Post Processing Issues with Laptop - Dummy check please

[HotHolly]

So, I have had a new laptop for about a month. So far I totally hate it. I cant seem to get the tones, colors, saturation, contrast - basically ANYTHING - to come out looking correct on the thing.

Also - the color issues arent consistent - which is throwing me. Why isnt everyone, in every shot, orange? It makes everyone look like a pumpkin - but its random. At my last wedding I altered settings in camera, rather than in post, and as long as I didnt change anything, they looked ok.

The main issue - orange is surfacing and the images appear underexposed. Im assuming it needs to be calibrated, but in the off chance Im missing another problem, feel free to chime in.

Here are some of the whacked examples. Im not techno savvy, so if its a calibration issue, I'll feel much better. If its an laptop issue, Im gonna cry.

[Clint_Smith]

more than likely a color/display calibration issue. If you know what to look for you can use the INFO pallete in PS to "eyeball" your colors better. Learn the dreaded 0-255 RGB values and you can kinda get in the ball park, But calibration is the safest bet.

[Duffy Pratt]

If you are doing the color by eye, instead of by the numbers, then there are lots of things that can go wrong with a laptop. First, the angle that the screen is open, the ambient lighting, and just your posture, can have a pretty radical effect on the colors. Also, the screen display will likely vary depending on whether you are running under battery power or AC. I work with a laptop, and i can get a pretty big difference in the image simply by slouching a little. Maybe you should consider a dedicated monitor for your photo work. At least that would give you some consistency at one location.

Duffy

[darktiger]

Did you calibrate the laptop? Are you using the correct profile if you did calibrate?

[HotHolly]

I'm borrowing some calibration stuff to give it a try. I havent gotten it yet. Maybe I should get a monitor that I can hook it up to. I hate the shiny screen.

And thanks for the reminders on numbers, Clint. Mike does it that way. Its just messing with my reg. workflow and Im getting super annoyed. Hopefully we can fix it.