Why do my photos look better in iPhoto than Photoshop?

[John-Peter]

I currently have Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Windows that I am running on my MacBook using Parallels.

I have been slowly learning how to use Elements when I realized recently that when I move a picture from iPhoto to Elements and compare them side by side on my screen the one in Elements looks worse! They should be exactly the same picture but every time the colors in the Elements version are less vibrant and everything seems flatter.

Any ideas why this might be happening and how to fix this?

Thanks!

 

[iBookG4user]

It sounds like iPhoto is applying some automatic adjustments and photoshop is displaying the image as it is with no adjustments. Although I don't use iPhoto so I could be wrong.

 

[NeoMayhem]

Color Profiles. Images look worse in Photoshop for OS X compared to iPhoto/Aperture as well.

 

[jtblueberry]

check your color settings. what color profile do you set your camera to? what color space do you work in in iphoto and photoshop? Your profiles and color spaces should match up.

 

[John-Peter]

Thanks! I had a look at my preferences in iPhoto and the box for ColorSync is checked.

I then went to Elements and got quite lost with all the different color possibilities. What I did find was that my color settings are "always optimized for printing".

Finally, I have no idea how to check what my camera color settings are other than I have set it for "vivid". It's a Nikon D50.

Any more thoughts on how all this might fit together for a color newbie like me?!

 

[jtblueberry]

I am assuming you are shooting .jpeg.
The camera is probably embedding an sRGB file.
Set the photoshop working color space to sRGB.
In photoshop, you should see accurate color (assuming you have a calibrated monitor).
I don't use iphoto so sorry I can't help there.

 

[ChrisA]

I currently have Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Windows that I am running on my MacBook using Parallels.

People always say you need to calibrate your screen. But Apple's profiles that ship with Mac OS X are not to bad, not perfect but decent. The default profiles the ship with Windoes are..... Well they don't exist

You really should move your Photoshop over t the Mac. OK maybe put up with what you have untill Elements 6.0 is realeased for the Mac. It is due soon.

The next thing to buy is a hardware colorimeter.

 

[ChrisA]

Thanks! I had a look at my preferences in iPhoto and the box for ColorSync is checked.

I then went to Elements and got quite lost with all the different color possibilities. What I did find was that my color settings are "always optimized for printing".

Finally, I have no idea how to check what my camera color settings are other than I have set it for "vivid". It's a Nikon D50.

Any more thoughts on how all this might fit together for a color newbie like me?!

I have a Nikon D50. "vivid" implies a color space but I've forgotten which and the menue options in PS are on the left side of the menu bar near the bottom of the drop down. Of course I've forgotton the names as I work more by "feel". If you have not gotton the answer by tonight send my a PM and I'll look it up

That said the defaults are reasonable in PSE and the problem is likely lack of monitor calibrated on the Windows side. You would need a color profiles for your Windows monitor with Parralles driver.