Photos are too light after i upload them..!

af_thefragile

Well, i've noticed lately that when i upload my pictures onto the internet or also when i'm done with post processing them, they turn out a lot more lighter/paler than they do on the software i'm postprocessing it on. I don't know if this is a problem with my screen's caliberation or something else but its not cool...!
It looks perfect when i've done my pp on the software (in this case i was using Photoshop Elements) and then when i open the saved picture with preview or upload it onto pix.ie or anywhere else (basically when i view it outside of the software) it comes out pale than it did in the software. All the colors lose their depth and vibrancy... I don't know why this is happening and if its a normal thing...

So can anyone help me with this??

Thanks...

5uspect

Check your colour space and ICC colour profile.

Your camera/photoshop may be using Adobe RGB while most web browsers only get by with sRGB.

af_thefragile

^Could you explain that a little more as i'm quite new to photography and i've got little clue what color space and ICC are...

oshead

Windows Preview and Internet Explorer both use sRGB colour space to display the images to you. In Elements choose Edit/Color Settings. Then select Limited Color Management. This will set the default colour space to sRGB. You should be fine from there.

Dave OS

Zillah

Might just be your monitor. Are you checking the actual levels graph or just going by eye? If not the former, link us an image here and I'll see.

CabanSail

I have noticed that an image I uploaded to Pix.ie was about a half stop lighter there than the image in LR & Preview on the same screen. All were in sRGB, so I am not quite sure what is going on there either.

oshead

Zillah wrote: »

Might just be your monitor. Are you checking the actual levels graph or just going by eye? If not the former, link us an image here and I'll see.

How could it be the monitor? If it was the monitor, the image would look pale no matter how he was looking at it. And why do you suggest for him/her to link the image when you don't know what the reference image looks like in Elements... :rolleyes:

Zillah

I was going to check the levels graph to see if the levels were right. Was that confusing?

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Most irritating emote on boards.

af_thefragile

Thanks for the replies guys... I've just been using my eye to fix the photos currently... As i'm still quite a noob at it, i haven't yet learnt the proper way to use the level graphs and such...

And for an example (it was my college concert and this is the best example of the pictures turning out lighter on pix.ie than they did on PS):

As you see, that background is supposed to be like a lot more red and brighter/darker/deeper color than the pale red it turned out in this picture... Also the whole picture looks overexposed and the blacks have become greys...

And it looks fine when i view it through preview on my mac. Its only lighter when uploaded on the internet...

oshead

Did you try the steps I outlined above?

af_thefragile

There is no Limited Color Management option.
There is:
- No Color Management.
Leaves your image untagged. This option uses your monitor profile as the working space. It removes any embedded profiles when opening images, and does not tag when saving.
- Always Optimize Colors For Computer Screens. (Currently Selected)
Uses sRGB as the RGB working space; the Grayscale working space is Gray Gamma 2.2. This option preserves embedded profiles, and assigns sRGB when opening untagged files.
- Always Optimize For Printing.
Uses Adobe RGB as the RGB working space; the Grayscale working space is Dot Gain 20%. This option preserves embedded profiles and assigns Adobe RGB when opening untagged files.
- Allow Me To Choose.
Lets you choose sRGB (the default) or Adobe RGB when opening untagged files.

oshead

The second option, choose sRGB for posting to the web. Then do some pp on the image and post it up here to see the difference.



Edit. Just misread your post. What way are you saving the image? There is no exif info. Whats your pix.ie homepage?

af_thefragile

oshead wrote: »

The second option, choose sRGB for posting to the web. Then do some pp on the image and post it up here to see the difference.



Edit. Just misread your post. What way are you saving the image? There is no exif info. Whats your pix.ie homepage?

Yup, its the second one thats chosen.

I just click save after doing the PP in Photoshop. And then upload the saved file onto pix.ie.
Here's my homepage: http://pix.ie/tracingspirals

oshead

It's in sRGB colour space. Do you have an option in Elements to Proof Colors? In Photoshop its under the view menu.

af_thefragile

Nope, couldn't find anything as such. There is a Convert Color Profile option under Image which is currently selected to Apply sRGB profile. There is a Remove Profile and Apply Adobe RGB profile option too...

oshead

Hmmm... Could be a bug in Elements. It should display the image in PP in the same way as the final saved image. How does the image look in Firefox? I've googled the problem and have come accross a few posts with same apparent problem. But no answers... Here's a link to one on Adobe forums. http://photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/007FND

5uspect

Perhaps try another application such as Picassa or the GIMP (they're free) to eliminate the problem of an Elements specific bug.

CabanSail

I suspect it's to do with Pix.ie as it was the same for me from LRII.

af_thefragile

I actually encountered the same problem with iPhoto too and i uploaded a few pics on facebook and they turned out pale too. So i think its not just confined to iPhoto and pix.ie
Something to do with how i'm processing my pics i guess...

5uspect

Can you change your colour space in your camera?

af_thefragile

5uspect wrote: »

Can you change your colour space in your camera?

I can select between sRGB and Adobe RGB.
Its currently selected to sRGB.

CabanSail

If you shoot RAW then you can select Colour Space in PP