Separate Print file upload vs Online view file

thestartrail

As a night photographer, the file I upload to show online is not the same file I send to the printer. For my prints to be as "bright" as viewed on a computer display, I have to bump up my print files brightness by about 30%.

Currently, I either have to post my "too bright" print files as the images to view on my website, or proof delay every order and upload a new proper print file to send to the printer. And then, the website replaces the new print file for the online view file (logically for normal photography) so I have to re-upload the "online view" file to replace the print file.

It would be AWESOME if I could assign a different print file to an image in a gallery setup to purchase online.

pbandj

Great idea for a feature request!

mrneutron

Have a look at our calibration help page. http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93365-my-prints-are-too-dark-
For specific help, contact the help desk by emailing help@smugmug.com and we'll have an image specialist respond.

Thanks,

dennismullen

I have the same problem. On my webpage I have a separate gallery for print sales.
I process a large file for print sales and a separately sized file for monitor viewing.

Smugmug has double crossed me by no longer allowing Original Size as a viewing size in the gallery slideshow.
Original Size can only be viewed by specifically selecting it from the drop down sizes menu in the light box.

Cheers

thestartrail

Mr Neutron,

Not sure if I'm being incredibly stupid about it, or a good idea, but in the 4 years of ordering from Bay Photo- here's what I found works:
-If I send the image that looks awesome as an "online view" to Bay Photo, I get back a severely dark, underexposed print.

-I tried clicking on the "color correction" in the print ordering, but it still came back very underexposed (as opposed to severely dark) which was an improvement, but not good enough when selling a $400 print.

-To eliminate all guesswork of hoping a lab tech would color correct how I want it to look, I did the calibration print thing. I sent in my "online view" file to print. Print was mailed back too dark to sell.
So, I pulled up my "online view" file on my monitor and kept turning down the screen brightness til it was as dark, underexposed as the print I was holding up next to it. At that point, my screen has now "calibrated" what the computer screen version looks like when printed out- too dark. BUT, it gives a starting point to bring up the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, etc until the 50% screen illuminated file looks awesome. I then sent in this "much too bright for computer displaying" file as the print file and BINGO! The resulting print looks as bright as the original "online view"
Make sense?

So, I can't send the "online view" in as the print file- even with "color correction" checked off because it just doesn't produce desired results. My workaround is I have an "online file" and separate "print file" of all my night images. Hence the problem of Smugmug using the online view file as the print file.

If there's a ridiculously easy fix to this please let me know. But, over the course of 4 years and about 50 print orders, this has been the best solution for my night photography.

thestartrail

For example sake:
Crater Lake desired Online View:


Crater Lake Print File:


Is this a small difference in the big scheme of things? Yes. But, not trying to be full of myself, but in an attempt to be the best- the final difference between my work and other night shooters is the last 5-10% details.
...I hope those embed codes work like I think they will..

thestartrail

As many photographers do, I spend hour and hours and hours adjusting small things to make the final image how I want it. For night photography, it's a big point of difference in how each photographer differently interprets how "dark" or "bright" the night image is.

mbonocore

You know I love this idea Ben. I have officially submitted it to the product department. By the way, that photo on 24x36 metal looks incredible in my office

WinsomeWorks

thestartrail wrote: »

Mr Neutron,

Not sure if I'm being incredibly stupid about it, or a good idea, but in the 4 years of ordering from Bay Photo- here's what I found works:
-If I send the image that looks awesome as an "online view" to Bay Photo, I get back a severely dark, underexposed print.

-I tried clicking on the "color correction" in the print ordering, but it still came back very underexposed (as opposed to severely dark) which was an improvement, but not good enough when selling a $400 print.

-To eliminate all guesswork of hoping a lab tech would color correct how I want it to look, I did the calibration print thing. I sent in my "online view" file to print. Print was mailed back too dark to sell.
So, I pulled up my "online view" file on my monitor and kept turning down the screen brightness til it was as dark, underexposed as the print I was holding up next to it. At that point, my screen has now "calibrated" what the computer screen version looks like when printed out- too dark. BUT, it gives a starting point to bring up the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, etc until the 50% screen illuminated file looks awesome. I then sent in this "much too bright for computer displaying" file as the print file and BINGO! The resulting print looks as bright as the original "online view"
Make sense?

So, I can't send the "online view" in as the print file- even with "color correction" checked off because it just doesn't produce desired results. My workaround is I have an "online file" and separate "print file" of all my night images. Hence the problem of Smugmug using the online view file as the print file.

If there's a ridiculously easy fix to this please let me know. But, over the course of 4 years and about 50 print orders, this has been the best solution for my night photography.

I've wondered so much about this too, and wished we could have a "print file" and "view file". I completely understand what you're saying... even for many daylight (and especially back-lit, twilight, or sunrise/sunset, or mood-lit studio photos) this can be so true. But are you saying that every single time you get an order, you're still going through this entire process to accomplish the "correct" print brightness? I mean, you have proof delay turned on. You get an order. You upload the brightened "Print" file. Print gets made. Now you re-upload the original "View" file since the "Print" file looks too bright on monitors ??? And you do this for every order? Yikes. Or am I not understanding...

thestartrail

@Michael- thanks so much! I think it would be a useful feature.

@Winsome- yeah... I was! yikes indeed.
Currently, I now have a separate "print order" gallery that contains the print files, so the orders correlate directly to the images. But, that means my potential customers are viewing an overly bright image that isn't what I want to "sell" them on, and there's the potential kickback of "my print isn't as bright as it looks on the computer!" because I'm using the print file as the viewing file.