Why It’s Important To Use a Color Checker Card.

If you’ve followed me here or on my social media profiles for period of time you’ll know that I am a fan of shooting colorcards before each look is shot. For me and many professional photographers this is a vital part of photographing models or pretty much any type of photography.

Especially when you plan on printing your work. Which you absolutely should be printing your work. It will change your whole world. ESPECIALLY if you’re a professional and plan on making any money from photography.

I know a lot of you focus so much on calibrating your monitors and such. That isn’t something that I really concern myself with as all the monitors I look at my images on and those of my touch up team are 4K so the color is going to be perfect.

Or are they? They will be as a result of the color chart and the ICC profile I will set up from my computer and send to everyone who has a hand in producing the final work. This ensures what they’re seeing is what I’m seeing on my system.

I always use the ColorChart prior to starting my shoot once I have my lights dialed in and the model/subject is on set.

I always explain to my models and clients that the color card also known as the color chart is a vital piece of photographic technology. I also explain that it is a most delicate and expensive part of photography.

I also explain that when we shoot with the color checker card it’s vital they make a funny face.

This serves the purpose of breaking the tension and nervousness just before the shoot. It’s hard to be silly and nervous at the same time. It reminds all that while we have a lot to accomplish there is room for some fun and silliness.

I am a fan of the X-rite color card as the colors are created in cooperation with Pantone LLC; global leaders in color science and technology.

If you’re shooting a lifestyle shoot or portrait for fun and digital images only it’s not necessarily be critical that the colors in the pictures are accurate representations of the scene, but say you’re shooting for a clothing line or products, you’ll need to get the colors of the items spot on.

A solid choice of tool for this job? X-Rite’s ColorChecker Classic or the ColorChecker Passport Photo 2. I have both and both are really great for making sure you’re getting accurate color and white balance.

This is as I said earlier essential if you’re doing to be printing your work at a professional lab. And of course printing your work is something we should all be doing for our clients. None of this amateur I give them digitals only nonsense.

But if you haven’t gotten a ColorChecker card of some kind you really need to. Check out the two I listed above and make certain you get your colors right each and every time. It also helps when you want to remove color cast. Like when for some reason there’s a green hue in your images that you didn’t want or expect to show up there.

If you found any of this helpful please help me by sharing it. Don’t forget to comment your thoughts or questions.