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03/02/2009 03:17:51 PM · #1 |
I was just thinking, how much better our images would look if this site had a black or white background instead of the gray/blue, which seems to suck all vividness out of photos.
Any thoughts? |
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03/02/2009 03:20:32 PM · #2 |
I think having a black or white background would influence the image colours moreso than the neutral gray. With neutral gray all images have the same chance at appearing naturally.
If photos seem to lose their vividness when posted on DPC it is more likely a colourspace issue than what colour the background is. |
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03/02/2009 03:49:17 PM · #3 |
| They look better against black. All of them do. |
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03/02/2009 04:00:11 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
I think having a black or white background would influence the image colours moreso than the neutral gray. With neutral gray all images have the same chance at appearing naturally. |
Grey?????
Mine's blue.
ETA:Never mind.......My wife says it's grey and that I'm colorblind
Message edited by author 2009-03-02 16:01:54.
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03/02/2009 04:10:43 PM · #5 |
If we make the background camo, then it would just disappear.
Problem Solved. |
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03/02/2009 04:12:25 PM · #6 |
Translucent would be cool.
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03/02/2009 04:12:53 PM · #7 |
| I'd like the images against black but would prefer the forums stay as they are now. Text on black is too hard to read for old eyes! |
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03/02/2009 04:39:24 PM · #8 |
Here's my thoughts on it (from a thread I started two years ago - same subject):
Originally posted by glad2badad:
I wish we could change the background color of our challenge entries.
I searched the forums and noticed a few similar requests, none that take the approach I was thinking of.
There are times when the 18% grey background isn't the best choice to show a challenge entry in it's best "light". Many times I've wished for black or a charcoal grey.
Here's what I would like to see. An option when submitting a challenge entry for selecting the background color that will stay with my challenge entry photo regardless of who is looking at it. A simple color pallete group could be used to choose, or the three RGB fields, heck even a html color code field would work.
The key part of this is having the background be a photographers decision that stays with the image. Consider it a color matting decision that the photographer can make that works best for their photo.
This decision would impact viewer/voter perception of an image the same way selecting the right image and title currently do. |
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03/03/2009 12:40:05 AM · #9 |
Better Photo
flickr
One Exposure
Some sites that have white or black(ish) as background - just to take a look. It looks slicker and more professional. In my opinion, there is no photo that will benefit from the gray.
Any site counsel input, perhaps?
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03/03/2009 01:43:38 AM · #10 |
Like Glad2badad says... How about leave the BG choice to the photog? -- Black, white, or neutral for submission, voting, and subsequent viewing of the image. Neutral Gray(status quo) for home page/forums/other site pages.
Leave a small white stroke to define the edges of the picture, to keep someone from maximizing negative space by using the white field as part of their composition. |
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03/10/2009 12:55:17 PM · #11 |
| I have to agree that the user should be able to pick the background for his or her image, either black/grey/white or from a simple standard palette. Yes this could affect the general effect of the picture and will influence the judging but as long as it's picked by the user, it's part of their creative process. |
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03/10/2009 01:27:23 PM · #12 |
| I'd be fine with white, but I don't like black - the strong contrast is too hard to look at (even more so if it involves text, just like Deb said earlier). |
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03/10/2009 02:08:34 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by redjulep:
In my opinion, there is no photo that will benefit from the gray.
Any site counsel input, perhaps? |
In the graphic arts and photography industry, images are always viewed under daylight-balanced light (approximately 5000°K) and in surroundings of neutral (about 18%) gray -- this provides the most natural and neutral conditions for evaluating images without introducing actual or perceived color shifts.
The site has a duty to present all the photos in as neutral and objective method as possible -- the original white background helped some images and hurt others, which is why the current gray was adopted.
What this is really asking for is that the image size be effectively upgraded by having the site provide a border/mat for the image. If an image will be better "set off" by something other than the gray background, feel free to add a border ....
PS: A choice of page BG would probably be OK for Portfolio images, just not for challenge entries.
Message edited by author 2009-03-10 14:12:30. |
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03/10/2009 02:10:28 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Beetle:
I'd be fine with white, but I don't like black - the strong contrast is too hard to look at (even more so if it involves text, just like Deb said earlier). |
For low-key and large-area black images, white would have the same effect. |
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03/11/2009 01:01:55 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by zeuszen:
For low-key and large-area black images, white would have the same effect. |
That is not entirely true.
My world has light in it. My office surrounding my computer is far from dark, even at night. So having a white background more closely and naturally matches all the rest of the image's surroundings than a black background would.
I think the grey color is the correct choice, my point is that if it HAD to be changed, then I could live with white, but not black. |
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03/11/2009 01:11:35 PM · #16 |
If the industry standard is 18% gray, why don't we just adopt that instead of the current too-light gray background? 18% is pretty dark, and I think most images would look better against it.
/fan of darkness
If the users should be able to choose, please limit choices to black, gray, white. No yellow screaming on my screen, please!
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03/11/2009 01:13:12 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
... What this is really asking for is that the image size be effectively upgraded by having the site provide a border/mat for the image. |
More of a mat, yes.
Originally posted by GeneralE:
If an image will be better "set off" by something other than the gray background, feel free to add a border ... |
:-( If the challenge allows for an image size of 640, say even 720 pixels, do you know how much grief the photographer would get for adding a wide enough border color to make a "matting" type difference? It would take a border of at least 30 pixels wide (or more) to make any impact. In the meantime the score would suffer tremendously.
Part of the artists' decision process when framing a photo for display is color combinations for the mat and frame. Having a bg color choice for challenge entry display should be part of that artistic display choice IMO. |
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11/17/2009 05:29:16 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by glad2badad:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
... What this is really asking for is that the image size be effectively upgraded by having the site provide a border/mat for the image. |
More of a mat, yes.
Originally posted by GeneralE:
If an image will be better "set off" by something other than the gray background, feel free to add a border ... |
:-( If the challenge allows for an image size of 640, say even 720 pixels, do you know how much grief the photographer would get for adding a wide enough border color to make a "matting" type difference? It would take a border of at least 30 pixels wide (or more) to make any impact. In the meantime the score would suffer tremendously.
Part of the artists' decision process when framing a photo for display is color combinations for the mat and frame. Having a bg color choice for challenge entry display should be part of that artistic display choice IMO. |
Paul, what if we gave the voters a limited option to change the background? In other words, add three links at the bottom of the photo so that you can view the image in white, grey or black. The default can be grey like it is now. What would be wrong with that?
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11/17/2009 05:38:41 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Beetle:
Originally posted by zeuszen:
For low-key and large-area black images, white would have the same effect. |
That is not entirely true.
My world has light in it. My office surrounding my computer is far from dark, even at night. So having a white background more closely and naturally matches all the rest of the image's surroundings than a black background would.
I think the grey color is the correct choice, my point is that if it HAD to be changed, then I could live with white, but not black. |
But it's only the correct choice for you because of your ambient light situation. Everyone else's is different. Viewing a photo in a very bright room makes it difficult to see shadow detail that is otherwise quite evident in a low ambient surrounding. Being able to change the background helps alleviate that problem.
Message edited by author 2009-11-17 17:38:52.
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