Smugmug helps my photos look a lot better!

[scoodog]

I notice that most of the time my photos look so much better on smugmug than they do on my computer! In general, the photos "pop" much more -- there is more detail in shadow areas, for example.

Here's a visual example of the "pop" that I refer to. (Click for larger)
http://scoodog.smugmug.com/photos/170228050-S.jpg (http://scoodog.smugmug.com/photos/170228050-L.jpg)
The photo on the left is from my own computer, and the photo on the right is as-viewed on smugmug. Notice the enhanced detail in the upper left hand area of the photo.

Does smugmug process the images that we upload to get them to look so nice? If so, is it the i2e software (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/) that is used? I've read the dgrin forum on that software and people talk about it increasing shadow detail, so I'm GUESSING that it may be this software that's responsible, but I don't know for sure.

Thanks in advance,

[MarkR]

I notice that most of the time my photos look so much better on smugmug than they do on my computer! In general, the photos "pop" much more -- there is more detail in shadow areas, for example.

Here's a visual example of the "pop" that I refer to. (Click for larger)
http://scoodog.smugmug.com/photos/170228050-S.jpg (http://scoodog.smugmug.com/photos/170228050-L.jpg)
The photo on the left is from my own computer, and the photo on the right is as-viewed on smugmug. Notice the enhanced detail in the upper left hand area of the photo.

Does smugmug process the images that we upload to get them to look so nice? If so, is it the i2e software (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/) that is used? I've read the dgrin forum on that software and people talk about it increasing shadow detail, so I'm GUESSING that it may be this software that's responsible, but I don't know for sure.

Thanks in advance,

When you say it is from your own computer, what application are you using to view it?

[scoodog]

When you say it is from your own computer, what application are you using to view it?

Using Preview.app to view the local file; using Safari to view the smugmug file.

(OS X)

[Andy]

Many thanks for the kind words!

I'm guessing you might be in aRGB on your computer - which we convert to sRGB so it can be viewed on the web. More here:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/srgb-versus-adobe-rgb-1998

And as for Safari, have a read here this might help:
http://blogs.smugmug.com/don/2007/02/14/this-is-your-mac-on-drugs/

We don't process your files on upload with i2e - but we do use that for our Auto Color at our print lab :)

Your sRGB originals remain untouched or altered.

[scoodog]

Thanks Andy!

[zacker]

it all depends on what it is your viewing the pics with... in photoshop, mine look great, in "Microsoft Photo editor" they look really grainy and disgusting... in Windows picture and fax viewer, they are fine... in Internet explorer, they are good.. on the net, they are good also...lol

[arodney]

it all depends on what it is your viewing the pics with... in photoshop, mine look great, in "Microsoft Photo editor" they look really grainy and disgusting... in Windows picture and fax viewer, they are fine... in Internet explorer, they are good.. on the net, they are good also...lol

This is simply due to the fact that of all the applications listed, only one uses your display profile and the profile that describes the color numbers: Photoshop.

You might want to download Safari for Windows which is fully ICC aware (the only windows browser out there). At 100% zoom (that's important) the two should match. Note that even with ICC aware applications (Lightroom and Photoshop, even two Adobe products), when the image is zoomed out, there's different subsampling's being used and the two previews may not be prefect (they should be very, very close). At 100%, they should be identical. Open the same image in an application that isn't ICC aware, all bets are off.