Print Color Issue

mweber

I shot a family portrait which I had printed at a local discount club in an 11x14 as a test print. Because of the size it was a (very good) inkjet print. For $2.50 I was impressed with the print quality but not the paper. I ordered the same size print from Smugmug (#1203435) and printed by EZPrints and while I like the paper (luster) I wasn't thrilled with the rolled delivery but the real problem is the color in the faces.



The original is in: http://gallery.weberphotographics.com/Portraits/50th-Anniversary-Portraits/9860074_9sogn/1/670856631_xgtXi

The faces seem to lack the variations in tone and are quite flat. Of particular note my wife's lipstick (back row center) stands out like a sore thumb in the EZprint print but looks good on screen and in the discount club print. My wife was not happy with her look which makes me not happy. For now the discount club print is what got framed, not the EZPrints print.

I had not soft proofed this image because I left color correction on for the gallery. However, when I did soft proof the image I could see the shift in the faces to match the print.

What I'm trying to figure out is why did the EZPrints profile impact the print colors as dramatically as I'm seeing? I expect some compression of the color space for the print but nothing as dramatic as I saw on this print. Is the problem in the way I pushed the exposure of the back row since they were underexposed in the source image? Was it EZPrints color correction? Should I soft proof every image and turn off color correction on my portrait galleries?

Honestly, I'm getting afraid to order prints through EZPrints. This spring I had an order which needed to be redone by Bay Photo because EZPrints over corrected a white background image and made my bright white background medium grey. I was told part of the problem was that my images were 1/2 stop under exposed so possibly now I'm over compensating the exposure but the discount club did good with the same image. Now I suspect my black background is throwing off the correction once again.

I would love to figure out what I'm doing which is causing the issues so I could place an order with confidence that I'll be happy with the results. So far I've been happy with 2 out of 5 print orders, I'd like better odds. Is it me? Is it the lab? Am I destined to a life of discount club prints?

Thanks,
Matt

Andy

mweber wrote:

Honestly, I'm getting afraid to order prints through EZPrints.

We get near zero returns... those that are, are usually for too-red and other similar maladies. For your work, I really recommend hand color correction at Bay. It's superior to what we use at EZ, which is computer color corrected.

#1203435 should be printed True at EZ, not Auto. Or it should be printed with color correction on at Bay. Which would you prefer, we'll do either for you

mweber

Andy wrote:

#1203435 should be printed True at EZ, not Auto. Or it should be printed with color correction on at Bay. Which would you prefer, we'll do either for you

I will take you up on the offer for a reprint with CC on at Bay. The other order redone by them was nothing short of magnificent.

I know there are many happy customers thats why I did not want to jump on just blaming the lab. I have been viewing the color correction as the final check to catch what I'm not good enough to fix. I have not been ordering enough prints to feel comfortable going without color correction, it has been my crutch.

I starting to believe that like you say I should not use auto correction unless the image is more a typical mix, not something with a solid background.

I would order from Bay for prints like these if I could. Being a mere "power user", not pro, Bay is not an option. I have been reluctant to upgrade my subscription only for access to Bay. Will Bay ever be an option for users without a "pro" subscription?

If you are so inclined I would welcome C&C on the image itself. I know of a couple things I would do different next time. It was the largest group I've done so far indoors with my strobes. Always trying to learn.

Thanks

Andy

mweber wrote:

I will take you up on the offer for a reprint with CC on at Bay. The other order redone by them was nothing short of magnificent.

OK please change your galleries to print at Bay Photo with CC on and I'll have it done.

Andy

mweber wrote:

If you are so inclined I would welcome C&C on the image itself. I know of a couple things I would do different next time. It was the largest group I've done so far indoors with my strobes. Always trying to learn.

Thanks

I'd like some separation between the people and the black bg, hair lights would do it.

mweber

Andy wrote:

I'd like some separation between the people and the black bg, hair lights would do it.

That was one of my lessons learned, I had one hairlight on the backdrop bar but I really needed two. I wasn't getting enough light on the outside people.

mweber

Andy wrote:

OK please change your galleries to print at Bay Photo with CC on and I'll have it done.

I do not have the pro subscription so that is not an option available for my gallery.