Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!purdue!decwrl!decvax!spray!anson
From: anson@spray.CalComp.COM (Ed Anson)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: photographing computer screens
Message-ID: <2496@spray.CalComp.COM>
Date: 14 Nov 88 15:16:04 GMT
References: <8811042303.AA21505@dawn.steinmetz.GE.COM> <76649@sun.uucp> <2663@pixar.UUCP> <7896@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: anson@spray.UUCP (Ed Anson)
Organization: CalComp, A Lockheed Company, Hudson, NH, USA
Lines: 45

In article <7896@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> tada@athena.mit.edu (Michael Zehr) writes:
>I've been having difficulties photographing color images on a computer screen
>and developing them.  I'm working with a color vaxstation, and using Kodak
>kodachrome film.  What I see on the screen isn't being reproduced exactly
>on the film.  Red looks orange, blue looks lighter, green looks yellowish.

Yes, this can be difficult.

A few things to try: The color results you are getting indicate an improper
color balance for the film. This is a function of the phosphors in your CRT.
Try a film designed for tungsten light. It should be available from any 
good photo store. If you're really picky about the colors, you may need 
some color correction filters (but that's a lot of trial and error).

Also, make sure you're using a fairly fast film. Try for an exposure in the 
range of 1/30 to 1/15 second. Longer exposures cause some reciprocity failure,
which affects the different primaries differently. Fortunately, most tungsten
balanced films are also fairly fast, since they're intended for indoor use.
>
>I've tried talking to photo stores and developers, and so far none of them has
>been able to help,

Most of those folks have never seen a computer screen, much less photographed
one. :-)
>
>Some of the photo places have pointed out that the automatic color balancing
>by the machine developers may throw the color off as well.

I've never heard of automatic color balancing of Kodachrome. That's something
they do with prints.
>
>Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do?  Any help would be
>greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

I hope this helps.
>
>-michael j zehr

Ed Anson


-- 
=====================================================================
   Ed Anson,    Calcomp Display Products Division,    Hudson NH 03051
   (603) 885-8712,      anson@elrond.CalComp.COM