Help: Is this too dark?

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 12:06

Guys / girls, I need your help. I shot a bunch of photos yesterday (will post them up when I'm happy with them) and at home they look fine. On my main monitor at work they look too dark. On my second monitor at work they look just a little too dark.

Trying to figure what level to set the photos at so it will look good for the majority of people (on uncalibrate monitors I guess?).

So, if you could tell me what you think of the following images, especially the brightness, that would be a great help.

Thanks!

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 1 May 2007 at 12:23

I personally feel they are okay. They are only dark where the shadows are cast. You could use "fill light" to just boost them areas.

The 2nd one is maybe a little dark. The sky is a much darker tone than the top.

Bolerus · 1 May 2007 at 12:31

they look fine on this monitor

but that said, somebody posted a picture of some flowers last week, and on this monitor they looked very overexposed,, when i got home and looked on my own monitor they looked lovely

divine` · 1 May 2007 at 12:47

Tad dark here, been been a long while since I calibrated this screen.

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 12:50

Thanks for the feedback. Guess I need to up the brightness a touch.

FranchiseJuan · 1 May 2007 at 13:43

The first one might be passable depending on usage, but the second one is way too dark.

robmiller · 1 May 2007 at 13:46

Second one looks perfectly fine to me, the underside of the plane is in shadow but there's no detail missing.

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 15:00

Right, I'll re-process them tonight and post them up against the others so you can all say better or worse.

Thanks all for taking the time to reply.

alexisonfire · 1 May 2007 at 15:08

2nd one looks fine to me as well, it just appears like it was taken either sunrise or sunset, and the 1st was taken in midday sunlight. It only seems darker because it has a more orange appearance.

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 16:23

alexisonfire said:
2nd one looks fine to me as well, it just appears like it was taken either sunrise or sunset, and the 1st was taken in midday sunlight. It only seems darker because it has a more orange appearance.

Very close! Somehow the EXIF is missing, must fix that, but the first one was early afternoon and the second one was about 9:30ish in the morning.

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 17:50

Old:

New:

<removed as it makes me want to cry!>

Better or worse?

Moredhel · 1 May 2007 at 17:52

Much much worse. It looks completely washed out.

BillytheImpaler · 1 May 2007 at 17:52

^^Gord^^ said:
Better or worse?

Way too light.

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 17:56

Good, good, cause that is what it looks like to me as well.

3rd time lucky?

<served it's purpose and now must die>

I hate monitors!

JIM_BOB7813 · 1 May 2007 at 17:58

Still too bright/washed out IMO. First one looked fine as it was, photo #2 is slightly dark but only very slightly.

ChroniC · 1 May 2007 at 18:05

first one is fine on my monitor, second i think should look like this.

Fr0dders · 1 May 2007 at 18:05

photo 1 is fine

its photo 2 thats a bit too dark.

^^Gord^^ · 1 May 2007 at 18:11

Cool, this is really helping, thanks.

Final versions coming up (because if these aren't right I'm going to make you all use my monitor settings!

)

ChroniC · 1 May 2007 at 18:14

even if your monitor settings are different, shouldn't you get two dark or two light photos? Not one of each. :confused:

syke · 1 May 2007 at 18:16

Heres my quick attempt, the first is darker, but more definition.

Second one much lighter.

Dunno if it looks right on your monitors?

Help: Is this too dark?

Man of Honour