LrC UI displays images slightly brighter than the exported JPG - why?

[KarstenG]

Lightroom Version Number

15.3

Operating System

1. Windows 11

For quite some time I have been struggling with the fact that, when I posted an image edited in LrC on Flickr or Facebook, for example, it sometimes looked slightly darker than it should have done. Rather than investigating this issue in detail, I simply re-uploaded a brighter version of the image.

Over the past few days, I posted two low-key images. This effect mattered: very dark shadows in Lightroom Classic turned to deep black in the exported image.

Please see the attached examples. One is an image exported from Lightroom Classic (LrC), and the other is a screenshot taken in Lightroom Classic full-screen mode.

My workflow is based on sRGB. Using a different color space for JPEG export doesn't make any difference. All exported images look the same; they are darker than the screenshot.

What could be the reason for that?

 

[Gnits]

The main reasons may include...

1. Calibration of the screen.
2. Health of screen (decays over time)
3. Out of gamut colours in the image
4. Some function keys (or keyboard shortcuts) can lighten or darken the screen. This immediately invalidates the current calibration. These keys are sometimes tapped in error (eg the cat walks across the keyboard )
5. Lighting conditions of the room when editing (I cannot edit during afternoons as sun in the room is too bright, despite purpose fit sun screens .

I suggest upload sample image to flickr and view with a few diff devices.. do the images still look to dark.

This is not a simple subject...

 

[KarstenG]

Thanks for sharing your ideas!

If 1,2 and 5 would impact the brightness of the images - wouldn't that apply to all versions of the same photo? Taking a screenshot with a screenshot tool rather than taking a screen photo should be independent of the lighting conditions.

I just noticed, that when I export the photo (ORF) as a JPG and then re-import the JPG both images into LrC both are displayed equally bright. See attachment. In Bridge however, the screenshot clearly stands out as brighter against the JPG.

 

[clee01l]

To Matt's comments I will add that social media sites like FaceBook compress and convert your uploaded image into their reduced color space. Your browser also may not render the same image like Lightroom can.

FWIW, All of your images attached appear identical on my SDR monitor and my (brighter) HDR monitor. All of my monitors are calibrated regularly with a Spyder Colorimeter.

 

[Gnits]

export the photo (ORF) as a JPG and then re-import the JPG both images into LrC both are displayed equally bright.

That is very encouraging.. ie colour management is looking ok.

In Bridge however, the screenshot clearly stands out as brighter against the JPG.

Screen shots may not be colour managed… I use screen captures for stuff I paste into emails and office type documents .. never for images I wish to have colour managed.. but I am threading on eggshells, as I never thought about colour managing screen shots before.

On the other hand Bridge has its own colour management settings and preferences , so it would be worth checking those to try and explain a difference. I no longer use Bridge so not as familiar with the settings.

Another factor to consider is that HDR compatible screens are emerging and LrC has HDR export settings. I suspect this might be the next big thing to push next generation monitors. Recent versions of LrC have catered for HDR and I suspect this is early days.. Check if you have HDR set on export. I have not dipped my toe into that pond and do not plan to anytime soon.. but HDR can cater for colour gamuts beyond AdobeRGB. HDR /SDR relate to screen display capabilities and not merging multi exposure frames to increase the dynamic range of the final merged image.

If you are having colour rendering issues I think it is appropriate to use the Soft Proofing features in LrC to check if your image has out of gamut colours. Certain fabrics (and flowers) tend to be out of gamut and I have seen photographers clash with clients due to the fact that wedding dresses are out of gamut and the client sees the images as having the wrong dress colours..

If you have not used this soft proofing before, then loads of YouTube demos.. and a useful tool for your image processing.

But Gamut is unlikely to be an issue for Mono images. What software did you use to process the mono image.

 

[KarstenG]

All of your images attached appear identical on my SDR monitor and my (brighter) HDR monitor.

Are there no visible differences in brightness between the two images attached to the first post?

 

[clee01l]

Are there no visible differences in brightness between the two images attached to the first post?

That is what identical means. I’m viewing the images using the Safari. Browser. What Browser are you using? I suggest trying with Firefox and Chrome but make sure Color management is turned on the browser settings.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[KarstenG]

What Browser are you using?

I'm using the latest version of Edge, but I get identical results with Chrome and Opera. When I cycle through the attachments in post 1 they are not identical in terms of brightness. I visited different sites to check the color management of my web browsers, and according to them, this is fine.

 

[KarstenG]

What software did you use to process the mono image.

The image has not been outside LrC for editing.

I checked the soft-proof against sRGB and this didn't give any change. A screenshot of the soft-proof image is same as the screenshot attached to post 1.

I also made sure that there is no HDR checked on export. I'm using a BenQ SW2700 (in sRGB mode), which is HW-calibrated using a Spyder X Pro.

 

[KarstenG]

@clee01l When I open this thread on my Samsung tablet, the two images in post 1 also appear different.

 

[bobsomrak]

@KarstenG

The two images in Safari Browser look different as you indicate. One is slightly brighter. MacOS 26.4.1

 

[Jim Wilde]

I also see the difference between the images (using Chrome), the export is slightly darker. But I'm not sure how reliable a screenshot might be, so can I suggest you upload (e.g. to wetransfer or similar) a copy of the original image and a copy of the export, so we can see if we can recreate the issue. Can you save metadata to the original and include any sidecar files if the original is raw.

 

[KarstenG]

@Jim Wilde You can download the original image and related sidecar files and the JPG export from my dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/coav...CdunRWHQ?rlkey=ryqzfptw19p5w98v7h5la1xub&dl=0

 

[Jim Wilde]

I've had a look, and to be honest I can't really see a difference in LrC between the edited original and your exported jpg. I even exported my own jpg and still can't see a difference. Here's a screenshot taken in Survey mode, the original is on the right. Can you see any difference?

 

[KarstenG]

Can you see any difference?

No, I can't, but this does confirm the observation I described in post #3:

I just noticed, that when I export the photo (ORF) as a JPG and then re-import the JPG both images into LrC both are displayed equally bright.

How does the exported image compare to the one displayed in Lightroom when opened in a web browser?

 

[Jim Wilde]

Again, can't really see a difference. LrC on the left, Chrome browser on the right:

 

[KarstenG]

I agree — there's no noticeable difference. Both versions are de facto the same as my screenshot from LrC.

Could you please share your exported JPG file?

 

[Jim Wilde]

I agree — there's no noticeable difference. Both versions are de facto the same as my screenshot from LrC.

Could you please share your exported JPG file?

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x9nx...4436.jpg?rlkey=yf1qsch3x60j141e9hqajyhbp&dl=0

 

[KarstenG]

@Jim Wilde It's the same as my JPG export.

This leads me to conclude that the effect must be specific to my setup. In fact, if I select the sRGB color profile in Windows and color space on my monitor, the difference disappears. Next, I will perform a fresh calibration and ensure that all settings are properly updated and synchronized.

Many thanks for your support!