Goal #53 – Achieving Consistent Color

I debated blogging about this goal as there isn’t really much photographic proof to show, but having a correctly calibrated monitor is such an important part of the workflow process, and it is a goal, so here goes.

There are a couple of ways to approach the color correcting process during editing.  Of course, we try to get color as correct as we can in camera during a shoot by adjusting our white balance as we move through the day, but it isn’t possible to nail it all the time, so we make some tweaks in post-processing.

For each shoot we will either choose to outsource our color correcting to a lab or we edit the photos ourselves.  We choose outsourcing during our busiest times of the year because it allows us more time to spend with our family, focusing on hanging out with our pets and enjoying the outdoors.  We choose to edit our own photos when the shoot is smaller or we have a less hectic schedule.

Either way, the results are the same–well-balanced color that is consistent across a shoot, which we can then finish editing with our own touches.

Most importantly, the benefits of having a  monitor calibrator at home ensures that what we see on the screen is what you will get when you order prints. If you’re going to put a print up in your home (which we hope you do!), we want to make sure that the colors are rich, tonally correct, and there is the correct amount of highlights and shadows.  And in order to get the best benefit out of our color correcting, we really urge you to print through a professional lab.  They print on high quality printers that are constantly monitored for correct color output.  Your walls and frames will thank you!