Lighting

ok - I have a separate thread below about colour calibrating a monitor which I'm still working on...

In doing that I have been more more aware about the lighting environment and have certainly noticed that it does affect how you view prints / screen etc.

Currently in the room I work in I have a fitting with four 40w R50 spots on the ceiling directly above the screen. The light level is fine but clearly the quality is not ideal. So, I could buy a specifc daylight desk lamp purely for viewing prints. And/or I could replace the bulb/fitting above the comp for more general lighting. I've seen a company who sells the R50 daylight spots for about £4.

Does this seem a way forward or should I be looking for a different fitting/solution altoghter.

The room is not purely used for photo work - it's a general 'house' room too so I can't get it looking too clinical!

Any thoughts/experience?

Screens are backlit, it's almost irrelevant unless you're doing critical color work IMHO.

The temperature and luminance of your lighting where the monitor lives is as important as the temperature and luminance of the lighting where a print will be viewed. If you can't control the latter then don't worry about the former. Just make sure you have no reflections on your monitor and you should be OK.