Correct colour balance for your Trifid images

[strongmanmike]

I have just completed a short article for Sky & Space, to appear in the Sept/Oct edition, on my recent Trifid image called "Colours of the Trifid". The article details how the many beautiful colours present in the Trifid Nebula come about.

During the background on this article I consulted with David Malin to ensure the accuracy of my reasonings. I also showed him my image and I was chuffed (and releaved!) when he commented "The colour balance in your picture looks perfectly normal to me" and proceeded to confirm my own ideas and explain why..you'll have to wait and read the article :D .

I post this information not for my ego but becasue we all at least occasionally find ourselves wondering what the correct colour balance should be for so many objects when we are processing and many of us (I know I do sometimes) surf the net looking for acurate images to compare to?

So since there is often a lot of confusion over how it should look and given that it will be imaged a few times over the coming months due to its advantagious positioning at this time of the year, this would appear to be a good colour reference point for the Trifid if you would like to use it? :)

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/82479275/original

Cheers

Mike

[ballaratdragons]

Nice Pic, Mike.

But be aware that whatever colours you portray Trifid (or any image) on the internet, it will appear as different colours on everyones monitors. All the monitors in my house give different colours to my own images and the ones I look at in here.

Also, magazines don't always get the printed colours right either. You could spend a month getting the colours perfect, and then the magazine printers change it. I have even seen ther same image in different mags in different colours.

Thanks for your efforts, but it's going to look different to all of us according to the viewing media we use. :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

You have a valid point there and it even looks different depending on what software you open it in too, PS looks different to Windows Picture and Fax viewer for example. I have found Windows picture and Fax viewer is very close to how the web displays it though and David was looking at it as it appears at my web site so if you process your image to match mine as it appears on your moniter when viewed in Windows picture and fax viewer you will at least know that it will look perfectly natural on David Malins moniter :lol:

Oh well, it may help if you were way off at least :P

Cheers

Mike

[jase]

Good Stuff Mike. Colour is always a subjective discussion in the imaging community so I'm interested to read how you've handled the situation – mathematically/scientifically or artistically.

[strongmanmike]

On this I can't say I have ever seen major changes in colour balance (and I have had a few images published :P ), the only thing that is a little annoying is that the printing process can run dark and some details like faint nebulosity or faint galaxy arms get lost and the printed image almost always appears much darker than what you see on the web or your moniter. Providing the publishers with an over brightened image can help but the ink runs darker over the print run so some copies of the mag will end up looking ok while others will look darker. Basically it isn't a perfect process and I have learned to live with it :)

Cheers

Mike

[strongmanmike]

It's deffinitely artistically for me :P

I am like a cook who cooks by eye, feel and taste, without a true recipe. I colour process based on established physical mechanisms of colour production within objects or regions. I am a "Colours of the Stars" by David Malin 1984 deciple...?...and usually process by the seat of my pants most of the time :lol:

Cheers

Mike

[iceman]

Interesting Mike, colour balance can definitely be a hot topic. I noticed some of your shots from the SPSP awards appeared a bit dark in print.

[turbo_pascale]

In terms of monitor calibration, you can get some consistency at least (across all the monitors in your house!) by using something like the Pantone Huey (about $99 from ausmedia.com.au) or Pantone Huey Pro ($199).
You may find other places to buy them. You can spend a heap more on more "professional" colour matching solutions, but I think this device is great for what it does, and it's cheap (compared to most astro gear anyway!)

I use the Huey at home, and it at least ensures consistency of images across PCs, and, the feature I like best, is that it has an ambient light sensor which adjusts your monitor at user set intervals to compensate - great for working in the dark in the small hours processing images!.

I intend to get the Pro version which supports multiple monitors shortly, if for nothing else but to try and get my CRT and LCD images looking vaguely similar on the same PC.

Turbo

[Dr Nick]

Cant wait to get that magazine to read it (I'm subscibed).

i hope it comes out right for you! ;)