reduction in quality of pics when uploaded?

[cookie1105]

Hi,
Why do my photos seem to lose contrast and saturation once uploaded. Maybe I have got something wrong (colourspace...??)

The same picture when viewed remotely seems more washed out than when viewed locally.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Difference in monitors -- hardware, colour temp., contrast, brightness? Difference in operating System and monitor calibration?

Face it, you have little or no control over the way anything appears on a remote machine.

 

[cookie1105]

Face it, you have little or no control over the way anything appears on a remote machine.

But I am looking at it on the same machine. The only thing that has changed is that once uploaded on the www it looks more washed out than before being uploaded. It does not matter if I host on my server or upload to macforums.

Would like to know why before I finish my photosite, as I want the uploaded pics to shine as much as possible.

I am uploading as 800x600, highest quality .jpg, ~200-500kb

Cheers

 

[ChrisA]

But I am looking at it on the same machine. The only thing that has changed is that once uploaded on the www it looks more washed out than before being uploaded. It does not matter if I host on my server or upload to macforums.
Cheers

Are you using the same viewer in both cases? Possable you are looking at the jpg file with "preview" or iPhoto and then you move it to a server and look at it with Safari or Mozilla. Possably it is the viewer. I think browsers asume all images are created so they look best using "PC standard" gamma curve. Don't remember the numbers off hand.

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

I have noticed the same thing. I can only figure it's how the browsers handle the color space info. When I open the same image in safari and firefox there is a huge difference, (safari looks better).

 

[cookie1105]

I view in PS CS and it looks great. I view it online in firefox and it looks washed out. I have just tried it out in safari and it's much better.

Should really have worked this out sooner. I have had problems before with the way that firefox and safari handle hex colours on some of the websites that I have done.

Annoying all the same.

I though it maybe had something to do with the difference between AdobeRGB and sRGB; which I still don't understand

 

[jared_kipe]

Yeah it could be the color space. Or maybe photoshop is doing something funny when it saves. On a machine I had photoshop would always save stuff with a green tint. Never could figure out what was wrong.

 

[Silentwave]

It may well be a gamma issue. I've been having problems with Safari's color rendition with my smugmug galleries unless the shot is viewed as the original file. I had to set my monitor to 2.2 gamma instead of the apple standard 1.8 so my files will look good for windows users as well.

 

[OutThere]

I've noticed it as well...Photoshop is managing colorspace and web browsers do not.

I've noticed:

If you Save for Web in Photoshop it doesn't save the colorspace and ends up washing it out.

If you save with the colorspace included (an option in the save dialog), Safari will usually process it but other browsers will not.

 

[jared_kipe]

If its a big different its probably worse than the transition from adobe RGB to sRGB. Photoshop's probably messed up somehow

 

[slooksterPSV]

With Firefox or Camino if you are viewing the JPG file in the window, not the HTML file, you have to click on the image to view it full size.

 

[jared_kipe]

With Firefox or Camino if you are viewing the JPG file in the window, not the HTML file, you have to click on the image to view it full size.

Take a screen grab with them side by side. That will show a great deal.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Gamma and color space can be the main issues. IIRC the Mac gamma is 1.8 and Windows is like 2.2. A big difference IMO.

Color space can also effect how the image appears on the monitor. Adobe RGB and sRGB can be a problem for some images.

Then we have the issue of monitor calibration. I use the Monaco Optix XR to calibrate my monitor, and their EZColor to make sure that my Epson 1800 gives me WISIWIG in my final print.

 

[jared_kipe]

Gamma and color space can be the main issues. IIRC the Mac gamma is 1.8 and Windows is like 2.2. A big difference IMO.

Color space can also effect how the image appears on the monitor. Adobe RGB and sRGB can be a problem for some images.

Then we have the issue of monitor calibration. I use the Monaco Optix XR to calibrate my monitor, and their EZColor to make sure that my Epson 1800 gives me WISIWIG in my final print.

But if he's viewing it on the same computer I don't think it can be gamma, or monitor calibration. Unless photoshop is using something weird.

 

[cookie1105]

I have done a screenshot comparison. Please view in safari for best results. Pic was exported straight from lightroom as .jpg Screenshots are from viewing that pic in different applications

IMO it has something to do with the way that firefox and safari handle colour differently.

It is just one more reason for me to go back to safari as my main browser. Don't get me wrong firefox has done wonders for advancing standards-based browsing and with it's add on's and plug in's it is a great browser. But Safari just seems to get the little things right, even if it is a little bit slower.

Thanks for all your help

 

[slooksterPSV]

=O what the heck?? I never noticed that. But I don't do a lot with images on the net. Wow, I wonder if its bc of the difference in how they handle HTML which would include how they handle images which would be compiled/embedded differently.

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

The answer to your question:
http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html

The lesson here is embed a color profile in your uploads and use Safari.

 

[cookie1105]

The answer to your question:
http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html

The lesson here is embed a color profile in your uploads and use Safari.

Great link. I had no idea about the difference between 1.8 & 2.2 gamma. You can see a difference on screen. Answered my question very well! Managed and unmanaged browsers.

Thanks to you all for you help.

 

[efoto]

The answer to your question:
http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html

The lesson here is embed a color profile in your uploads and use Safari.

That is a very useful link, thanks for sharing FritzTheWonderM.

 

[jared_kipe]

I have done a screenshot comparison. Please view in safari for best results. Pic was exported straight from lightroom as .jpg Screenshots are from viewing that pic in different applications

IMO it has something to do with the way that firefox and safari handle colour differently.

It is just one more reason for me to go back to safari as my main browser. Don't get me wrong firefox has done wonders for advancing standards-based browsing and with it's add on's and plug in's it is a great browser. But Safari just seems to get the little things right, even if it is a little bit slower.

Thanks for all your help

Its mostly just less saturated. I'd hardly say it looks horrible. I've seen much worse color mismatch problems, usually including green tint.

 

[OutThere]

The answer to your question:
http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html

The lesson here is embed a color profile in your uploads and use Safari.

Cool site, granted...

If you save with the colorspace included (an option in the save dialog), Safari will usually process it but other browsers will not.

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

I've noticed this, too. Unless you're working in photoshop with the preview set to "Macintosh," the image online is going to look a lot less saturated to you. Also save as images, instead of save for web, since it exports your color space, too.