Monitor Calibration – Seeing Is Believing

Introduction

In the glamour industry, the “iron triangle” for creating a good shoot consists of three parts: photographer, model, and makeup artist. While there are many variations of this triangle (i.e. makeup artists and/or stylist, more than one model, photographer and graphic artist combination’s, etc.), and while all three of these parts may or may not be “equal” in talent, dedication, or participation levels, in order to have the best possible outcomes from a shoot, some harmony must be achieved. A good working relationship between all parties involved is an essential part of this “shoot harmony.” Keep in mind that a GOOD REPUTATION is CRITICAL in this industry (or any other business, for that matter); I say again, keep in mind that a GOOD REPUTATION IS CRITICAL so you must think through everything from start to finish to ensure that you maintain it. Think long-term-relationship-building with good models!

The purpose of this three part series entitled, “Managing the Shoot,” focuses on the relationships and interactions between the photographer and model in shoot preparation, tips on executing/directing the shoot, and post-production techniques. This article, the first part, “Building Professional Relationships with Models Before, During, and After the Shoot” deals specifically with photographer-model interactions and how to create good relationships leading to good results in photo-shoots. It almost goes without saying, but a disclaimer is in order: There is more than one “right way” to do this and this article does not attempt to answer all questions for everyone. These concepts represent best practices that I have learned from working with dozens of models and are intended to assist other photographers who are trying to develop or improve their own protocols. Some of these points are elementary, but hopefully they will be helpful to some. With that said, let’s begin!!!

Before the Shoot

It is imperative that you, the photographer, are professional, courteous, and detailed about your vision and the goals of a photo shoot with the model. You must think of yourself as the “director” of the shoot, analogous with being the director of a Hollywood movie set. The model is the star!!! You set the pace and must ensure that the model works well and does what you want them to do in meeting the goals of the photo-shoot. The model must be confident in your ability to create good images. The best way to do this is to create good synergy and optimize the environment so that everyone not only wants the same thing, but are also empowered to deliver the same thing: A GOOD PHOTO-SHOOT!

When first speaking with the model regarding setting up a photo shoot, it is important that you are up-front and clear about the following (in no particular order): compensation (what you and the model are getting out of the deal; be clear if this is a paid shoot and who is paying, TFP/TFCD, etc.), type of images sought and general theme (if using a theme; if you want to shoot glamour, swimsuit, glamour nudes, implied nudes, etc., you must state this), general timeframe for delivery of the images (make sure you allow for flexibility and shy away from “promise dates certain” – more often than not, it will take more time than you think to edit the images to your and/or the models satisfaction), and shoot location (in-studio or on-location; and if on-location, what location, etc.).

Again, the goal is to be upfront and honest with the model and developing detailed options for each of these points shows the model that you are professional and competent. The model should be familiar with your work and you should not oversell your capabilities and expertise. If you cannot make digital images look like something from the scenes of a sci-fi movie, don’t say you can. If you are not well-versed in digital background extractions, don’t say you are. If you are not a glamour photographer, do not sell yourself as one. In most cases, a cursory review of your portfolio should let a model know if they’d like to work with you or not. So it is important that you have GOOD WORK, certainly, some of your best work, for the model to review. Like it or not, this is a VISUAL industry and aesthetics are of primary importance.

Another point that I’d like to mention is the necessity to communicate your ideas and be willing to accept model input, as well. Oftentimes, models have GREAT ideas to augment or even replace some of the ideas the photographer has initially, but you won’t know this unless you are open to discussion. This is especially true for experienced models whom have worked with many photographers and may in fact have more experience than the photographer. So DON’T BE AFRAID TO TALK AND SHARE IDEAS; but remember, YOU must still DIRECT THE SHOOT and make it happen.

During the Shoot

During the shoot, especially when working with a model for the first time, you should make the model feel comfortable with you. The model must feel safe and uninhibited. Some models will want to come to a shoot for the first time with an escort. You should discuss this with the model BEFORE the shoot so it should NOT be a surprise when they show up with their BFF who doubles as her MUA and hair stylist. While every photographer has an opinion about this, I personally do not have a problem with models bringing escorts – especially when working with the model for the first time. After the model realizes you are not a psycho, escorts are not usually needed by the model for future shoots. However, it should be noted that some photographers refuse to allow escorts under any circumstances. While I understand and appreciate those sentiments, my thinking is that as long as the escort does not interfere with the integrity of the shoot by distracting the model or second guessing how you are directing the model, escorts are fine. In fact, I like to put them to work and get them holding reflectors, etc. When that is not the case, escorts become a liability so a lot of this comes down to trial and error. The problem is that you don’t know if the escort is going to be a problem or not so it is a calculated risk if you choose to allow an escort to a shoot.

Significant others (boy/girlfriends, spouses, etc.), however, can be a problem. Whether we are talking about male or female models, their significant others almost ALWAYS turn out to be some sort of distraction, either consciously or unconsciously, for the model. Discussing these matters up front can help prevent misunderstandings and drama later so spend the time dealing with it at the front end.

Rule #1: Talk to the model and talk frequently – long periods of “awkward silence” will do more to kill a shoot than just about anything next to making crude sexual remarks in some sick attempt to hit on the model! Keep it professional!!! Models feed off of your direction so tell them how GREAT they are doing, how GREAT they look, and how AWESOME the shoot is going and TELL THEM OFTEN!!! Let the model know what you are looking for in facial expressions and poses. When the model does something “off script,” don’t say, “No, that is wrong! Do it like this…,” but instead say, “You know, that is good, but here is what I was looking for with this shot…Try it like this.” In other words, keep it positive! Well-placed humor ALWAYS helps to break the ice and keep spirits high!!!

Rule #2: You should never try and get the model to do something they do not want to do or something that was not discussed prior to the shoot. Do not pressure models to do implied nudes or nudes unless that was previously discussed and agreed upon. If the model decides they want to do something more sexy and provocative and you are not opposed to it, then fine. But don’t pressure models – they will think you are a jerk and you’ll make them feel uncomfortable. And MODELS TALK – remember that…

Rule #3: DIRECT the model and the shoot. It is up to you to set the tone for the shoot and it is up to you to help ensure its success. So you must go into the shoot knowing exactly what you want and how to get it done. Talking with the model about this can be EXTREMELY helpful and often reveal oversights on your part. Unless you and the model can communicate telepathically, talking to the model DURING the shoot is required. Don’t be ambiguous about what you are looking for and express your thoughts to the model. Again, communication is KING so you must have developed the kind of working relationship that is conducive to dialogue and discussion.

On the practical side, it helps to write out a “run-sheet” with your ideas organized and thought out so that you don’t forget to do something you want to do, in the order you want to do it. Thinking about what you want to shoot first, second, etc. can ensure that you are both efficient and most effective during the shoot – again, showing the model that you are PROFESSIONAL AND COMPETENT. Just like a director goes over the script with the actors, photographers need to go through the shoot with the models. For example, if you are shooting both “wet” and “dry looks” it only makes sense to start dry before going wet because when hair gets wet, it totally changes the look; additionally, it takes a while to dry out. I will write in greater depth about concepts and tips surrounding the actual shoot execution in part two of this series.

After the Shoot

Following the shoot, it is always a good idea to reassure the model that they did a great job and that you are pleased with the results (i.e. GOOD IMAGES). This “stroking” of the model not only emphasizes the model’s value to the shoot process but also lets them know you appreciate their professionalism and talent. Remember, models are equal partners in this iron triangle – without models, glamour photographers would be natural wildlife enthusiasts shooting deer and bald eagles instead of beautiful people.

Assuming you have done your job and let the model know what to expect in the post-production process, they will expect you to act as you’ve indicated you would. That means that if you told the model that you will be in regular contact with them during the editing process and in reviewing the images, don’t pull a disappearing act for two weeks without contacting the model. Sometimes things come up in life – we all know this. But if it happens, talk about it and let the model know what is going on. If there are delays, tell the model. But again, if you have done your job correctly to mitigate these possibilities, when they occur, the model will understand.

Of course, if it did not go well, more than likely you will both know it. Sometimes this happens; one/both of you may have been having a bad day and nothing seemed to go right. It happens. So if, and when it happens, you must turn “lemons into lemonade.” Acknowledge that things may not have gone the way you both wanted but try and find the silver lining from the shoot. How you handle adversity says a lot about your character so instead of making a bad situation worse, do what you can to improve it to the best possible extent. If it was a TFCD/TFP shoot and you feel the relationship is “salvageable” and may deliver good outcomes in future shoots, then schedule another shoot!!! Give it another try and more than likely, things will work out better the next time. If it was a paid shoot, this complicates matters a bit more but having clauses in the agreement dealing with rainouts, sickness, reshoots for any reason, etc., are something that every professional photog must think about and plan for accordingly. While developing agreements/contracts are certainly an important part of dealing with all professional clients working relationships, I will address some of these business practices at another time.

When you have developed GOOD relationships with people, these relationships can withstand the rain of bad events that occur. Keep in mind that failure is a part of life and EVERYONE has failures from time to time. Remember that even champions get knocked down occasionally, but they always get back up. But, the good news is that proper-pre-planning-presents-piss-poor-performance; in other words if you think things through and execute the plan well, good things will usually happen.

To sum it all up, it has been my experience that developing a good working relationship with models is a very important element in achieving good outcomes from a shoot. Honesty, professionalism, communication, competency, and full disclosure are necessary to creating the right kind of relationships to optimize success in the photo shoot. While technical acumen, talent, good photo-editing skills, good equipment, and creativity are also important, none of those things will matter if either the photographer or the model is upset or uncomfortable during the shoot. If the shoot happens at all, that “discomfort” level will show up in the pictures in one form or another. So the trick is to minimize the possibility of this happening by laying the foundation for creating good working relationships with models before, during, and after the photo shoot.

The most critical issue facing every photographer is how our final images look, both in Print and on the Internet. We have invested in quality equipment and we spend the time and effort on post-processing only to see our work elsewhere and worse yet, to be embarrassed by something major we missed in post-processing. With this article we are primarily concerned with the monitor’s Black Point calibration.

Preference:
It was a widely accepted practice to edit only on CRT monitors several years ago and to avoid LCD flatscreens like the plague. I’m not going to get into monitor selection, but I can say the “old-school experts” are starting to jump ship for the newer high-end LCD flatscreens. It’s important to note the low-end flatscreen LCD monitors will show your work changing the image in a very flattering way, especially in the black areas. We don’t want this. This is where all of our problems arise and this is where the embarrassment factor comes into play, very fast.

Black Point calibration is by far the most critical effect to every successful image you will ever produce. If all you do is Black Point calibration and stop there, you’ll still walk away shinning shining. As an example I have included an image that was edited on a poorly Black Point calibrated CRT monitor. If you do not see the garbage in the background of the image to the left, you’re a prime candidate for Black Point calibration!

Black Point Calibration:
Before proceeding with any critical monitor adjustments your monitor should be warmed up for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. To obtain the reliability and accuracy for this project you need to use an ambient light source. Base this on your own viewing conditions. The monitors Black Point in a brightly lit room will be higher than a dimly lit room. After adjusting the room lights, close all open applications including your browser. Move any brightly colored icons sitting on your desktop to a folder and minimize the folder. You can retrieve them afterwards. Turn off your Desktop Wallpaper and set your Desktop Background color to Black.
Now reopen your web browser, you should be able to distinguish all of the proceeding gray-scale splotches between 0 and 10. Splotch 0 should be perfectly black, matching your monitor, background precisely and splotch 10 should be barely visible. If not, you need to adjust monitor brightness so the Black Point is perfectly calibrated.

When the Black Point is set properly, the RGB value of your monitor will be true black – 000. Increase the RGB value slightly and you should see an increase in intensity.

CRT Monitors
Set the desktop background color to black. Set brightness and contrast to 100%. Adjust the vertical dimensions of the screen so that you can see a margin between the scanned areas and non-scanned areas of your monitor (Your picture/desktop). I like to have this somewhere between 1 and 2 inches. Next decrease brightness until the scanned area blends into the non-scanned areas. If a Monitor Control Panel dialog box distracts you block it with a piece of black paper or material. Adjust the brightness up and down until you have properly identified the areas scanned and ensured perfection.

LCD Monitors
There are no non-scanned areas on an LCD/Laptop monitor. This is why it’s so important to set your desktop background to Black before beginning.

Gamma:

Gamma is always a software adjustment, you should always follow your software vendors instructions precisely. For the below example we are assuming you are using Adobe Gamma, while I am not! CRTs monitors usually have a gamma of around 2.4, while MACs have a gamma much closer to 1.8. The newer monitors of today attempt to adhere to the sRGB standard and have a gamma of 2.2. Gama is sometime also referred to your monitor’s Color Temperature. Several techniques attempt to adjust the Black Point with gray-scale splotches, but the quality of monitor varies greatly and some monitors try to do this for you. Attempting to read something out of low value splotch can be extremely difficult. To overcome this I always use True Black as my reference point.

The idea here is to open Adobe Gamma (Control Panel, Adobe Gamma) and stand back approximately 10 feet and makes the adjustments needed to make the gray blend into the background as close as possible.

After finishing this step I always recommend running through the first Black Point calibration one more time quickly. It’s usually very close and doesn’t require much adjustment if any at all. You’ll also find a huge difference in the quality of your work from this process. I follow the directions above on a monthly basis to ensure consistency and accuracy. After all it’s my name and image out there.

Color Calibration
My eyes are far too old for the tedious process of exact color calibration. Several years ago I invested in DataColor’s Spyder Pro 2. I attribute the Spyder Pro2 to be the biggest single quality improvement other then stepping up from 6Mp to a 10.8 megapixel camera.

The complete HowTo from the experts at DataColor’s Spyder Pro