Colours in Lightroom Develop not same in Photoshop or when export out

[cyclingg]

I took some photos of my cat to try different settings. I then imported them into Lightroom and kept the ones I like and did some adjustments to the whites and blacks. I then exported an image out as a .tif. When I opened the .tif file, the colours are not the same as they look in Lightroom.

I then decided to right click the image in Lightroom and selected edit in Photoshop 2014. The colours are different than the colours in Lightroom also.

I do like the colours of the Lightroom image; but, the colours in the .tif exported out and the Photoshop file are closer to the actual colours (of the scratching post).

This is the first time I decided to adjust the whites and blacks within Lightroom because I see that many people do this. I usually go directly from Lightroom and edit in Photoshop where I then use filters if I want to.

The image above is a screenshot of within Lightroom and one exported out as .tif. The one on the left is the TIFF file and the one on the right is in Lightroom after I tweaked whites and blacks. The TIFF file looks the same as the one I opened in Photoshop 2014.

Am I using the wrong colour profile in Lightroom? I like the colour of the scratching post in Lightroom's image even though it is different than the actual colour.

I am on Adobe's Cloud membership; so, it is not an issue of not having updated software (everything is updated). I also shoot in camera RAW (Canon). I am disappointed with the output from Lightroom; especially after spending time doing all these adjustments to all my images.

Okay, what am I doing wrong; I am still learning Lightroom? Do I need to set a colour profile in each program I use (so they are all the same)?

Thanks.

 

[theWeissGuy]

Are you exporting with LR adjustments? What color space and bit depth are you exporting with?
_____________________
theWeissGuy

 

[Kiwigeoff]

Also what app are you looking at the file in and is your screen calibrated??

 

[cyclingg]

Are you exporting with LR adjustments? What color space and bit depth are you exporting with?
_____________________
theWeissGuy

Maybe I am exporting incorrectly; but, this is what I did:
I right click the image in Lightroom. I select export and the export dialog box opens. I select TIFF as the output, sRGB, No Compression and 16 bits/component. The .tif looks like the image on the left in my screenshot. Should I be exporting as 8 bits/component? I just tried that and it made no difference.

I tried using AdobeRGB and ProPhoto RGB and they gave the same result.

I read somewhere where the person suggested checking the "Soft Proofing" box when editing in Lightroom; but, I like the edit I did with it unchecked. There must be a way to save out the image from Lightroom with those adjustments.

There was no option to export with Lightroom adjustments when I used the "export" option. I sometimes get that option when I edit my file in Photoshop from Lightroom. How do you save out a jpg or tiff from within Lightroom? This is the first time I am trying this; I usually go through Photoshop.

What I find does work is, I do NOT DO ANY adjustments in Lightroom and go directly into Photoshop (right click and select "edit in Photoshop 2014"). Then I select the RAW filter and make some adjustments and save. Now in Photoshop, the image with the adjustments I made are as what I saw in the RAW filter (Camera RAW). Now, why is this not the case with Lightroom adjustments? I see many tutorials on editing images in Lightroom; but, I do not see any where the person actually exports the image out and shows it looking the same as the LR image.

Edit: I opened an image I edited within Photoshop that was saved as .tif and .jpg (following "what I find does work" method I posted above). I then opened the .psd file to compare it. The .jpg and .tif looks the same as it does within Photoshop. Now why is this not the case with Lightroom? For me, Lightroom is useless for making edits; until someone points me in the right direction.

Edit 2: I tried another test now. I right clicked the RAW file I did my edits within Lightroom and selected edit in Photoshop 2014. I was not asked to edit a copy with lightroom adjustments. I was told that you only have that message when using jpgs or when I think the acr version is different. I cannot remember exactly what I was told; it is in another thread somewhere here.
Here is the other thread:
[h=1]Lightroom adjustments are not passed on to Photoshop[/h]

 

[cyclingg]

Also what app are you looking at the file in and is your screen calibrated??

This is what I am trying to get right. The exported TIFF when opened in the Windows image viewer or in Photoshop looks like the left image in screenshot. But, when I open the exported TIFF in Lightroom, it looks the same as the edited image in Lightroom. This is how I want it to look in Photoshop and on the web etc.

How would screen calibration come into play when I am looking at the images on the same screen? I know my images look different on my second monitor; but, I am comparing on the same monitor.

So, how do I export from Lightroom so that those settings are saved in the TIFF file when opened in other programs.

 

[Jim Wilde]

Forget Photoshop for now, let's concentrate on getting your exports looking the same as they do in Lightroom. So start in Lightroom, make some obvious adjustments (i.e. so that they should show up in the exported file), then use the export process.....but this time use Jpeg as the Image Format, sRGB colour space, no resizing, quality at 80 or higher, and check the box to "Add to This Catalog". When the export has finished first compare using Lightroom the exported jpeg with the original edited file.....they should look the same. Then, outside Lightroom, open the jpeg using Windows Picture Viewer (which is a colour-managed viewer) and compare the file with the Lightroom original (on the same screen of course). They should look the same....do they?

 

[cyclingg]

I made a copy of my RAW file and made it a BW image. I exported out using your settings, Jim. Within Lightroom, the BW looks the same; but, in the image viewer, they are a different shade of gray. Is this normal?

Should I have Soft Proofing on when editing? What is the purpose of Soft Proofing?
When I click on the Soft Proofing in LR, the gray is similar to my exported jpg.

 

[Jim Wilde]

Can you ignore soft-proofing for now, that's designed more for reviewing how your image might look when printed.

So you've exported the file, added it back into the catalog. In Lightroom the jpeg and the original file look the same, but the jpeg looks different in Windows Photo Viewer, yes? In which case the problem seems to be your monitor profile.....do you calibrate it with a hardware device?

 

[cyclingg]

No, I do not calibrate with a hardware device; cannot afford one at the moment (looked into it).

Does this mean, the images I edit and they look good to me will look terrible on another computer?

Edit: I found this one on Amazon.ca that I might be able to afford; but, is it worth the money or am I wasting my money?
[h=1]http://www.amazon.ca/Datacolor-S4X100-Spyder4Express-Display-Calibration/dp/B006TF3746/ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PARQHHGNDSK3QQTXA6J[/h]

 

[Jim Wilde]

The point about calibrating your monitor is to get your images looking the way you want them to look, consistently within your own environment.....which basically means that the image will look the same in every colour-managed application on your system. Unfortunately, unless you are in control of the viewing environment of those people viewing your images, then you do not know how your images will appear there.

Is it worth doing? Only you can answer that, though I would have thought it essential for a pro photographer. I'm not a pro, just a hobbyist, but I do calibrate both my monitors (using the Spyder3), so my images all look the same in all my viewing apps.

However, before you even go down that route, it would be worth trying to change your monitor profile. If you set the profile to sRGB (use these instructions) you might at least get a consistent (but not necessarily correct) appearance across your system.

 

[cyclingg]

The point about calibrating your monitor is to get your images looking the way you want them to look, consistently within your own environment.....which basically means that the image will look the same in every colour-managed application on your system. Unfortunately, unless you are in control of the viewing environment of those people viewing your images, then you do not know how your images will appear there.

Is it worth doing? Only you can answer that, though I would have thought it essential for a pro photographer. I'm not a pro, just a hobbyist, but I do calibrate both my monitors (using the Spyder3), so my images all look the same in all my viewing apps.

However, before you even go down that route, it would be worth trying to change your monitor profile. If you set the profile to sRGB (use these instructions) you might at least get a consistent (but not necessarily correct) appearance across your system.

Thanks for the link to the article. I did this and now my .tif and .jpg looks the same in LR and the image viewer. The settings I used in LR are different than they showed before I changed the colour profile.

Also, I am not a professional; just getting into Photography more now and wanting to learn as much as I can.

I went online and checked out the Spider 4. I was going to get the Spider4Express; Amazon.ca has it for $113. But then I read some reviews and it is only for one monitor and one computer. The Pro is a little out of my reach money wise at the moment.

Which Spyder3 do you own? Is it the Pro or Elite. I wonder if I can find a Spyder3 somewhere?

 

[Jim Wilde]

I bought the Spyder3Pro puck, but later upgraded the software to Spyder3Elite.

Have you now had chance to check the files when opening into Photoshop, either directly or when using "Edit In" from Lightroom?

 

[cyclingg]

I bought the Spyder3Pro puck, but later upgraded the software to Spyder3Elite.

Have you now had chance to check the files when opening into Photoshop, either directly or when using "Edit In" from Lightroom?

Hi Jim Wilde. I probably did not word things very well in the previous post. Now my images when using "edit in" from Lightroom look the same as in Lightroom (after adjusting in Lightroom). Thank you very much for the article/help.

I added the Spyder4Pro to my wishlist in Amazon.ca and I will save up for it. I was mainly concerned with my images on my computer looking different than in Lightroom. As someone elsewhere pointed out, even though you calibrate your monitor, most people who will look at images online do not have calibrated monitor. I am sure this will be different if I plan to print out photos; then, calibration will be more important? As of now, I mainly upload to my SmugMug account until I get better at Photography; then I may start printing out. Until then, the fix you showed me will do fine. I just want everything to look the same on my monitor.

Thanks again.

 

[Jim Wilde]

Yes, you will definitely need calibration if you plan on doing your own printing.

The x-rite i1Display Pro is also highly regarded....