[Digikam-users] Tutorial: Color Management, Camera Profiles,

[Paul Waldo]

----- "elle stone" <jrle1 at twcny.rr.com> wrote:

[snip]
> Could you please email me the details of what you do to produce a "CM
> image"
> and an "unmanaged image"?  I am not sure the issue is "color
> management" per
> se, but I am really curious and willing to see if I can figure out why
> your
> results vary so much.

The first problem I have is with the camera profile.  I got profiles from the ufraw site I mentioned.  The profiles look great when I convert using UFRaw, but they are very dark when used with digikam.

> I am not so sure that a color-managed workflow will necessarily lead
> to an
> improved image.  If your workflow isn't color-managed, then you are
> by
> default working exclusively in sRGB (except for applying the right
> camera
> profile, if you are starting with a raw file).  Many, many fine
> photographs
> have been produced in sRGB and many professional photographers start
> with
> the camera jpeg rather than a raw file.  Color management becomes an
> issue
> if/when you want to step outside of the bounds of sRGB as your working
> and
> output space. 

Agreed that sRGB will work OK, especially if the output medium is sRGB.  My understanding is that if you work in a larger gamut, for some images you will not see artifacts such as clipping and banding when switching to an sRGB output space.  Maybe examples of how that works...?


> 
> 
> Bugzilla from paul at waldoware.com wrote:
> > 
> > * Monitor Profiling in Linux
> > 
> 
> A very good topic that I'd be happy to try to write up, especially if
> people
> with the newer LCD monitors would speak up about their experiences
> and
> procedures.  I'm still using a Sony Trinitron CRT.  When I switched
> to
> Linux, being able to calibrate my monitor was my number one
> requirement, and
> to my surprise and delight, Argyll does a better job than the windows
> software I had previously used.
> 
> Color management, per se, might not lead to a better image, but I am
> absolutely positive that using a calibrated monitor will improve your
> images.  By the way, profiling and calibrating are two different
> things -
> you will benefit from calibrating your monitor even if you don't
> "color
> manage".  

I apologize, I did mean calibration.  I use the KDE calibration tool, but I'm open to anything else.

[snip]
> > * Obtain the Camera Profile.  . . . For example,
> > http://staffwww.itn.liu.se/~karlu/div/howto/ufraw_with_canonSLR.php
> shows
> > 7
> > profiles available for a single camera.  What to choose?
> > 
> 
> Thank you for the link!  I finally found the elusive Canon Rebel XTI
> 6131
> profiles!   I will definitely write up a little "which Canon profile"
> for
> you.  

Let me know if you need Rebel images.  Thanks !

Paul