Photographer
fsp
Posts: 3656
New York, New York, US
I was wondering if the ambient light in your room makes a difference in your colors when editing? How do you deal with it?
Photographer
RTE Photography
Posts: 1511
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California, US
I keep the shades drawn to keep out daylight and the room light off. I have a small light rigged to shine down on my keyboard-work area so I can see what I am doing. Seems to work fine.
Photographer
fsp
Posts: 3656
New York, New York, US
Photographer
TMA Photo and Training
Posts: 1009
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, US
I keep the room darkening blinds closed when im editing. I also shut off the overhead tungsten room light if im doing anything commercial.
The blue or yellow light spill from the above does have a small impact as it contaminates the screen.
I use a color munki with a room ambient feature...and it does definitely have a big difference in what the colorimiter is seeing when it balances my screen. My screen calibration in the room looks different with any of the above contaminants present in the room. So for color critical work...the room is darkened. Having darker to medium neutral gray walls in the editing area is a help because sometimes it doesnt have to be Total darkness to work on images...just keeping out the obvious direct contamination onto the screen works well. If you have a Totally black environment sometimes it can get kinda punchy and contrasty to the eyes.
Ive also built a hood around my screen at times out of neutral gray foamcore scored and bent and taped to the screen...if that is about 12 inches deep it keeps the contaminants off pretty well...also helps me visually focus. I can un-clip it when I want.
Photographer
fsp
Posts: 3656
New York, New York, US
Photographer
David M Russell
Posts: 1301
New York, New York, US
Of course it does.
I typically work in a dimmed room.
Retoucher
ST Retouch
Posts: 393
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
The F-Stop wrote:
I was wondering if the ambient light in your room makes a difference in your colors when editing? How do you deal with it? Not only colors, contrast as well.
I always make final tuning in dark room when I work serious files for commercial/print .
Best
ST
Photographer
JoshuaBerardi
Posts: 654
Davenport, Iowa, US
I keep the room dark and make sure any desktop backgrounds are a gray/charcoal. I keep my desk all black (black stained wood top, black box, black monitors, white wall, etc...) I also use a windows color scheme that is gray for I don't have anything annoying color-wise nearby.
Photographer
R.EYE.R
Posts: 3436
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Photographer
Thomas Van Dyke
Posts: 3235
Washington, District of Columbia, US
The F-Stop wrote:
...ambient light...when editing? How do you deal with it? Paul have you considered an advanced monitor calibration tool? Spyder Pro allows for real-time monitoring of ambient to fine tune to suit needs...
It deploys an app that runs in the background and through a light sensing device which plugs into a USB port is able to adjust in real-time...
That said, monitors are not wise to view at high intensities... especially for prolonged periods...
As others have mentioned... reducing stray illumination is a good thing... Also having the room in a dark tone of neutral gray helps with critical colour work... Your eyes will lie to you if given the opportunity... even you emotional state can cause a perceived color shift...
Take frequent breaks from your labors... you eyes will thank you...
Photographer
petemplinphoto
Posts: 187
Duvall, Washington, US
Thomas Van Dyke wrote:
Paul have you considered an advanced monitor calibration tool? Spyder Pro allows for real-time monitoring of ambient to fine tune to suit needs... It deploys an app that runs in the background and through a light sensing device which plugs into a USB port is able to adjust in real-time... That said, monitors are not wise to view at high intensities... especially for prolonged periods... As others have mentioned... reducing stray illumination is a good thing... Also having the room in a dark tone of neutral gray helps with critical colour work... Your eyes will lie to you if given the opportunity... even you emotional state can cause a perceived color shift...
Take frequent breaks from your labors... you eyes will thank you... Exactly what I was going to say. On my Mac, it puts an icon in the menu bar that changes color based on how the ambient light matches the ambient light during the last calibration. If it changes color, it's time to change the room to get it back where it belongs.
Retoucher
3869283
Posts: 1464
Sofia, Sofija grad, Bulgaria
The F-Stop wrote:
I was wondering if the ambient light in your room makes a difference in your colors when editing? How do you deal with it? Ambient light is not a problem. The problem is direct light and screen reflections.
How I deal with it - I don't allow direct light. I also set my monitor white balance to match the white balance of the ambient light. Usually that means 6500K during the day and 4000K when using incandescent light. Speaking of which - don't use luminescent light as it doesn't have a continuous spectrum and can also flicker (not good for the eyes).
I know there is this well known practice but I advise you to never work in a dark room because:
1) It is very harmful for your eyes. In the dark the iris is much more open and when you are exposing it with the bright light from the screen you are literally "burning your own sensor"
2) It is also wrong because when the iris is more open that affects color perception and the overall feel for the image. We are not owls. Our eyes are evolutionarily accustomed to daylight and a screen in a dark room is not daylight.
3) If you are working for print remember paper (or other print media) does not emit color. So in any case the contrast (dynamic range) of the reflected light is much lower than screen. Again - completely unnecessary to work in the dark.
4) If you need to check properly the dark zones simply use adjustment layers.
Also take regular rests. If you stare for a long time at the same image it becomes "imprinted" in your retina and in your brain, so leave it for some time and get back to it.
Photographer
fsp
Posts: 3656
New York, New York, US
anchev wrote:
Ambient light is not a problem. The problem is direct light and screen reflections.
How I deal with it - I don't allow direct light. I also set my monitor white balance to match the white balance of the ambient light. Usually that means 6500K during the day and 4000K when using incandescent light. Speaking of which - don't use luminescent light as it doesn't have a continuous spectrum and can also flicker (not good for the eyes).
I know there is this well known practice but I advise you to never work in a dark room because:
1) It is very harmful for your eyes. In the dark the iris is much more open and when you are exposing it with the bright light from the screen you are literally "burning your own sensor"
2) It is also wrong because when the iris is more open that affects color perception and the overall feel for the image. We are not owls. Our eyes are evolutionarily accustomed to daylight and a screen in a dark room is not daylight.
3) If you are working for print remember paper (or other print media) does not emit color. So in any case the contrast (dynamic range) of the reflected light is much lower than screen. Again - completely unnecessary to work in the dark.
4) If you need to check properly the dark zones simply use adjustment layers.
Also take regular rests. If you stare for a long time at the same image it becomes "imprinted" in your retina and in your brain, so leave it for some time and get back to it. thanks.. all good advice. btw, im not doing anything critical or for business... its just a learning experiance to stay in the groove... im retired from the working world keeping busy.
im just learning to edit n having a terrable time dealing with color and contrast. as an artist, i know how ambiant color can shift my perception n throw everything off balance. im also putting up with several monitors on my computers n tablets that just dont agree with eachother so i have no idea how the public sees my edited pictures.
getting a monitor calibration tool im sure is in my future when i upgrade my compter. im slowly getting sucked in but having fun.
thanks everyone. i hope to be as good as you guys someday.
Retoucher
3869283
Posts: 1464
Sofia, Sofija grad, Bulgaria
The F-Stop wrote:
thanks.. all good advice. btw, im not doing anything critical or for business... its just a learning experiance to stay in the groove... Learning is more important than anything else, so don't undervalue it  "Business" is not a synonym for quality. Most people are concerned only with money (sadly).
i hope to be as good as you guys someday. If you really want to learn - never compare yourself to anyone. Just because someone has received certain information earlier doesn't make him better. Skill is just a matter of superficial practice. The real learning is to see and to understand what you see.
Good luck!
|
|
|
"Business" is not a synonym for quality. Most people are concerned only with money (sadly).