BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Photo Exposure Troubleshooting

Photography Question 

Carol Dryden
 

Why Does My Black Dog Looks Blue


 
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2.8shutter1/50, lens, location indoors,

Carol Dryden

 
 
Hi
My question is why did the very black dog turn out blue when printed? I use an Olympus C 4000 camera and a Canon i950 printer with every type of glossy I have. These photos are important its my first job! I'm so dissapointed.


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January 14, 2004

 

Jon Close
  First, the photo is a bit underexposed, with loss of detail in the black dog, and the (presumably) white sheet behind it isn't quite white. The dog's feet are lost in the dark floor.

Direct flash from the camera is not going to be the most flattering in this portrait. It creates shiny hot spots on the dog's silky coat, and a distracting shadow to the left and below the dog's head and legs.

My (wild) guess on the blue cast is that you set white balance for the ambient indoor lighting (using Auto or the Tungsten Preset), while the main light for the photo is coming from the flash (which is akin to daylight). Thus the lighting in the photo is bluer than the camera was set for.

Otherwise it could be due to light reflected off other blue sources out of the scene? (other people, furniture, drapes?)


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January 15, 2004

 

Carol Dryden
  Oh thanks for that. It makes perfect sense now! :)
I love digital but I missed my old Canon 600 so today I bought a Canon 300 D. Now I will have more control. I can't wait for battery to charge up.
Thanks for your help!


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January 15, 2004

 

Wayne Attridge
  The blue colour is the nature of the reflected light on your dog's coat. It is not a flaw, it is actually how the hair looks in this situation.


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February 09, 2004

 

Wing Wong
  Something you might want to take into account is the possibility that your monitor and your printer may be out of sync, color-wise.

Consider getting your monitor color-calibrated, then your printer as well. That way, there will be no question as to what the picture actually looks like.

Had the problem of things coming out yellow on my website because I had an off light in my room. When I changed my light setup and calibrated my monitor to the room's lighting, the problem went away.


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February 10, 2004

 
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