How should I prepare and print night photos so shadow detail isn’t lost?
Asked 2/23/2014
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I’m printing dark night images such as star fields, moonlit scenes, and city lights. My prints often look darker than they do on screen, and I’m concerned that shadow detail will disappear.
What is the best way to prepare these images for printing? Do some paper types work better than others for dark scenes, such as glossy or metallic papers? And does display lighting make a big difference when viewing the final print?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
1
Unless your photo is almost completely made of very dark tones (on purpose), why would you handle it differently of a "normal" (daylight) one, since it is correctly exposed ?
Provided you have handled your photo well during post-processing, trying to keep the histogram balanced, and your graphic chain is correctly calibrated, you should obtain (as) good prints (as with "normal" photos).
Just two points you might want to watch about paper :
- As indicated above, a (good quality) glossy paper might be more flattering because it will allow the dark colors to be "deeper" (than on a matte paper, because of the Dmax, see here http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dynamic-range.htm for example)... and then a specific artistic intent might kick in and contradict this statement (and I know some people who prefer matte papers, no matter what).
- However, glossy paper is... glossy :-) so imagine if you display your photos in an exhibition with inadequate lighting, the result can be catastrophic - especially with darker images. Semi-glossy paper can be an intermediary solution (my favorite usually).
- If you have thin light details within large dark areas, you need a paper with well controlled ink diffusion, otherwise these details will be lost (blurred). Again glossy papers usually fare better here.
In English I found this page that seems accurate on papers : http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/using-matte-semi-gloss-and-glossy-paper.html
Originally by user26278. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user26278
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Night photos are prepared much like any other print: the key is a calibrated workflow, not a completely different process.
If prints look much darker than your monitor, the usual cause is an overly bright display or viewing the print in dim light. Use a calibrated monitor and soft proof with the ICC/profile for the exact printer/ink/paper combination. Soft proofing shows the smaller gamut and dynamic range the printer can actually reproduce, so you can adjust tones before printing.
For paper, glossy papers are often better for dark images because they usually achieve deeper blacks (higher Dmax) than matte papers, which can help preserve the richness of shadow areas. That said, paper choice is still partly artistic, and other finishes may suit the look you want.
If you can see the shadow detail on a calibrated display while soft proofing with a good printer profile, a decent printer/paper setup should reproduce that detail. Proper display lighting also matters: prints won’t appear luminous like a monitor, but under appropriate viewing light they should not simply look “too dark.”
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