X-Rite ColorChecker Passport, continued
Creating a custom camera DNG color profile is even simpler since X-Rite has provided a plug-in to Lightroom that automates the process. There is no need to white balance the image and the profiling will have no effect on the white balance so you will still need to do that. I have been color profiling my cameras for a couple of years. Until now this was done with Adobe’s DNG Profile Editor and a full size (approximately 8.5” x 11”) Greytag MacBeth color checker. Because the process was not completely automated you had to position circles in the four patches representing the corners to define the dimensions of the color checker for the software. With the Lightroom plugin, the software automatically detects the color checker provided it is 10% or greater of the image area. With the image of the Passport open in the Develop Module of Lightroom select File > Export. Click your left mouse button inside the banner at the top of the Export dialog box labelled Files on Disk to bring up a list. Select the X-Rite Presets and the dialog box changes, Figure 2. Fill in the DNG Profile Name field. I prefer to use the approximate color conditions, in this case sunny, and the date. At this point all you have to do is press the Export button and the software does the rest.
By default, the plug-in creates a single illuminant DNG color profile for the specific camera. This means that the profile is good only for the illumination at the time of the photo. For a more encompassing DNG profile, you can create a dual illuminant profile where the image is photographed under two different color temperatures. With this profile, a mathematical function is created which calculates the profile for lighting conditions between the two illuminants. If you choose the illuminants properly so that they are very wide apart, say a warm tungsten and shade, then you would have a DNG profile that would cover a wide range of color temperatures accurately. Whether you create a single or dual illuminant DNG profile, Lightroom must be restarted to access the color profile. It can be found in the Profile pulldown list under the Color Calibration panel at the very bottom right side of the Develop Module, Figure 3. This profile is available every time photos are taken with the particular camera.
I have found in most cases that the colors using the custom DNG profile are very pleasing and seem more accurate than the profiles provided by Adobe or the camera manufacturer. Furthermore, these DNG profiles are specific to my camera’s sensor, rather than a canned profile which represents the camera model in general. By using this standard color profile, color variations across camera bodies, models, and even manufacturers can be eliminated. Now you might be wondering if I use this profile for all of my images, particularly those that I output to gallery prints. The answer is no. Despite the technical aspects of digital photography, it is still an art after all, and there are times when I prefer a warmer or cooler rendition to enhance the feeling of the photo. The advantage, however, to using a custom color DNG profile is an accurate starting point from which to make creative changes.
The ColorChecker® Passport can be purchased directly from X-Rite Photo (www.xritephoto.com) or photographic equipment dealers like B&H Photo. At $99, it is not cheap, however you are paying for a device made with pure solid tones meeting exacting color standards. The Passport comes with the Lightroom plug-in software and a lanyard. Once you register the product, X-Rite provides web access to download their instructive Flash videos detailing the theory and use of the ColorChecker® Passport. With the addition of the ColorChecker® Passport to my workflow, I feel confidant that I have full control over color management from capture to output.
Figure 2 - Lightroom Export Dialog Box
By default, the plug-in creates a single illuminant DNG color profile for the specific camera. This means that the profile is good only for the illumination at the time of the photo. For a more encompassing DNG profile, you can create a dual illuminant profile where the image is photographed under two different color temperatures. With this profile, a mathematical function is created which calculates the profile for lighting conditions between the two illuminants. If you choose the illuminants properly so that they are very wide apart, say a warm tungsten and shade, then you would have a DNG profile that would cover a wide range of color temperatures accurately. Whether you create a single or dual illuminant DNG profile, Lightroom must be restarted to access the color profile. It can be found in the Profile pulldown list under the Color Calibration panel at the very bottom right side of the Develop Module, Figure 3. This profile is available every time photos are taken with the particular camera.
Figure 3 - Lightroom Camera Calibration
I have found in most cases that the colors using the custom DNG profile are very pleasing and seem more accurate than the profiles provided by Adobe or the camera manufacturer. Furthermore, these DNG profiles are specific to my camera’s sensor, rather than a canned profile which represents the camera model in general. By using this standard color profile, color variations across camera bodies, models, and even manufacturers can be eliminated. Now you might be wondering if I use this profile for all of my images, particularly those that I output to gallery prints. The answer is no. Despite the technical aspects of digital photography, it is still an art after all, and there are times when I prefer a warmer or cooler rendition to enhance the feeling of the photo. The advantage, however, to using a custom color DNG profile is an accurate starting point from which to make creative changes.
The ColorChecker® Passport can be purchased directly from X-Rite Photo (www.xritephoto.com) or photographic equipment dealers like B&H Photo. At $99, it is not cheap, however you are paying for a device made with pure solid tones meeting exacting color standards. The Passport comes with the Lightroom plug-in software and a lanyard. Once you register the product, X-Rite provides web access to download their instructive Flash videos detailing the theory and use of the ColorChecker® Passport. With the addition of the ColorChecker® Passport to my workflow, I feel confidant that I have full control over color management from capture to output.