PM

Hi Surf,
It looks like we are not the only ones with a color shift. If you want to
really go nuts try using the soft proof then try assigning different profiles.
There were some comments about mismatched profiles and I think
they are probably correct. Funny thing is I have 2 Nikon's that don't seem
affected. The Canon is a point and shoot that slips into my shirt pocket and
is really convenient.

Still tracking this thread for the 'fix'..........

Tom