[MUSIC] All right, we're going to get into calibration. Don't run away, frightened by numbers or things like that. It'll be okay. Let's get going. We're going to improve our photography. In the digital classroom of today. Whether it's here, in a coursera online environment or in a room such as this one in the Crestky art center at Michigan State University. Students and faculty all stare intently at images on display screen. Just as you're probably doing right now. We look at a digital screen image in order to understand and analyze it. We adjust it and prepare it for printing or uploading. We examine dark areas, light areas, mid tones, hues, and other aspects of color, contrast, values, and so forth. What they sometime overlook however, is that the images on each of the screens that Coursera learners are staring at right now. Such as this image look different on your screen than it does on any other. Well maybe most of us. Those differences can be subtle or they can be as dramatic as you see in the slide here. Even when they're quite noticeable during a one on one comparison, they're rarely noticed in a bigger setting. Even when classmates stare over each other's shoulders and look at pictures. They don't really comment too much or really notice this very much. Why is that? The experience of the visual world that we each have. Is the result of the masssive number of chemical, electrical, psychological and other factors. The experience of seeing any given scene. Such as this one of me and the dog Josie with her medical cone on, that experience is individual. However, we assume it's shared with others in exactly the same manner as we perceive it ourselves. Even though someone else might perceive it as being a bit more red or maybe more green or more blue or any other hue. As photographers, we're sometimes shocked to discover that others see our pictures differently than we do. Maybe they tell us our pictures are too light, or too dark, or the colors are not intense enough, or maybe too intense. When we think they look just fine. We should always keep in mind that the experience of perceiving hues, and hues are the color themselves. Saturations, and that means the purities of those colors and brightness. Well obviously, the lightness or darkness of the color, these are all quite individual things. Affected as they are by the unique interconnected functioning of our own eyes, our minds and our body chemistries. However, they can also be dramatically affected by the color cast of the monitors that we and others are viewing. Taking the steps necessary to bring a level of consistency of appearance of our digital images from one screen to the next. Begins with a process called calibration. There are many variables in the viewing process but one thing you can control. which you probably are not, is the consistency of the monitor and its adjustment to a universal standard. It's essential, even if you will not be printing your photographs to make calibration of your monitor part of your regular digital workflow. First, let's take that word calibration, which sounds like a process that is a little bit tricky. And maybe a little bit complicated and actually, it can be. Think of that somewhat technical sounding word as a different word instead. Let's use the word consistency. The initial reason for calibration is to achieve a level of control over the appearance of our own computer screen. So that you can have confidence that your pictures are not going to appear lighter or darker or in different colors. As you sit down to work with them from one day to the next on your own monitor. You'll also want to be be confident that as you view each new set of pictures for the first time. The conditions for viewing them are the same as they were for previous pictures. So, that you can have a basis on which to compare them. You want to be certain that as you review any new set of images, if your pictures look different. In terms of hue or saturation or brightness, it's because of some factor that's related to camera-work, not the monitor. You'll also want to know that it was camera choices you made, related to exposure. White balance or other aspects that are causing those images to look the same, or differently. Not some quirk In the way the monitor is showing that picture. When you're monitor's calibrated, you'll have that kind of confidence. You'll be able to elevate and evaluate your pictures objectively. So, how do we calibrate our monitors? Well, one strategy for calibration is based on an app, it's part of the operating System. The advantage of this is, that you do not have to purchase anything else. Because the process is part of the operating system itself. It's also based on a set of very simple steps that don't require any mathematical calculations. But they do require eyeballs, so let's take a look. We'll use the Mac system as an example. First, go to system preferences and click the display symbol, seen at the lower left here in this menu. When you get to the display menu, you'll see something like this. Especially if your using a Macbook Pro, like I am. Then click on a color tab and then the calibrate tab. You'll be welcomed to the Apple display calibrator assistant. Just follow the steps to create a set of parameters for your display. It will not only help improve the quality of the images but also keep your viewing experience consistent. You'll accomplish this by visually matching patterns and tone comparisons. What you have to do is look and click your mouse to adjust simple graphic elements. A similar Windows assistant is available in that operating system also. There's a big caution I've got add here, however. Whether it is a set of Mac or Windows steps that you take for visual monitor calibrations. There is a key variable that can be quite, well variable. And that is your personal visual interpretation and assessment of the various aspects of colour and contrast. The adjustments you'll make to fine tune the monitor are entirely based on your own visual perceptions. This is called Eyeball Evaluation and I think you know where this leads us. While both of these processes calibrate the monitor. So its appearance looks good to our eyes, and under our particular lighting conditions, they are completely subjective. They're based on our own perceptions. Our own vision. Our own body chemistry. Our own room lighting and more. Another person might want to go through the same steps using the calibration wizards. And even with the same computer monitor in the same room lighting, they could come up with different results. Would they be wrong in their assessment that the monitor was properly calibrated for their way of seeing things? Of course not, but would either one of you have your monitors correctly calibrated, who knows? When your picture looks great on your screen but not so much on theirs. That's a big problem. A better option and one that does not depend on anyone's ability to see and analyze. And subjectively make decisions on coloring contrast is to use a calibration device called a colorimeter. A colorimeter is essentially a light meter, meant to be used with proprietary software. that creates a pattern such as this one on the computer monitor. Using a colorimeter to calibrate your monitor is not only a much more objective way. To have your monitor display colors and brightnesses consistently. It assures you that if your pictures are seen by another person across the world. Who's also using a properly calibrated monitor, they will appear to them the way that you see them. For the simple job of monitor calibration, I like the Color Munki. Smile, which happens to be made right in the state of Michigan by the X-Rite company. This device is simple and fairly inexpensive, about $90 US. And the business end of this device is about the size of an average computer mouse. You simply attach the device to your computer after loading the software. And then, hang it from its USB cord over your monitor to measure light from the screen. It measures patterns of colors and tones generated by the software. To objectively and accurately set the screen for a single standard calibration that can be replicated on any screen anywhere. When you've calibrated your monitor with such a device and do so about once a month as part of your normal digital workflow. You can be assured that any picture you're seeing on the screen one day is going to be consistently displayed. The same way on any other day that you look at it. You'll also be sure that your images will all be viewed in relation to one another on an even playing field. In other words, under the same conditions of brightness and color. So, that you can make intelligent choices and understand comparisons between different pictures. You won't have to guess whether it's the monitor that makes your pictures look different today than they did six months ago. Because you'll know the monitor looked the same then, as it does now. In our next lessons, we'll continue along the path of color consistency through calibration. And learn how to get the most out of printing through that process too. See you there. [MUSIC]
