Lightroom colour question

[gingerpaul]

Hi all. I'm struggling a bit with Lightroom and was hoping someone would know what I'm doing wrong.

I started using it when I got my G9 over christmas and have now organised my photos using it and think it's great. However, when I use it to create jpegs to post on the net and to create galleries a vibrant and colourful photo becomes quite dull and lifeless. This has happened twice today, both in the theme continuation thread (which I hope I'm not ruining ). I have sucked all of the blue out of the car and the surroundings with the deer aren't much like the photo I had taken.

I am using the export option to get the photos out and typically using 70-80% quality using jpeg compression. I have noticed there is a change in vibrance depending on which of the colour spaces I use, but why does it make a difference? Is there one I should be picking over the others? Is my problem elsewhere? How can I ensure that I get what I want when I'm getting the photos out?

[DanH]

gingerpaul said:

Hi all. I'm struggling a bit with Lightroom and was hoping someone would know what I'm doing wrong.

I started using it when I got my G9 over christmas and have now organised my photos using it and think it's great. However, when I use it to create jpegs to post on the net and to create galleries a vibrant and colourful photo becomes quite dull and lifeless. This has happened twice today, both in the theme continuation thread (which I hope I'm not ruining ). I have sucked all of the blue out of the car and the surroundings with the deer aren't much like the photo I had taken.

I am using the export option to get the photos out and typically using 70-80% quality using jpeg compression. I have noticed there is a change in vibrance depending on which of the colour spaces I use, but why does it make a difference? Is there one I should be picking over the others? Is my problem elsewhere? How can I ensure that I get what I want when I'm getting the photos out?

What OS and monitor are you using?

[JohnS]

Always export in sRGB for the web. Most browsers aren't colour space aware, so images exported in AdobeRGB will look flat and lifeless when viewed with a browser like IE.

[gingerpaul]

I'm using XP with a Dell laptop screen or a CTX 19" CRT monitor. The exported image looks different to the original on the same screen though so I don't think that's the problem.

What are the differences between the different colour shapes? Do different shapes have different uses or should I always use sRGB?

[beano500]

Wot he sed ^

Also - look out for Scott Kelby's book on Lightroom. There's loads to learn in it!

[RobDickinson]

Dunno about lightroom but in CS I work in Adobe RGB and then (after a save) convert to sRGB for export to web.

[beano500]

sRGB



AdobeRGB




Prophoto



All I did was change the export settings from Lightroom

[RobDickinson]

^^^ Tho the above will all look the same if your browsing with firefox.

Because FF actualy looks for and uses embeded colour profiles, everything else ignores them and assumes sRGB.

[beano500]

RobDickinson said:

^^^ Tho the above will all look the same if your browsing with firefox.

Because FF actualy looks for and uses embeded colour profiles, everything else ignores them and assumes sRGB.

Actually, no, sorry to disagree - I'm looking with F'fox and the difference is clear! (And the same as IE on my monitor)

[DanH]

gingerpaul said:

I'm using XP with a Dell laptop screen or a CTX 19" CRT monitor. The exported image looks different to the original on the same screen though so I don't think that's the problem.

What are the differences between the different colour shapes? Do different shapes have different uses or should I always use sRGB?

Well all I can recount is my issue which was similar in result. Vista had downloaded a colour management profile for my dell monitor and it was completely crap. Once I switched it back to default, all was ok.

If its colourspace then fine, but that wasn't my problem...

[RobDickinson]

beano500 said:

RobDickinson said:

^^^ Tho the above will all look the same if your browsing with firefox.

Because FF actualy looks for and uses embeded colour profiles, everything else ignores them and assumes sRGB.

Actually, no, sorry to disagree - I'm looking with F'fox and the difference is clear! (And the same as IE on my monitor)

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.0b1/releasenotes/

"Color management: (set gfx.color_management.enabled on in about:config and restart the browser to enable.) Firefox can now adjust images with embedded color profiles. "

Looks like it may need a minimum version and be enabled.

[beano500]

Ah - that'll be good I'm only on Foxy 2 point something....

[gingerpaul]

Thanks Beano, I've just done the same and get the same thing. I'll have to use sRGB for exports then. Interestingly I'm using Firefox and the difference is clear here too. If I'm still struggling then I'll check my monitor settings.

Thanks for the help!

[Dogsey]

RobDickinson said:

beano500 said:

RobDickinson said:

^^^ Tho the above will all look the same if your browsing with firefox.

Because FF actualy looks for and uses embeded colour profiles, everything else ignores them and assumes sRGB.

Actually, no, sorry to disagree - I'm looking with F'fox and the difference is clear! (And the same as IE on my monitor)

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.0b1/releasenotes/

"Color management: (set gfx.color_management.enabled on in about:config and restart the browser to enable.) Firefox can now adjust images with embedded color profiles. "

Looks like it may need a minimum version and be enabled.

No, it needs the Beta version.

[RobDickinson]

uh yeah, that would be the minimum version required...