gecko photography

[Chewbecca]

my desktop is calibrated dor digital photography but i havent been able to find a way to calibrate the screen on my laptop :/

And lap top monitors, if not calibrated, show the WORST colors in photos.
My dad's lap top shows my photos with either the blandest colors or colors that are WAY off.

 

[robin]

i know :/

 

[Yamori]

I voted yes to both as i prefer to see reptiles as they truly are. You cant beat natural beauty, its honest and isn't that what were after.

Just my 2c.

-

 

[CSMGecko]

I unfortunately am not very good photo person. I just take a bunch of pics in different angles and lighting, then pic the best ones when I am posting them. If I knew more about tweaking to make more natural I might but as it stands now, I just snap it and download.

I would like to get a nice camera though so i wouldn't have to tweak it.

 

[CSMGecko]

Just another thought, if you are tweaking it then you do have to take into consideration the other computers as noted in the other posts. I think not tweaking is the best way to squash that frustration.

 

[Kellyr]

I do not get distracted from looking, but definately deters me from buying. Its not truthful

 

[Keitone]

Isn't there always some level of "tweaking" (not manipulating) that would always need to be done regardless of camera or lighting setup? For a photo to "look" professional it would need something done to it. Right?

It seems like everyone agrees about this so what's the solution? Rather, what would you suggest to people who are guilty of this, intentional or not.

While it's easy to spot the more unscrupulous examples of this sort of dishonesty what are we looking for that is maybe a little more subtle where someone got a little carried away with the contrast or what ever. Or like others have said maybe on their computer it looks exactly like it does in real life, but on another computer it looks artificial.

If people didn't edit their photos, on some level, it wouldn't show what the animal looks like and maybe wouldn't sell (assuming it was for sale). Who wants to buy an bland washed out gecko?!

 

[justindh1]

I can understand that most people who have reptiles don't have the best cameras and alot are taking pictures with phones. I am not that bothered if it is just to show off their gecko that much unless it is really noticeable. Not everyone out there can get photos to come out correctly. My new camera takes great picures but my old camera, I had trouble getting the pictures to represent the correct color. You have to be forgiving when it is someone who is trying to just show of their gecko. I have seen threads have more comments about the poor quality of the pictures then commenting on the geckos. That sometimes makes people not want to post anything else.

Now if it is a ad or someone who sells geckos then I believe that no matter what a person should try to get the pictures to represent the gecko to the best of their ability. It will only benefit the poster in making people feel comfortable in their pics and in return possibly get some new customers.

 

[Keitone]

What if someone were to post a "how to" on ethical photo manipulation and it were to get stickied. Not just with awesome gear either something for those of us who have to settle for less.

 

[Chewbecca]

What if someone were to post a "how to" on ethical photo manipulation and it were to get stickied. Not just with awesome gear either something for those of us who have to settle for less.

Send me a pic of yours straight out of the camera, and I can try to do a screen by screen shot of each step of manipulation that I would take to truthfully make the picture "pop".

 

[Keitone]

Send me a pic of yours straight out of the camera, and I can try to do a screen by screen shot of each step of manipulation that I would take to truthfully make the picture "pop".

Will do. :main_thumbsup:

 

[infamousJokeR]

i can't ever get my photos right haha. i'm more of a graphic designer than adjusting photos taken that aren't in natural light. my raptor male always look orange in some pics but he's more bright yellow. they look exactly how they are supposed to look on the digicam, but hardly ever look the same once they're on the laptop.

 

[Keitone]

Chewbecca offered to edit a pic for me to show me how editing should be done. Here are the results.

No editing

Chewbecca's magic touch

 

[Chewbecca]

eeek!
I didn't edit the photo, though.

That second photo is YOUR edit.

I tried to mess with color balance to adjust the white balance of the background, but I couldn't do it without messing up the color of the gecko.

The background doesn't matter to me as long as your gecko looks REAL. And it does.

You could try more lighting to make the background whiter, and then adjust in photoshop.

Just be careful that you are NOT changing the color of the gecko.

 

[Keitone]

eeek!
I didn't edit the photo, though.

That second photo is YOUR edit.

I tried to mess with color balance to adjust the white balance of the background, but I couldn't do it without messing up the color of the gecko.

The background doesn't matter to me as long as your gecko looks REAL. And it does.

You could try more lighting to make the background whiter, and then adjust in photoshop.

Just be careful that you are changing the color of the gecko.

LOL!

Ok, so maybe I will put together a "how to post process crappy pics to make them look better" how to. lol

 

[Northstar Herp]

In any case, that's a pretty leo, Keitone.

 

[HaaStyle]

I think the question is too general, no one sells anything commercially be it cheeseburgers to geckos without photoediting.

I generally crop and hit auto-levels and then post, that may be considered too much or ok, but I am unclear from this discussion as to which is acceptable and which is not.

On another thread on this forum someone was talking about the best backgrounds to shoot with I was looking for it but haven't found it, anyone know which thread it was?

 

[Keitone]

On another thread on this forum someone was talking about the best backgrounds to shoot with I was looking for it but haven't found it, anyone know which thread it was?

I remember what you are referring to. I think it was 50% gray poster board or whatever.

 

[infamousJokeR]

this one ?

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=58787

 

[HaaStyle]

Thats the one - many thank you's