Photo Art
TM
Photography By: Steve Sullivan
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Whether you are a professional, a serious amature, or just starting out in the world of photography, you want to bring out the best in your photos. To achive this you must have a system that produces accurate colored prints and it all starts with having a calibrated monitor. When you produce a print, you want that print to match what you saw on your monitor. Bright reds should not print as pinks. If they do, where would you begin to adjust your color? It would be a long process of trial and error and frankly who has the time for that? How frustrating would that be?
If you want to put your best print forward then you must calibrate your monitor. You have made an investment in photography equipment, so why not insure that you are going to get your best print?
These calibration systems can range anywhere from $90 for the basic system like the Huey Pro to $229 for the Spyder 3 Elite, and the price can go much higher . It just depends what level of calibration you are seeking and how your system is configured. Some calibration software may not work if you run a dual monitor system. You must take your time and compare the product to your needs. Personally, I have always been impressed with Datacolor and have used them for years. Imaging Resource has posted an excellent article and review on monitor calibration with datacolor systems. I was recently forced to upgrade my photography PC (motherboard failure) and I chose to also upgrade my calibration system to the Spyder 3 Pro because it offered me the features I needed. One of the greatest features is its intelligent ambient light control. It can automatically measure the ambient light in the room and determine optimal conditions. How awesome is that?
It takes roughly about 30 minutes to an hour to calibrate a monitor, but it is well worth it. It can take up to an hour if your monitor has been off. It is recommended that your monitor be on for at least 30 minutes so it is warmed up and stable when you calibrate it. I calibrate my monitors once a month to insure that they remain as accurate as possible. Some systems may recommend turning off the lights or shielding the monitor during the calibration process. This may help insure that you are seeing accurate colors on the monitor all the time. I have placed mine in an area out of direct light from both the windows and light fixtures.
Also, keep in mind that monitors can go bad. When I upgraded my PC I was able to keep the LCD monitor from the old system, but I ended up having to recycle my 24” Viewsonic CRT monitor because it could not be calibrated. It was a monster, but it was awesome. I have been a very happy user of Viewsonic monitors, so after looking through their website I settled on one of their 24” LCD’s. What a space saver! When the old CRT was calibrated with my new PC it had a very faded look to it. Will Crockett posted a very good short video on the subject.
Calibrating your monitor will be one of the best investments you will ever make. It has allowed me to send my prints out to the pro lab I use and have them come back exactly as I saw them on my monitor. It has saved many hours of frustration.
For the best possible results take the time to calibrate your monitor. Have a great day and happy shooting!
If you want to put your best print forward then you must calibrate your monitor. You have made an investment in photography equipment, so why not insure that you are going to get your best print?
These calibration systems can range anywhere from $90 for the basic system like the Huey Pro to $229 for the Spyder 3 Elite, and the price can go much higher . It just depends what level of calibration you are seeking and how your system is configured. Some calibration software may not work if you run a dual monitor system. You must take your time and compare the product to your needs. Personally, I have always been impressed with Datacolor and have used them for years. Imaging Resource has posted an excellent article and review on monitor calibration with datacolor systems. I was recently forced to upgrade my photography PC (motherboard failure) and I chose to also upgrade my calibration system to the Spyder 3 Pro because it offered me the features I needed. One of the greatest features is its intelligent ambient light control. It can automatically measure the ambient light in the room and determine optimal conditions. How awesome is that?
It takes roughly about 30 minutes to an hour to calibrate a monitor, but it is well worth it. It can take up to an hour if your monitor has been off. It is recommended that your monitor be on for at least 30 minutes so it is warmed up and stable when you calibrate it. I calibrate my monitors once a month to insure that they remain as accurate as possible. Some systems may recommend turning off the lights or shielding the monitor during the calibration process. This may help insure that you are seeing accurate colors on the monitor all the time. I have placed mine in an area out of direct light from both the windows and light fixtures.
Also, keep in mind that monitors can go bad. When I upgraded my PC I was able to keep the LCD monitor from the old system, but I ended up having to recycle my 24” Viewsonic CRT monitor because it could not be calibrated. It was a monster, but it was awesome. I have been a very happy user of Viewsonic monitors, so after looking through their website I settled on one of their 24” LCD’s. What a space saver! When the old CRT was calibrated with my new PC it had a very faded look to it. Will Crockett posted a very good short video on the subject.
Calibrating your monitor will be one of the best investments you will ever make. It has allowed me to send my prints out to the pro lab I use and have them come back exactly as I saw them on my monitor. It has saved many hours of frustration.
For the best possible results take the time to calibrate your monitor. Have a great day and happy shooting!
