How do you read RGB in ACR

[Scott Painter]

I have watched your video "eye fooler (http://www.whibalhost.com/_Tutorials/WhiBal/08/index.html)" with hopes that you can answer a question. As a jpg shooter before I knew of calibration, I learned to read the info pallet for density and I like it about a 35-40% on the non specular part of the face. Now I'm calibrated, but have loved my density technique for 5 years. The problem is that as I switch to raw shooting, ACR and other converters only give you an RGB. I can't tell what the numbers mean. I thought I was on the right track with the 236 red, but maybe not. I'm looking for a way to keep my work consistant and your video reassures me that calabrated monitors are overrated which is why I've used the info k value for years.

Also how soon is FUD shipping.
http://www.betterimagephoto.com/ppa/colorsorority.jpg

[Scott Painter]

This gives another example of how I can keep work consistant in photoshop. With the eye dropper set on green dot area I get a K DENSITY value on the info pallet between 35-40%, but can't find a way in ACR. Anyone who watches your video would have to conseed that it would be very hard to just eyeball these 2 images with just the histogram and get them this accurate. The goal is to not have to do much work in Photoshop, not to make it nessessary to open 2 applications. Is there a way to read density in ACR or Lightroom?

http://www.betterimagephoto.com/ppa/highlowhistogram.jpg

[MichaelT]

1 - Calibrated monitors are not overated. They are necessary IMO.

2 - The problem with your click WB may be that the gray target is not neutral. There is no way to know.

3 - As you point out an RGB value is dependant on the Color Space, so the number will differ for each color space based on their gamut. The is not option or tools in LR or ACR to read out anything other than RGB.

Hope this helps..

[Scott Painter]

1 - Calibrated monitors are not overated. They are necessary IMO.

2 - The problem with your click WB may be that the gray target is not neutral. There is no way to know.

3 - As you point out an RGB value is dependant on the Color Space, so the number will differ for each color space based on their gamut. The is not option or tools in LR or ACR to read out anything other than RGB.

Hope this helps..


I have a calibrated monitor, but as your video shows, the eye can be fooled. As my histogram example shows, this can be misleading. My MAIN question is how do you get a consistant density without opening 2 programs.

I shoot in sRGB and never do anything that is not sRGB. I've learned fairly well to adjust color slightly or abruptly in Photoshop. I haven't figured out how to make as slight of adjustments in ACR. Doesn't matter if it is as shot or click balanced. To me most click balanced photos are cooler or more magenta than I like. That is why I'm looking into clickbalancing and then getting a warm tone from there.

[MichaelT]

I think the first thing to figure out why a click balanced photo has more magenta than you like. If the WhiBal shot is at the subjects face and this is used for WB, then the skin tone should be accurate, of course this is assuming that the color profile within ACR are perfect which they are not.

Does the WhiBal card have more Magenta than you would like after click WBing?