[Digikam-users] A few thoughts about color management

[Remco Viëtor]

On Saturday 01 October 2011 09:45:29 Paul Verizzo wrote:
> Some great thoughts and observation on the topic!
> 
> In my not so humble opinion, while there is certainly a time for such
> exacting endeavors, mostly it is just - pardon me - photo-masturbation.
> Confusing doing something, anything, with what matters.  Considering
> that every image reproduction chain has so many variables, planned and
> unplanned, should we really care?  Further, as we all know, our eyes are
> hugely adaptable.   An image that stands alone with the "wrong" hue will
> become balanced, with time.

Well, yes, our eyes are adaptable (luckily). But if an image is really off, 
you will notice it, and it will not become balanced with time. Especially 
portraits can be sensitive to colour casts.. As for the standing alone part, 
it never does, there's always an environmentwhich will influence the colours 
as seen.

And you don't prefer that others see what you intend them to see (esp. with 
on-screen display)? 

> And printing?  What a morass!  Whether wet or dry, digital or analog,
> nothing will ever equate exactly.  So why bother to the nth degree?  And
> to say nothing of Subject Brightness Ranges not being reproducible on
> any medium.
> 
> For non-scientific work, my philosophy accepts the subjective as the
> arbiter.  If nothing jumps out as discordant, it's OK.
> 
... 
> Getting everything perfect is what you do when you aren't a great
> photographer.

Start by defining 'perfect' in this context... I'd say any great artist will 
try to get his/her images as close to perfection as possible, with 
'perfection' meaning THEIR idea of the image they want to produce. That has 
nothing to do with technical perfection in terms of sharpness, colour accuracy 
etc.


And to get back to the subject: don't forget that a large part of colour 
management is a limited time investment (esp. screen calibration/profiling, 
imo the most important step, is done at most once a month, and most of it is 
automatic)

Remco