Jim Bianco

When I import my pics into LR and review them on my computer screen they seem to be a little overexposed,even when I underexpose them when I take the pictures,could this be my computer screen and do I have to make my computer screen darker? I have windows vista an older computer. Thanks Jim Bianco

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Every monitor used to view digital photographs needs to be calibrated. You can read more about this here (from the Printers and Color Printing Forum):
FAQ: How to Calibrate and Profile a Monitor for Color Printing (and accurate image viewing)
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/monitor-calibration.htm

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

Could it be you are applying a preset to the images on import ?

Jim Bianco

NO,thanks,

Jim Bianco

Thanks to everyone,JIm Bianco

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

RPSteiner

Thanks for the info, Nikonian72. I just calibrated my MacBook Pro display.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

And PLEASE, do yourself a favor and upgrade from Windows Vista!

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

Jim, You didn't say whether you are a "seasoned citizen" or one of the younger guys, but many of us in the seasoned group increase the brightness of the monitors to enable us to see it better If that is the case, you might try printing a 4x6 sample when you are printing so you know what you're going to get on the larger more expensive paper.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

Jim, time for a new computer or at least a used one running Windows 7 or Windows 10. Forget about Windows 8. it sucks. And Vista is horrible. But you really need to look into getting a more up-to-date machine. If I was younger, I would return to an iMac 27-inch. -FiddleMaker

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Please use the Quote Reply button when replying. This way we know who you said NO,thanks to.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You need to approach this one step at a time.

Are your images exposed correctly? Look at the histogram on the back of camera. The histogram for the unedited image in LR should look similar. If they are correctly exposed, then go to the next step.

Is your monitor's white clipping point too high? If this is the case your display is too bright (not unusual if you are using it's factory defaults). Typically this will be 120 cda/m^2. (candelas per meter squared). A good starting point is 80 for white and .4 for black.

Are your prints too dark? If they are, that is a second indication that your display is too bright.

Most people use the term "calibration" incorrectly. Calibration is hardware-based, and it is done at the factory. What you want to do is generate a monitor profile - which loads into your computer and provides a translation table for colors as they are measured to make them look as they should when properly balanced. You would use a profiling tool from Datacolor or Xrite to measure and generate the profile. It will be inserted into your computer and provide neutral color and white balance, and it will provide an adjustment parameter for white and black clipping points. The cheaper versions use preset values, the better ones use infinitely adjustable sliders or a field where you can enter a specific value. Be aware that as you adjust the white point you will likely have to adjust the black point, and go back and adjust the white point, but by a smaller value, and so on, until you reach the correct value for both.

I am partial to the XRite Display Pro, which you can get for $225 at Adorama. They also make a tool to measure and profile your printer, which is useful if you print your own work.

forjava Loc: Half Moon Bay, CA

You can't necessarily expect your .jpg histogram in the camera to match, say, a raw histogram from Lr.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Um... I think all histograms are derived from the "preview" JPEG embedded in the RAW file... not from the RAW file itself... whether viewed in the camera or in Lightroom.

Jim, I agree with the previous responses... very likely your computer monitor needs calibration. Nearly all monitors are too bright for accurate work on photos. That can cause you to make prints too dark.

It is possible to calibrate by eye, but it's a whole lot easier and more consistent to get a calibration device/software suite that will measure your display both for brightness and for color accuracy. Also, computer monitors change brightness and color rendition over time and with use, so need to be re-calibrated every so often. If you make many prints, a calibration device will eventually pay for itself in savings of wasted ink and paper.

Three of the most popular are Pantone Huey, X-Rite ColorMunki (X-Rite recently merged with Pantone, I think) and Datacolor Spyder. They all work similarly and are available in different configurations at different prices. Even the most basic can usually handle brightness and color profiling a monitor. The fancier (i.e., more expensive) ones will also calibrate other devices... projectors, TVs and more... and can make printer profiles too. Some of them also can adjust your monitor color profile on the fly, stay active to make regular measurements and corrections if you have to deal with variable ambient light conditions (such as using a laptop... or working in a room that gets different light over the course of the day).

Personally I use a Spyder and calibrate about every 2 months. To give you some of idea... around 6 or 7 years ago when it was new, I had to turn down the brightness of my monitor to around 20%, to get accurate exposures. Now after using it for all these years I'm setting it's brightness to about 50%... so it's probably good for another 4 or 5 years at least!

Jim Bianco

Thanks to all of you for the info.,I wish I could get a Windows 10 but I can't afford it right now. Jim Bianco