Why do images look so different from screen to screen, application to application, or, monitor to monitor? Color is a very subjective task. Like anything with computers it comes down to 1′s and 0′s.
The science of interpreting a picture’s color is called: Color Management! Anything that displays a color image has to interpret the image it’s trying to display. This is done through a set of instructions called a “color profile”. Windows does not have a color profile I’m sad to say. It is called an “unmanaged color space”. Beyond that I’m not sure why images don’t appear the way they should inside of windows. That is why I began using a Flash player to display my images if I possibly can. It is the best chance I have of showing you my work as I see it inside Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. (The two programs I use to massage the information from my Nikon cameras into a picture.) By placing my images inside a Flash player I’m putting them in a protected and managed color space.
The other variable I have no control over and that’s your monitor. If you are wondering whether it’s the picture or your monitor and you’ve spent less than $300 on your monitor… then it’s probably your monitor. The most common problem is the display of skin tones unfortunately. So if you see a reddish hot spot or a white spot with a red halo try adjusting your screen’s brightness. Now how do I know it’s you and not me? Well to be honest from time to time it might be me. Especially with a casual image in the snapshot category. But if it’s a portfolio or proof image it’s going to have gone through Photoshop where I use an algorithm to reveal any areas that would appear “blown out” or pure white. Some content is appropriate to be pure white but generally speaking not someone’s face.
If you’re interested in having the best viewing experience us Apple’s web browser Safari, It’s a free download and updated frequently.
