I need your eyeball

[Nemrod]

You will never get quality prints outside of a pro lab. It is why many serious amateurs shot slides during the film era. A slide is true color (well, not really) in that it does not go through the "estimation" and printing phase. The diluted, partially expent, halfa---, mass print making outlets always make pitiful renditions of your work.

Why don't you have your own photo printer. Even a basic multi-mode printer will do better with an assist from Photoshop Elements than you will ever get at the evil Wally World.

The photo print machine is likely doing an auto adjust on your work which usually darkens and increases contrast. They are assuming a white balance out of the "blue." Is this a true photographic print using photographic light sensitive paper like I am assuming it is or is this commercial ink printer of some sort?

I used to do hobby B&W and some color printing, still have the equipment, just changing paper types will shift color, contrast etc.

N

 

[Jeff Toorish]

The second photo is better.

Remember, expose your digital camera for the highlights rather than the shadows. Digital sensors are much more like chrome (slide) film as opposed to color negative film. If you under expose a digital photo by about a half stop (even a full stop) it will give you plenty of information to work with.

Another suggestion is to purchase a calibration system for your monitor --it really does make a big difference.

Jeff

 

[SeaYoda]

If I were serious about some prints I would go to a pro lab. I was just shooting a couple to them to use as show and tell.

I had a monitor that I could do a little calibration on but it died and so the laptop is all I have. Depending on the angle you sit at, the LCD screen is darker or lighter. I was afraid I was not seeing the thing right but it looks like I'll just have to adjust the pics at Wally's house. I believe digital prints come off the same machine as their film stuff. I once tried to get them to give me their color profile and they looked at me as if I had spoken a different language .

 

[CUunderH2O]

I've got friends who send their photos to Costco for printing. They provide colour profile info on their website and from what I hear, you can get great results.

 

[Larry C]

Agreed. Picture 2 has better contrast and looks correctly exposed. Picture 1 is a little blown out and flat. I've noticed a substantial difference in my different screens sometimes and have wondered about my shots as well. I had an older CRT on the desktop I use for processing. Now I've upgraded to my wife's old 20" higher end CRT and everything looks different. My laptop has them different still, as the LCD has to be tilted just right. I won't even look at photos at work anymore, because my antique there is so faded and pixelated that I can't trust what I'm seeing.

 

[SeaYoda]

With the old monitor and the laptop LCD I was getting pretty close to the correct print by looking at sharpness on the LCD, brightness on the CRT, and color somewhere in-between. Now I'm standing on one leg .

Walmart is close so that's why I chose them. There is no Costco nearby or I would try them. I've heard some good things about Costco in the past.