Images darken as soon as imported to LR

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Henrydog

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Hi, my images look bright on my nikon d7100 but as soon as I import to LR they darken. is this a common problem? Reluctant to take over exposed photos!
 
In addition to the above, if you shoot in Raw, the preview in camera is jpeg and the one in LR would be Raw hence the difference.
 
Is this a high camera screen issue and lower monitor brightness?

There is one way to ensure you don't take overexposed photographs and that is to work by your histogram (rgb one even with accurate white balance).

Basically it is graph you can enable which shows the distribution of brightness levels within your own exposure. Brighter is (better) and to the right hand side and darker is to the left. Don't worry too much about the shape or location of the main histogram just pay particular attention to clipping. This is where you gets spike climbing up either end meaning you have pure white or pure black. The trick is to get the exposure as bright as possible without blowing the whites.

Also are you shooting raw? That will give you more exposure latitude.
 
do you mean calibarting the actual laptop I use? Sorry, I'm just a beginner. My external big screeen has been calibrated but not the laptop.
 
Also check you haven't applied a default import settings, some,people always use auto and to save time you can make Lightroom do this as you import to take out that step...
 
I presume you ahve checked the camera screen brightness? (presume you can change this in the camera menu) everyone banging on about your home screen.. if camera screen set to bright then your getting a false view and pics really are darker..
 
Check the adjustment of the brightness of your camera screen. There will be a menu item to do this. If your screen is set too bright and your exposure is too low then LR will reflect the under exposure.

Ah Kipax beat me to it!
 
It's probably a screen brightness issue, but...

sep9001 said:
In addition to the above, if you shoot in Raw, the preview in camera is jpeg and the one in LR would be Raw hence the difference.
Click to expand...

Definitely worth checking if that one you're shooting raw, the preview generated will more than likely have the currently selected JPEG picture style applied to it, which may include a fair degree of brightening and boosting of shadows which are then absent when you import the raw file.

Been caught out by that one a couple of times myself. :D
 
KIPAX said:
I presume you ahve checked the camera screen brightness? (presume you can change this in the camera menu) everyone banging on about your home screen.. if camera screen set to bright then your getting a false view and pics really are darker..
Click to expand...

Yellowbelly said:
Check the adjustment of the brightness of your camera screen. There will be a menu item to do this. If your screen is set too bright and your exposure is too low then LR will reflect the under exposure.

Ah Kipax beat me to it!
Click to expand...

My first reply :agree:

Craig_85 said:
Is this a high camera screen issue and lower monitor brightness?

There is one way to ensure you don't take overexposed photographs and that is to work by your histogram (rgb one even with accurate white balance.
Click to expand...

Re iterating to literally live by your histogram regarding exposure!
 
Henrydog said:
do you mean calibarting the actual laptop I use? Sorry, I'm just a beginner. My external big screeen has been calibrated but not the laptop.
Click to expand...

To clarify:-
You use an external screen linked to a laptop
This bigger screen is your calibrated screen and the lappy screen is 'default', is you external screen 'set to primary I.e. screen 1'? NB the reason I ask that is because my understanding of such a dual screen setup is that for the calibration loaded LUT to work it is on the 1 screen.
Asking the obvious, which screen are you comparing the "bright of camera to dark in LR"?

Oh, again asking the obvious ~ when you say the screen has been calibrated, you do mean using a calibrator & software whilst it is connected to the laptop...........not used elsewhere and calibrated on that other computer!

Your answers may help inform advice :)
 
Last edited:
Fuzzdog said:
Definitely worth checking if that one you're shooting raw, the preview generated will more than likely have the currently selected JPEG picture style applied to it, which may include a fair degree of brightening and boosting of shadows which are then absent when you import the raw file.
Click to expand...

This is why you sometimes see a nice bright file in the import window (in LR) which then goes dull as LR builds it's own preview of the flat raw file. It's a good sign that this is the cause of the issue you're experiencing and that it's nothing to do with screens. You can also tick the "embedded and sidecar" previews which should remove the issue - right up until you need a larger preview, at which point LR needs to build it's own and you'll see the jump from bright to flat.
 
i think the option about your viewing a jpeg but LR is looking at the RAW is a good angle,
 
It''s because camera is showing thumbnail which is a developed JPEG file.

Once you import your RAWs you need to develop them (apply curve, colour/contrast adjustments, etc.). Only then they'll brighten, saturate and start look similar to images on your camera's LCD.

If that bothers you then make sure to switch your camera to neutral profile. Also always assess exposure according to histogram. If you don't want to do any of this just shoot JPEG...
 
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