Color Processing with 300D and S820

[ejwebb]

I have been working with Canon digital cameras for a few years - A40 and G3 and now Digital Rebel. I am currently printing on a Canon S820 which does an excellent job with the photos on Canon Photo Paper Pro with Canon inks. However, the prints do seem to have some issues with skin tones sometimes they are too pink and sometimes too orange - never seem to be just right.

Do most have to be color corrected in post-processing or is it possible to get good skintones straight out of the camera?

I don't want to get into a RAW vs JPEG argument and I know that I need to calibrate my system properly but just wanted some opinions, best practices to deal with color and printing from the JPEG files.

Thanks.

[maderito]

You cannot get consistent, good skin tones unless the exposure is correct and the white balance is properly set. That's difficult to do without shooting RAW, even under studio lighting conditions. For mixed or tricky lighting, you can use custom white balance.

If you are shooting JPEGs and not doing any post-processing, you should consider setting the camera image parameters for saturation, contrast, and color tone. The color tone setting adjusts the reds in skin tones towards blue (cooler) or organge (warmer). Check your manual.

With well exposed images, the Canon S820 should give you good prints out of the camera if your print workflow is set up properly.

If you're serious about getting skin tones right, you have to get involved with post-processing to adjust colors and tonality. If you're just shooting JPEG snapshots and candids without post-processing, concentrate on getting the exposure correct, modify the camera image parameters to your taste, and use custom white balance when appropriate.

[ejwebb]

Thanks. I think I will not probably be happy until I learn more about color management and how to get the most out of post processing. I am currently using Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro 7 and trying to sort out the color management issues.

My biggest problem currently is that I cannot seem to get the images in the photo editors on the monitor to match the printer output. I am searching in the forum for previous posts on color management - any suggested reading is appreciated.

[maderito]

Thanks. I think I will not probably be happy until I learn more about color management and how to get the most out of post processing. I am currently using Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro 7 and trying to sort out the color management issues.

My biggest problem currently is that I cannot seem to get the images in the photo editors on the monitor to match the printer output. I am searching in the forum for previous posts on color management - any suggested reading is appreciated.
I don't think there's any truly safe place to start exploring color management. You just have to jump in and keep those legs and arms moving.

Roger Cavenaugh, a contributor to this site, has a lot of good tips and advice on his website http://www.pixelpixel.org .
You could start here: http://www.pixelpixel.org/helpinfo/33_cmsjoe.htm

Also, look at the tutorials and articles on: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/home.htm .

Remember ... keep those arms and legs moving. :)