Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 10:52 AM
Understanding White Balance & Color Correction
White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. Our eyes are very good at distinguishing what is white under different light sources, however digital cameras often have trouble with auto white balance (AWB). This can become a nightmare for photo labs when images come through with incorrect white balance. A lack of color continuity will leave most clients with buyers remorse that lowers public confidence in our profession as a whole.
In the psychology of color, continuity (color matching from print to print) is all about perception. The mind rejects the eye in the real world by interpreting colors by memory or by becoming familiar with variations caused by different lighting sources and intensities. Most photographers don't give a moments concern if a face looks too dark and green when under a tree in the summer.
When viewing two-dimensional prints, however, both eye and mind are uncomfortable with colors that don’t match in comparison or have tonal bias contrary to how we think a particular scene or object should look. Nevertheless we prefer a more neutral tone overall for realistic reproduction, and an almost unreasonably close color match when images taken in different situations are shown side by side.
Four Causes Responsible for Color Match Problems
Less-sophisticated lab equipment and/or lack of control
Mistakes with color space, resolution, file size and poor Photoshop skills
Unwise editorial decisions
Imprecise exposure and white balance
To understand from a photo labs point of view, labs have very little margin to recover from poor photographic skills. In the digital photography world, the responsibility of color continuity rests largely in the photographer's domain and in their instructions to and interaction with their lab.
For a photographer its just as important to listen as it is to make requests -- a symbiosis relationship. If you're like most photographers, you want the advantages of a professional photo lab -- superior software and products, backed up by educational outreach and attentive customer service. Education and communication are key! That is why we bring to you careful white balancing practices.
White Balance 101
Color Temperature
Why is color temperature a useful description of light for photographers? Light sources such as daylight and indoor lighting closely mimic the distribution of light created by blackbodies (object which absorbs all incident light). While other lighting depart from blackbodies significantly. Since photographers never use the term color temperature to refer to a true blackbody light source, the term is implied to be a "correlated color temperature" with a similarly colored blackbody. The table below is a rule-of-thumb guide to the correlated color temperature of some common light sources:
| Color Temperature | Light Source
|
| 1000-2000 K | Candle |
| 2500-3500 K | Tungsten Bulb
|
3000-4000 K
| Sunrise/Sunset |
4000-5000 K
| Fluorescent Lamps
|
5000-5500 K
| Electronic Flash
|
5000-6500 K
| Daylight w/ Clear Sky
|
6500-8000 K
| Overcast Sky
|
| 9000-10,000 K | Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky |
Raw File Format
The best white balance solution is to photograph using the RAW file format as this allows you to set the WB after the photo has been taken. RAW files also allows the photographer to set the WB based on a broader range of color temperature. Adjusting a white balance with raw files is quick and easy. You can adjust the temperature and green-magenta sliders until color casts are removed, or you can simply click on a neutral reference within the image. Even if only one of your photos contains a neutral reference, you can click on it and then use the resulting WB settings for the remainer of your photos (assuming the same lighting).
Choosing a Neutral Reference
A neutral reference is often used for color-critical projects, or for situations where one anticipates auto white balance will encounter problems. Neutral references can either be parts of your scene or can be a portable item which you can carry with you. Pre-made portable references are almost always more accurate since one can easily be tricked into thinking an object is neutral when it is not. Portable references can be expensive and specifically designed for photography, or may include less expensive household items such as the underside of a lid to a coffee container or paint tags.
Mixed Lighting
Mixed lighting with different color temperatures can complicate WB. Some lighting situations may not even have a truly "correct" WB, and will depend upon where color accuracy is most important. Under mixed lighting, AWB tends to exaggerate the difference in color temperature for each light source. Exaggerated differences in color temperature are often most apparent with mixed indoor and natural lighting. Critical images may even require a different WB for each lighting region.
Conclusion
Once the color tone has been defined by means of the correct white balance, file correction software is much more effective. Attempts at color correction in the computer by well-meaning but less adept photographers can actually make a lab's color matching job much harder. It's better to give a lab an uncorrected image than one that has been tweaked multiple times in the wrong direction. Read your camera manual to learn how to obtain a custom white balance and make the practice part of your working routine every time you snap pictures.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Fri, Jan 15, 2010 @ 11:57 AM
1. The Lab by Apollo is a full-service photo lab. When we say "full-service photo lab" we mean everything we do is in-house. Most photo labs only do photographic prints in house while outsourcing the rest of their products. Here at The Lab, we have our own 
KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 that allows us to do a wide range of press printed photo products.
The ProPrints products and services from The Lab include our digital prints, digital proofs, photographic cards, retouching and artwork, finishing and mounting services. If you look at some recent blog posts you will find more information regarding The Lab's retouching and artwork services as well as our finishing and mounting services.
On top of the ProPrints and press printed products Apollo offers its own line of ProPhoto Creations -- specialty photographic products. Everything from mini photo albums to photo dry erase boards are available.
2. As a full service photo lab, The Lab is in beta testing for Photo Boutique which is our SaaS (software as a service) for photographers. Photo Boutique is still undergoing some revisions and updates, but you should not be discourage and still check out what it has to offer.
Photo Boutique will allow photographers to create their own customizable online photo storefront. The Lab recognizes that still a good number of photographers have not merged into the online environment. This service will allow photographers to take advantage of an opportunity to produce more sales online.
To start building an online photo storefront, you will go through a build process that we have designed to be as user-friendly as possible. Keeping the thought in our minds that most photographers do not have a clue about building a website, Photo Boutique will take you through step-by-step on building out your site first by uploading a logo. You will then be able to choose your color scheme that will give your site personality. If you already have a website, Photo Boutique is structured to seamlessly integrate in to retain your brand identity. After you choose your color scheme, you will be able to choose which photo products you would like to offer and manage the pricing on those products.
Once your site is built you can upload images to an online photo gallery where you can manage photo albums. As you go through photo shoots you can upload each shoot to its own photo album and direct customers to your Photo Boutique site, where they have the ability to choose which images they would like to purchase.
As always, we take the manufacturing and shipping responsibilities on our shoulders and The Lab by Apollo will remain virtually invincible to your customers.
Check out our overview and tutorials of Photo Boutique.
3. Our Photo Book selection is one of the largest of any photo labs. We start out with the everyday photo memory book, and sizes going up to 10"x15". A variety of cover options are also available with soft, hard, and photo cover selections. Photo books include a 100 lb. stock with 4 paper options available: standard glossy, high-gloss, ink-absorbent or protective-coated pages.
Lay-flat books come with hinged pages making it perfect for panoramic images that can span across 2 pages. These books include the same cover options as the memory books, however the paper options include a ticker, 110 lb. cover stock matte paper.
Proof books are great for showing your customers photos taken from the shoot. These books are easy to create with our auto-fill option where a 16-page book can fit 64 images. Same cover options apply and the paper option includes a 100 lb. glossy paper type.
Guest books are perfect for weddings where the couple can show off their engagement photo. The same cover options apply and the pages include a 100 lb. matte paper perfect for writing on. Guest books comes with 3 different lined formats for registry pages.
Saving the best for last, the Artisan Collection Book is the Grand-daddy of them all. Cover options are still the same as the ladder, however the premium leather bound cover is what makes this book stand out from the rest. The pages are composed of a premium deckle-edge paper type that resembles that of watercoloring paper. The smooth finish and sturdy weight of the paper stock give it excellent ink absorbing qualities.
Posted by TJ Dinsmoor on Tue, Jan 05, 2010 @ 11:09 AM
The Lab by Apollo understands your clients likes things to be done in a timely 
fashion that is why we make sure they are completed within a 24 hour time frame. Digital proofs even have the option of color correction in several sizes. We can also add a variety of borders that add an artistic touch at no additional cost.
Digital Proof Sizing
If you are shooting with a 2:3 aspect ratio (35mm) the best sizes are 3 1/2"x5", 4"x6", and 5"x7". 4"x5" and 5"x5" are best fitted for 4:3 aspect ratio cameras. When ordering digital proofs be sure to order the format proof size specified to your camera for the best results. Also, note that all digital proofs are center cropped.
Ordering Digital Proofs
When ordering digital proofs with The Lab, ROES (Remote Order Entry System) allows you to crop any image to proof proportions or order using your own predesigned borders. The Lab also has proof borders available in ROES. Proofing service is available from digital image files only.
Digital Proofs must be saved in sRGB color space and 8-bit. By saving digital proofs in this manner, it will ensure that it matches our internal color profiles. We recommend that when you save your digital images that you save them as the highest quality JPEG (12), and file names should contain numbers and letters only and not exceed the 15 character limit.
If there is any submission errors, we will happily fix your order. Be sure to have your order number that is provided in the confirmation email upon completing your order.
