Images Uploaded to SmugMug Appear Too Dark

xluben

Newsy wrote: »

Please install or update Firefox and take a look. Shouldn't take you longer than 5 minutes to do this and it will eliminate some of the usual suspects.

I did put Firefox on my home computer and did this test previously. Please let me know what you think.

xluben wrote: »

I have the current (non-beta) version of Chrome (Version 22.0.1229.94 m). I also tried downloading the current version of Firefox. They both show the same issue when viewing the photo on SmugMug. I have attached screenshots below.

Chrome Info:



Firefox Info:



Chrome Comparison (SmugMug vs. Photobucket):



Firefox Comparison (SmugMug vs. Photobucket):

Newsy

lol... *sheepish grin*

It's been too long and I'd forgotten. Was re-reading the old posts when you updated.

Have you seen these links re tags and such. These have to do with wide gamut issues but it all has to do with how a browser handles an image and how you are embedding the color space into the image prior to uploading.

http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html#

http://www.gballard.net/photoshop/srgb_wide_gamut.html

I recall a series of posts on another forum from about 2 years ago where Chrome clearly had the superior image engine for dealing with moire issues, but the colors were wrong in any case if the image was not properly tagged.

.

xluben

Newsy wrote: »

lol... *sheepish grin*

It's been too long and I'd forgotten. Was re-reading the old posts when you updated.

Have you seen these links re tags and such. These have to do with wide gamut issues but it all has to do with how a browser handles an image and how you are embedding the color space into the image prior to uploading.

http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html#

http://www.gballard.net/photoshop/srgb_wide_gamut.html

I recall a series of posts on another forum from about 2 years ago where Chrome clearly had the superior image engine for dealing with moire issues, but the colors were wrong in any case if the image was not properly tagged.

.

OK, now we're getting somewhere! I went to this page:

http://www.gballard.net/firefox/

And I do see a difference in the rollover with both Firefox and Chrome (untagged is lighter). I changed the color management setting to 1 in FireFox and now I do not see a difference with Firefox. Here's a summary:

Desktop Computer (before changing color management to 1 in Firefox):
Smugmug - Chrome: Dark
Photobucket - Firefox: Light

Desktop Computer (after changing color management to 1 in Firefox):
Smugmug - Chrome: Dark
Photobucket - Firefox: Dark

Laptop Computer (unknown color management setting):
Smugmug - Chrome: Light
Photobucket - Firefox: Light

So apparently it seems like the "dark" image is correct? I don't understand why my image does not look dark in Photoshop. I also don't see why this has changed recently (prior to a few months ago all my images would have been considered "light"). What has changed? Color profiles in my images? Chrome browser? Monitor settings? Graphics card settings? SmugMug color profile settings? I have no idea. Any suggestions?

Newsy

Try changing the FireFox value to 0 and then 2 and see what happens. "2" is supposed to be default in v17.

edit.....

This link explains better what I'd previously typed.

http://www.metalvortex.com/blog/2012/03/16/831.html

.

xluben

I noticed something today that might be related to this issue? Probably for the first time in many months, I downloaded an image from my SmugMug page and tried opening it in Photoshop CS6. I was greeted with this message:



Could this be what is causing my images to look dark? If I click "Continue" on the box, then the image opens up in Photoshop looking fine (not dark).

xluben

Anyone?

mbonocore

Heya Ben,

I pinged Steve to see if he can shed some light. Him or I will get back to you soon!

Michael

SteveM

xluben wrote: »

I noticed something today that might be related to this issue? Probably for the first time in many months, I downloaded an image from my SmugMug page and tried opening it in Photoshop CS6. I was greeted with this message:



Could this be what is causing my images to look dark? If I click "Continue" on the box, then the image opens up in Photoshop looking fine (not dark).

Hey Ben,

Can you send me a link to the image you downloaded that gave that error? I'd like to see if I can reproduce, and examine the embedded profile.

xluben

That particular photo is not one I can share publicly. I will have to try this with another photo later tonight and get back to you. Thanks.

mbonocore

Ben,

Would you be able to send it to Steve directly, so you don't have to put the link in the thread? You can send it to mbonocore@smugmug.com and I can forward to Steve.

Michael

Marcig

Was curious if there was ever a full conclusion to this?? I am experiencing the same issue right now and have gone through all the links and tests with various browsers. I have a black and white image (exported as sRGB in LR) that to my eye on my monitor looks great in LR, PS3, and IE9, but awful in Chrome, FF, and Windows Photo viewer. Running through the tests (http://www.gballard.net/photoshop/srgb_wide_gamut.html#) on IE, all look good, no issues on any one. In FF and in Chrome, there are no color issues, but there are definitely light and dark differences.

When I change the color profile to "0" in Firefox, my B&W looks good (or like it does in IE), but from everything I'm reading that's not the right setting. And sure enough, with the setting at "0", FF isn't reading the tagged, un-tagged images in that test correctly...but my b&W looks good. I'm thoroughly confused. I don't know what's right or wrong. I just don't want my b&w's to look like arse when I post them online.

Does anyone see any differences in browsers looking at this image: http://www.marcig.net/Personal/Portraits/i-2xRHxcC/0/L/IMG_0030-L.jpg ?

xluben

No conclusion as far as I know. Still seeing the same issues.

mbonocore

xluben wrote: »

No conclusion as far as I know. Still seeing the same issues.

Ben,

Did you and Steve ever connect on the photo you were supposed to email? It has been awhile, so you may need to resend the photo to me.

Thanks!

xluben

No. I don't recall what photo it was at this point. I'll have to try and find another that does the same thing.

Marcig

xluben wrote: »

No. I don't recall what photo it was at this point. I'll have to try and find another that does the same thing.

Any chance you can use the one I linked to at the end of my post above? Pretty sure its the same issue.

mbonocore

Marcig wrote: »

Any chance you can use the one I linked to at the end of my post above? Pretty sure its the same issue.

We can take a look. Please email it to me at mbonocore@smugmug.com

Thanks!

DJKennedy

any conclusion yet?? Im having simular issues.

xluben

Nope. I just got used to Smugmug crushing the blacks every time I upload.

DJKennedy

thats just so sad on so many levels. its like they just gave up helping you (from what i can see here, i have no idea what happened behind the scene with private emails and such). yet another issue that wont be resolved.

I have no idea why i keep giving them my business. that may be the saddest part.

Thanks Ben, appreciate the reply.

EDIT: I added this to my black and white gallery:
"If the blacks look like crap, its Smugmugs fault, not mine."

xluben

I really don't know the true cause. It definitely looks different on some monitors than others. My desktop PC makes the blacks look the worst. On my phone or work computer SmugMug tends to look just like everything else.

DJKennedy

I thought ok, maybe it was the way I saved it with PS? tried a few things, didnt make any difference. different colour profile?? (windows rgb vs Adobe), no change.

ya i dont know. i would have thought that the guys at sm could have figured it out with all the smart people they have over there.

Jtring

There was a related thread on this topic a while back: http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=247548. Thenickdude (aka Lamah, aka Nicholas Sherlock) gave a link that supplies some technical background for why this can happen.

xluben

Jtring wrote: »

There was a related thread on this topic a while back: http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=247548. Thenickdude (aka Lamah, aka Nicholas Sherlock) gave a link that supplies some technical background for why this can happen.

This thread is a couple years older than that one and my issue doesn't have anything to do with re-sizing. It was viewing the same size images on SmugMug with different browsers/computers/monitors.

DJKennedy

Ben do you use Firefox?

if so:

in the URL bar area type about:config
then type:
gfx.color_management.mode
right click - modify - change to 1
close. reopen browser. check your images.