Datacolor contacted me a few months ago about a new color calibration product they were releasing. After meeting with their PR team over a conference call, they sent me a pre-release SpyderX Elite calibration system to test. They did not compensate me for this review, nor do they expect anything specific in return. I’ve written this review as a service to our audience and as a guide to those who might use this equipment in their own workflow. Quick answer I highly recommend the SpyderX Elite and can confidently say that it does an excellent … [Read more...] about Datacolor SpyderX Elite review and installation guide
calibration
The Color Calibrated Workflow, Part 2: Getting it Right in the Camera
Editor's Note: A special thanks to our partner Datacolor for helping us to bring more information about color calibration to you. Special Deals on Datacolor Spyder Elite Getting accurate color all starts with getting it right in the camera. In Part 1 of this series we covered the concepts of color management, and some of the speed bumps you will contend with. Fortunately, there are loads of things we can do, and tools we can use, to make it easier to display and print consistent colors. In this second part of the series, I'll cover … [Read more...] about The Color Calibrated Workflow, Part 2: Getting it Right in the Camera
The Color Calibrated Workflow, Part 1: Uncomplicating Color
Editor's Note: A special thanks to our partner Datacolor for helping us to bring more information about color calibration to you. The Color Calibrated Workflow, Part 1: Uncomplicating Color It should be pretty simple, I see a colorful flower, I take a photo of it, download it, print it, and it should look just like what I saw. Except, many times it doesn't. Capturing and reproducing accurate colors was once one of the most frustrating and time-consuming things in the realm of digital photography. It can cause no end of problems for both … [Read more...] about The Color Calibrated Workflow, Part 1: Uncomplicating Color
Product Review: Spyder5ELITE Monitor Calibrator
Editor's Note: A special thanks to our partner Datacolor for helping us to bring more information about color calibration to you. Monitor calibration does not have to be difficult with a solid calibration device. Special Deals on Datacolor Spyder Elite Spyder 5 Elite Datacolor's new Spyder 5 Elite monitor calibrator is dead simple to use. The software installs from Datacolor's website. The Spyder 5 device is the same for the three versions of the product: Spyder5EXPRESS, Spyder5PRO, and Spyder5ELITE. The difference is in the software. … [Read more...] about Product Review: Spyder5ELITE Monitor Calibrator
Living & Loving Color Calibration
Editor's Note: A special thanks to our partner Datacolor for helping us to bring more information about color calibration to you. Check out the links at the end of the article for more info and how to take advantage of Datacolor's upgrade pricing. Color management is a bug-a-boo to lots of photographers. It doesn't have to be a hassle at all. Once it's set up, it's mostly automatic. I say "mostly" because monitors have to be recalibrated every couple of months and that's no big deal. The calibration software reminds when it's time to … [Read more...] about Living & Loving Color Calibration
How I Calibrated My Monitor for the First Time
(Editor's Note: A special thanks to our partner Datacolor for helping us to bring more information about color calibration to you.) For years, I was uncertain of how to approach monitor calibration. I was trusting of my iMac 5K's screen, and knew that it got me (what I thought were) pretty good results. But after reading more and more about the benefits of calibration, I decided to bite the bullet, going with the Datacolor Spyder5ELITE+. Special Deals on Datacolor Spyder Elite Why I Chose to Calibrate As I've developed as a … [Read more...] about How I Calibrated My Monitor for the First Time
Benefits of Color Calibration
Editor's Note: A special thanks to our partner Datacolor for helping us to bring more information about color calibration to you. Special Deals on Datacolor Spyder Elite A photographer walks into a bar... A couple of art directors are chatting over their beverages. The photographer, sitting nearby overhears their conversation. One of them says "Did you see those pictures we got yesterday? They were all dark." The other art director replies "Not a problem. I just made my monitor brighter..." The photographer shakes his head in sadness. … [Read more...] about Benefits of Color Calibration
DSLR Video Weekly: Fixing White Balance in Video
This is article #12 in the DSLR Video Weekly series. If you'd like the whole thing in one shot, check out the book Creating DSLR Video: From Snapshots to Great Shots. Once you get the hang of video, be sure to monetize it by becoming a contributor to Adobe Stock. White Balancing Your Camera One of the most important settings on your camera that you need to choose is a white balance. This control allows you to set the overall color (or tone) for the scene. White is used as a reference point because it is the perfect blend of all the … [Read more...] about DSLR Video Weekly: Fixing White Balance in Video
Camera Calibration in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw
Found in both Lightroom and Adobe Camera RAW lies a module that you may skip over, but it actually holds a lot of power. Mainly used as a calibration for your camera it can be a great creative tool. Lets take a look at Camera Calibration; Where To Find Camera Calibration In Lightroom you'll find Camera Calibratin at the bottom of the Develop Module and in Adobe Camera Raw its the 8th icon across that looks like a camera; Process The Process here is what version of the software was used to process this image. If youre loading in an older … [Read more...] about Camera Calibration in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw
Professional Color with Lightroom’s Camera Calibration
I started photography by shooting film in high school just before the turn of the century, and I don't miss film one bit. Its so wonderful to see a photograph on the back of the camera and see how the composition and the highlights are working, and then make changes. I don't know what I learned in school, but I learned it all again the first day I shot with a DSLR by looking at the LCD and making a change and trying again. Its powerful, but if you shoot RAW it may be frustrating, too. The camera shows a JPEG preview, and that just doesn't often … [Read more...] about Professional Color with Lightroom’s Camera Calibration
Custom Camera Calibration in Lightroom
A few months back I wrote an article, "Click Away Digital is Free, or is it?" after my trusty Nikon D700 died. It was replaced with the latest and great D810. The D810 received great reviews and the camera specs are very impressive. So if the D810 is a better camera why were my photos looking dull and flat when I imported them into Lightroom? Creating a new camera profile when importing my RAW images fixed the problem. The Problem My photography career has taken me down the path of a generalist. I photography portraits, sports, events, … [Read more...] about Custom Camera Calibration in Lightroom
Use Lightroom’s Camera Calibration for Punchy Professional Looking Color
I've always been a fan of using Lightroom's Camera Calibration tab to make your RAW files look more like your camera's JPEGs. Well, I've found, lately, that the same tab holds the secret to making my colors punchier and more vitreous--more lively. Let me show you what I mean. Shadows Right at the top there's a slider called Shadows, and it slides from green to magenta (pink) with zero in the middle. As a portrait photographer, this is my secret weapon. Like you, I love to make portraits at grassy parks, or under shady trees so I can avoid the … [Read more...] about Use Lightroom’s Camera Calibration for Punchy Professional Looking Color
