Proofing Web Galleries / Color Calibration

[wdwpsu]

I recently ran in to an issue where I posted a web gallery up on Smugmug and I got a panic call from my wife that the pictures looked awful. They were all so dark and looked horrible. Meanwhile they looked fine on my monitor. She probably needs a new monitor/color calibration.

But, that has me thinking. When a client is making their minds up looking at your images on their home PC, at that point, you as the photographer are not controlling the environment. And sadly, that's the most critical moment in where they determine what they like and don't like.

How do you share your images with your couples that best ensure that they are seeing the true picture?

[jonwhite]

As well as web galleries we give all our clients a box of printed proofs of all their wedding photos, its one way to ensure they see them as they were intended at least in one medium.

Another way would be to do a private viewing with your clients when the photos are ready either on a projector or big screen and that way you can ensure that its calibrated.

[Matt30D]

I automate contact sheets in photoshop, then send as Jpegs...whats really nice about that is you can chose how many per page (4, 8, 16 whatever)...they cannot print them either...they are saved at 72 DPI...they can also zoon and scroll through the photos on their end!

[wdwpsu]

I automate contact sheets in photoshop, then send as Jpegs...whats really nice about that is you can chose how many per page (4, 8, 16 whatever)...they cannot print them either...they are saved at 72 DPI...they can also zoon and scroll through the photos on their end!
That goes back to my problem. Pics look great on my monitor, but may look awful on theirs.

[tim]

Make sure you have a calibrated monitor, most computers these days are reasonably good out of the box, just too bright. I don't worry about it, I just make sure people know they're proofs.