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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Off Topic => Topic started by: nicku on August 29, 2013, 03:48

Title: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: nicku on August 29, 2013, 03:48
Hi,

I noticed for some time now that the colors of images submitted to all major agencies (SS, DT, FT. 123RF ) are not identical to the original uploaded files. I find that even after the images were accepted the colors remain pale; i believe this issue is affecting my sales seriously.

Here are some examples on SS and FT ( the biggest earners for me)

What is more interesting is that on SS the images waiting to be submitted are showing correct colors and the images waiting to be reviewed are inaccurate. I use Photoshop CS5 and save the images in RGB.

At first i believe is just my PC but after checking the phenomenon on several other computers I realize is not  a hardware problem....

Any solutions please ...???
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Ron on August 29, 2013, 04:02
RGB what?

sRGB or  Adobe RGB?

It needs to be sRGB.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: nicku on August 29, 2013, 04:45
RGB what?

sRGB or  Adobe RGB?

It needs to be sRGB.

I work in sRGB ... here are my Color space settings in PS. i believe the settings are correct
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: shotupdave on August 29, 2013, 04:54
I doubt that could effecting your sales that much.  So many buyers have monitors that are uncalibrated, so the colors are already off.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: nicku on August 29, 2013, 04:58
Does anyone else have this problem?.... or is just me?? how can be fixed ??????????
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Ron on August 29, 2013, 05:10
What software is in the last step of your processing? is that PS or Lightroom, etc?

Coz LR has its own color settings, so if LR is the last step in your processing it will override the PS settings.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: nicku on August 29, 2013, 05:20
What software is in the last step of your processing? is that PS or Lightroom, etc?

Coz LR has its own color settings, so if LR is the last step in your processing it will override the PS settings.

Photoshop CS5 Extended . and open the .CR2 files with Camera Raw 6.2 (PS CS5 Plugin)
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Beppe Grillo on August 29, 2013, 06:26
Generally the photos supermarkets automatically convert the color profile in sRGB, so if you original profile is not sRGB you risk to have problems then. For this it is better that you always submit the photos in sRGB

From my point of view (and not only) it is a little absurd because sRGB is surely the worst existing color profile, and today 90% of the modern browsers support all the profiles…
 
It would be very better to have the possibility to use a ProPhoto RGB profile because it is a wider color space.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml)

Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Ron on August 29, 2013, 06:54
Generally the photos supermarkets automatically convert the color profile in sRGB, so if you original profile is not sRGB you risk to have problems then. For this it is better that you always submit the photos in sRGB

From my point of view (and not only) it is a little absurd because sRGB is surely the worst existing color profile, and today 90% of the modern browsers support all the profiles…
 
It would be very better to have the possibility to use a ProPhoto RGB profile because it is a wider color space.
[url]http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml[/url] ([url]http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml[/url])
But he said he is submitting in sRGB
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Beppe Grillo on August 29, 2013, 07:43
Generally the photos supermarkets automatically convert the color profile in sRGB, so if you original profile is not sRGB you risk to have problems then. For this it is better that you always submit the photos in sRGB

From my point of view (and not only) it is a little absurd because sRGB is surely the worst existing color profile, and today 90% of the modern browsers support all the profiles…
 
It would be very better to have the possibility to use a ProPhoto RGB profile because it is a wider color space.
[url]http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml[/url] ([url]http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml[/url])
But he said he is submitting in sRGB


Yes, he said that.
I was speaking generally about color profiles (and the absurdity of using of sRGB for "professional" photography).

More specifically, the nicku's problem could depend of the way used by the different sites to generate the previews and thumbnails.
They use some "filter" to resize the image to a maximum dimension and apply a color profile conversion to assure that the image will be a sRGB profiled one (the color profile conversion should be apply even if the file is already in sRGB I think). Probably different sites use different algorithms, so they obtain different results.

Another possibility could be that when the sites generate the preview or the thumbnail they remove (or not) the included ICC profile, so the image will be an "untagged RGB" one.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Ron on August 29, 2013, 07:52
But I dont have that problem with the agencies I am with, I'd say the first 15 agencies on the list on the right side, have no issues with the colorspace and thumbnails.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: ruxpriencdiam on August 29, 2013, 08:34
Shoot in sRGB and edit in sRGB.

Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Beppe Grillo on August 29, 2013, 08:42
But I dont have that problem with the agencies I am with, I'd say the first 15 agencies on the list on the right side, have no issues with the colorspace and thumbnails.


To me Shutterstock and Dreamstime give completely different results on the same image (viewed with Safari on Mac).
I don't speak only about the difference of color, but about a very noticeable difference of sharpness.

(http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/1939/7chh.png) (http://img801.imageshack.us/i/7chh.png/)

(http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/770/lygz.png) (http://img109.imageshack.us/i/lygz.png/)

Shoot in sRGB and edit in sRGB.


If you are a professional Photographer I think you should not.
sRGB is specific to the Web
Professional photographers shoot for the print too.
(maybe you missed the link http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml))
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Ron on August 29, 2013, 09:31
I see the difference, I am not with DT, I had to look hard though to see color differences. I am thinking thumbnails on DT have a bit of sharpening for screen, or micro contrast added which makes the colors look a bit darker.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: ruxpriencdiam on August 29, 2013, 10:27

Shoot in sRGB and edit in sRGB.


If you are a professional Photographer I think you should not.
sRGB is specific to the Web
Professional photographers shoot for the print too.
(maybe you missed the link [url]http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml[/url] ([url]http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/prophoto-rgb.shtml[/url]))
True but if you are just shooting stock  shoot sRGB and then when shooting non stock change back to RGB that is why there is a setting in camera for just that.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: nicku on August 29, 2013, 11:29
My camera is set in sRGB photoshop is set to.... i really don't know what else  to do.... i have made a test regarding the images...  They are around -14 at color saturation compared with the original files. I work on a very capable PC with Nvidia Quadro graphics and a 23'' Dell screen.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: roede-orm on August 29, 2013, 11:50
You should not only transfer your photos into sRGB, but also explicitly embed the profile before upoading. Many photographers forget this step.
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: gillian vann on August 29, 2013, 15:04
aargh, the old RGB v sRGB debate!
Title: Re: Inaccurate colors on all agencies
Post by: Beppe Grillo on August 30, 2013, 00:51
aargh, the old RGB v sRGB debate!

For me there is very little to debate, it is only a question of numbers :D :D

(http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/7079/bcw3.jpg) (http://img593.imageshack.us/i/bcw3.jpg/)