Create Custom Picture Style from Color Checker Passport Profile?

I wasn't sure where to post this . . . hopefully this is the right spot?

I would like to create a custom picture style that utilizes the adjustments from a Color Checker Passport profile.

I started to work on a custom picture style last night, but when I got to the six (and individual) colours I had troubles. It would just be so much easier to tweak colours if I could use the existing profile I've already created.

Basically, I want to create a picture style (which includes colour corrections) for each hockey rink that regularly I shoot in. I'd like to reduce post production time, and I'm hoping I can start to utilize JPEGs from the games instead of processing RAW files.

Is there an easy way to tweak the style colours? The Color Checker Profile? Something else?

Have you checked youtube?

chauncey wrote in post #17925405
Have you checked youtube?

No. I don't like instructional videos. I prefer written instructions as I find them easier to follow.

Is there something on YouTube that I should have a look at?

A camera Picture Style? I'm not sure that's possible. You can tweak the Picture Styles on the camera's menu, but actually feeding data to the camera... uh-uh. You can take a picture of the colour chart under the rink's light and use that for a custom WB, maybe that would help.

And I'd strongly advise against using JPEGs straight out of the camera. The camera throws out a lot of data and brands the files with the set Picture Style making post-processing more troublesome. Your exposure also needs to be spot on, as you have less latitude to correct mistakes, and every time you save a JPEG you're throwing away even more data.

I don't think RAW processing can really be avoided. Back when I used LR I used the SpyderCheckr from Datacolor. It's better than the Passport in so far as it uses the HSL/Color [Sic] mode instead of the Camera Calibration profile. Thus, you can tweak the colours easier and save all your adjustments as a preset. I created presets for daylight and for my flashes and then just applied them to imported photos, even those from other shoots where I had not used the colour chart at all. Then I just adjusted one of them photos and copied and pasted the adjustments to all others (assuming the shot and lighting conditions were the same or similar). Then the images were sent to PS as TIFFs and final retouching done; imported back into LR and I could generate the JPEGs I needed: I had presets for that too, so it was quick.

You can create any picture style that you wish using Canon's "Picture Style Editor" software.

Sorry. I always assume that everyone knows about and uses Canon's "PictureStyleEditor" software.

I'm content to do post processing work for our own association. But, at tournaments I've been approached several times by managers and coaches from other associations to shoot their games.

Shooting for our own association is huge pile of work, so I don't want to add another association's post processing work to my load.

I've always turned down the offers from any teams outside of our association. But, if I could just provide a memory stick of JPEGs at the arena right after a game for a nominal fee ($50 bucks or so), I'd be more inclined to take up offers.

I have a lot of troubles with yellows, oranges, and caucasian skin tones SOOC, in almost all of the arenas.

This is an image from last night's practice (at the brightest arena I shoot in . . . which is lit with fluorescent tube lighting) that I processed from RAW, with a profile I created from a Color Checker Passport:

Yup, that's one reason I don't bother with Picture Styles, the colours can be all out of whack. I have my cameras permanently set to Neutral, and I reset all the values (Saturation, Sharpness, &c) to 0. The JPEG on the LCD screen looks like poop, but I'm not using it to determine exposure anyway, so I don't care.

Yeah, I didn't know about the Picture Styles software.

There's no automated way to do this sadly, and I'd like the same capability, but maybe enhanced to allow dual-illuminant.

You might be able to do it to some extent by creating a custom style based on Neutral, and when selecting the colours in Canon PSE try and match up the colour wheel with the known Macbeth colour swatches. This might need to be a slightly subjective visual compare on a calibrated monitor but perhaps would get you "close enough".
You'll need RAW images of the CCP of course along with some sample RAW's in the same lighting to tweak it closer.

Incidentally, a couple of in camera JPG options that might be worth testing if you haven't already:
Neutral profile with +1 Saturation
Standard with -1 or -2 Contrast, -1 Saturation
and set in-camera white balance with the CCP white balance target

Otherwise, shoot RAW / MRAW and import into LR with your custom profile, set white balance, sync all and export.
BTW, I used to use the X-rite software to create my profiles but recently switched to the Adobe profile editor. The result is a bit less saturated (reds most notably), little less contrast and I find it a bit more forgiving.

TerminalCity wrote in post #17925964
Incidentally, a couple of in camera JPG options that might be worth testing if you haven't already:
Neutral profile with +1 Saturation
Standard with -1 or -2 Contrast, -1 Saturation
and set in-camera white balance with the CCP white balance target

I'll try this tonight, thank you.

I'm trying to remember what the lights are like at the arena this week's tournament is in. I think they're metal halide, which means I have to run with AWB due to phase shifting in the colour spectrum. If I remember correctly, this arena is also exceptionally dark. I've only been in this arena once before, and I didn't shoot that game.

I really need to keep better notes on the arenas.

What software are you using...you are shooting RAW, right??
This whole question sounds like a no-brainer...take a picture of the color checker before or after and base all your readings on that image.

neacail wrote in post #17926427
I'll try this tonight, thank you.

I'm trying to remember what the lights are like at the arena this week's tournament is in. I think they're metal halide, which means I have to run with AWB due to phase shifting in the colour spectrum. If I remember correctly, this arena is also exceptionally dark. I've only been in this arena once before, and I didn't shoot that game.

I really need to keep better notes on the arenas.

Interested in your results. Please keep us updated.

I expect that you won't be able to accomplish it with the metal halide lights, since each shot will be not only a different color temperature, but different results across the spectrum.

chauncey wrote in post #17926724
What software are you using...you are shooting RAW, right??
This whole question sounds like a no-brainer...take a picture of the color checker before or after and base all your readings on that image.

Respectfully, I don't think you're getting the problem.

Making a profile in the computer is relatively easy, given the X-rite software. However, that requires taking all the pictures back to the computer and editing them using that profile.

The goal is to deliver finished jpegs immediately after the event, which requires minimizing the amount of processing. To that end, using the Picture Style editor to create an IN-CAMERA picture style that agrees with the camera profile generated by the X-rite software. Ideally, with that picture style, the in-camera jpegs will be correct and no further processing will be necessary.

I'm also interested in your results. I have been playing around with Picture Style Editor recently and it is quite finicky to get the colors to do what you want them to do, compared to something like LR.

Since not everyone who is reading this thread is familiar with the Canon's Picture Style Editor, I'm adding some screen shots of the program and process.

nathancarter perfectly summed up my process and my goals.

The X-rite software is only for use with the X-rite color checkers and is a part of my RAW post processing, but the other piece of software that I'm using is available to all Canon DSLR uses.

If you don't have "PictureStyleEditor" on the disk that came with your Canon DSLR, you can download it from the Canon support website. The picture styles affect the preview on the camera's screen and in camera JPEG generation (most of us already know this). It is a handy piece of software and is worth learning about.

Once "PictureStyleEditor" is downloaded and installed, open it.

You'll see this:

Thanks a lot for that, Shelley.

Looks useful when you have to shoot JPEGs. The one thing I'm wondering about is how the WB will impact the custom style.

Alveric wrote in post #17926926
Thanks a lot for that, Shelley.

Looks useful when you have to shoot JPEGs. The one thing I'm wondering about is how the WB will impact the custom style.

I don't have the answer to that question. I guess it depends on what adjustment the camera does first? If it applies the white balance correction first, then I think the profile should be fine. But, if it just applies the profile correction and ignores the white balance there is going to be an issue.

I did find out (by checking the arena's website) that the rink I'll be shooting in this week uses incandescent lighting. That's probably why I remember the rink being so abnormally dark. I'll be able to use a custom WB.

I'm just going to try the edited neutral profile tonight. Depending on how that goes, I think I've figured out how I can build a picture style based on my X-Rite profile: by entering in each RGB adjustment individually: by taking the corrected RGB value from Photoshop, and loading the photo of my Color Checker Passport in the PictureSyleEditor. I just don't know how the individual colour adjustments will be applied: if only that specific RGB value will be adjusted, or if gradients, blends, hues, etc. will be calculated.