For a while I have the feeling when I upload a file to the site the image posted on the website seems to be a bit darker and a bit more saturated. This might have been always the case and I just started to realize it. Have folks seen the same effect or is this something related to some specific settings on my computer?
Hi Juergen, You are right. Sometimes the uploading process is perfect, and sometimes not so much. It can make a subtle difference what format you choose, the color profile, (SRGB vs. Adobe color), as well as the size of the image. My wife can’t see the difference, but I can. The biggest issue is the way it looks on my screen in the ambient light in my office vs. after it’s been through the upload engine. Also, the images on fstoppers always look better on my tablet than they do on my laptop.
I frequently upload the same image two or three times with different exposure adjustments until I’m happy. I’m a perfectionist, so it really doesn’t bother me. I spend hours fine tuning the image before uploading, so why not a couple of final tweaks after giving it a go with the upload. Bear in mind that most viewers will never notice. The adjustments are for your esthetic vision.
The only thing that does bug me (a little) is when somebody rates an image before I pull it down to reload the adjusted version. It hurts to lose one of those “Likes!”
Juergen, I agree with Robert and color profiles very well be the problem. I my workflow I’ve been all I could think of is I select 8-bit, resize, sharpen and save as jpeg. Other than that looking at many of your images I have to wonder if it doesn’t go deeper, but I have too little information with too many variables to consider.
Are you processing one one monitor, are you using multiple apps., RAW format to what preferred format? What tools do you use, are you editing wholly by eye? Other than answering question like these, posting a screenshot of a histogram of an image you’re dissatisfied with would be of help. Oh and by the way in your title you state “Uploads to Fstoppers …”, are there instances where you upload elsewhere and they look okay?
Hi Paul,
Thank you very much for looking into this. I work with RAW files, using ON1 2024, no other app, and only one monitor. I double checked and it looks like it is the jpg and not the upload to Fstoppers, Instagram looks identical. If I export in TIF it seems to closer to the RAW file. However all these changes are quite small and more noticeable with darker photos. TIF export is sRGB 16 bit, jpeg is sRGB too. I attached one of those photos with its histogram.
Thank, Juergen
Hi Juergen, I’m only familiar with ON1 by name I haven’t played around with it yet, so bear with me. How long have you been using ON1? Just since raw24 or before and how do you like it? I view a couple of tutorials and it looks kind of similar to PS. I learned with a program 20 almost 30 years ago that was compared to as a $100. Version of PhotoShop called PaintShop Pro.
First your screen capture looks fine to me but the histogram shows that your blacks and whites are clipping blacks clipping with blue and whites with red. That why on top you have the blue triangle to the left and on the right a red triangle. You can also evidence in the lower graph.
What kind of tools do you use in your workflow levels, curves, or strictly sliders? If included a before and after with histogram of an adobe camera raw image granted it’s not a sunset. After I’m finished in ACR I go into photoshop hopefully just for some fine tuning, minor tweaking, sharpening before saving copies as tiff and jpeg which is converted to 8 bit resized to 140 dpi/ppi and half to two thirds the resolution on the long side, sharpen/unsharpened and compressed to around 1 mb.
Hi Paul,
Many thanks for your input. I used to work with Lightroom, the last non-subscription version. I didn't like the subscription idea and started to search for an alternative. I had looked into ON1 Photo RAW in 2021 or so but wasn't impressed. That changed with the 2023 version and I moved. I like the 2024 even better, not sure about the 2025 upgrade, I don't use most of the AI features. ON1 2024 looks almost like Lightroom, but the effects of the sliders and curves are bit different and I had to get used to it. In my workflow I start with using the main sliders for global basic adjustments and then the curve to tweak it. Local adjustments follow as needed. Regarding the histogram, you are right. The blue and red clipping can be removed by reducing the black and lowering the highlights. However, it felt to me the photo lost some of its brilliance. Since the clipping is very little, if you click on the squares to highlight it is barely shows and interestingly after export as a jpeg it is gone in the jpeg histogram.
Juergen, as far as I’m ware that’s probably because the jpeg is 8-bit.
I used the first edition of Lightroom and wasn’t impressed. Years passed and I gave it a try again around the same time you did Version 6 I think it was. Most improved as far as the “develop” module but didn’t like how you had to use the library system. If you don’t like ON1 25 if adobe is still making the Elements program as a non subscriber basis with that I’m pretty sure you can use adobe bridge and adobe camera raw for free I’d have to check on Bridge. Yes adobe bridge is still free.
Part of the reason I included the before and after / histogram is to illustrate how much you can get out of the shadows. I’ve noticed a lot of your images look like golden through blue hour images. And many could benefit from exploring this realm of the spectrum which may also help with these dark uploads maybe.
I see your point. Thanks for the feedback, very much appreciated.