Help -- monitor problem with this pic

07/11/2012 07:44:14 AM · #1

Are you guys seeing detail in the shadows or are they black? I wanted them to be black -- and they are on my screen -- but they're muddy on my wife's computer.

Message edited by author 2012-07-11 07:44:27.

Mike

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

07/11/2012 07:46:19 AM · #2

looks fine on my monitor.

Silent-Shooter

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

07/11/2012 08:17:37 AM · #3

Some of the shadows do have some details on my monitor.
If you compare it to the bar below the photos in voting here on DPC, some of the shadows like your wife's (I assume) right eye is between the second and third darkest block.
Did you want some detail in the right eye?
The other shadows dont have as much detail though.
Nothing that a little curves adjustment canâ��t fix to make it completely black.

pixelpig

Sony Alpha a55

Sony DT 1.8/50mm SAM

07/11/2012 08:28:42 AM · #4

I can see the curve of the eyelid, faintly, & that's about it. Does not look muddy. My attention was caught by the texture of the arm. Nice shot. Innocence of the sleeping baby, watchfulness of the mother.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

07/11/2012 09:38:50 AM · #5

Lots of solid black shadows on my monitor. I can just *barely* perceive a triangular area of detail on the baby's outfit just to the right of his elbow. But I have to really look for it. I can see the detail in that area a little better at the 1024 pixel size. I can clearly make out the mother's right eye, but I would not call the shadows murky in any way.

Maybe just open up a levels dialog and clip the shadows a touch.

Message edited by author 2012-07-11 09:40:35.

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/11/2012 11:03:20 AM · #6

Ok. My initial edit in Lightroom didn't clip any shadows but they were still black on my monitor. I guess I need to clip them to make them black for everyone...

DCNUTTER

Canon EOS-7D

07/11/2012 02:38:43 PM · #7

Originally posted by kgeary:

Ok. My initial edit in Lightroom didn't clip any shadows but they were still black on my monitor. I guess I need to clip them to make them black for everyone...

Why would you clip the blacks to make them black for everyone. I calibrate my HP LP2475w with my Spyder3Studio kit. The dark to light spectrum on DPC is perfect on my monitor as is any test site out there. The lighting of your photo is technically right where you want it to be when viewed on a calibrated monitor so why would you want to alter it based on feedback from people who either don't calibrate their monitors or do it by eyeball at best?

ETA: I'm talking in general here, and not specifically about any of those that responded to this thread. My main point is you should be processing for correct results on calibrated or near calibrated monitors, and not trying to please everyone out there whose monitors may be off quite a bit. If they set their contract or brightness higher than it should be for photo viewing than all you are doing is ruining YOUR shot to conform to their settings which in that case...good luck pleasing everyone because that's an effort in futility.

Dave

Message edited by author 2012-07-11 14:42:16.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/11/2012 02:50:25 PM · #8

Geeze, on my monitor it's like a perfect zone system rendering, fully detailed balcks adding incredible depth and intimacy to the image. I can see the shaded eye on the mother, for example, I see detail on her body under the baby, etc. I cannot imagine wanting to "clip" this image to black shadows. What a waste.

Message edited by author 2012-07-11 16:32:19.

EL-ROI

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/11/2012 03:25:10 PM · #9

I see detail... I like the detail. But if you want to go darker, go ahead!

Techo

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/11/2012 03:53:43 PM · #10

Hiya! :)

I try to have my monitor calibrated for shadows/highlights and such. With low key shots it's a toughy to have it look the same (or of the exact quality you want it) on all monitors.

Saying that, I see some railings in the background but the rest of the shot looks great. The shadows aren't pitch black. Do you want the baby's face to be completely hidden? At the moment I see her closed eye and a bit of sparkle in the Mom's eye, not clearly but enough to think it's not overly bright or completely hidden from view.

How does this site look your monitor?
//www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php

Message edited by author 2012-07-11 15:54:55.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

07/11/2012 04:37:07 PM · #11

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Exactly what I see, and exactly what I feel.

07/12/2012 01:02:19 PM · #12

Originally posted by DCNUTTER:

Originally posted by kgeary:
Ok. My initial edit in Lightroom didn't clip any shadows but they were still black on my monitor. I guess I need to clip them to make them black for everyone...

Why would you clip the blacks to make them black for everyone. I calibrate my HP LP2475w with my Spyder3Studio kit. The dark to light spectrum on DPC is perfect on my monitor as is any test site out there. The lighting of your photo is technically right where you want it to be when viewed on a calibrated monitor so why would you want to alter it based on feedback from people who either don't calibrate their monitors or do it by eyeball at best?

ETA: I'm talking in general here, and not specifically about any of those that responded to this thread. My main point is you should be processing for correct results on calibrated or near calibrated monitors, and not trying to please everyone out there whose monitors may be off quite a bit. If they set their contract or brightness higher than it should be for photo viewing than all you are doing is ruining YOUR shot to conform to their settings which in that case...good luck pleasing everyone because that's an effort in futility.

Dave

My monitor isn't calibrated. So I didn't know if it was possible that it was mine that was off.