In my 20 years as a photographer, I’ve often heard clients say after receiving their photos that the colors look “off” or “wrong.” At first, I wondered – are they really that sensitive to a tiny 1-2% difference in color accuracy? But after encountering this several times, I realized the issue is more common and understandable than it seems. It’s usually easy to fix, but difficult to explain—especially when communication happens remotely rather than face-to-face.
Two Common Situations When Clients Say Colors Are Wrong
1. Matters of Style and Taste
Sometimes clients feel the colors lack vibrancy or punch. For example, if I shoot an interior and tone down colors to give a contemporary, muted feel, a client might say the colors seem dull. This is a creative choice, not a mistake. It’s about setting a mood or theme, not about color accuracy. These colors aren’t meant to exactly match real-life objects but to fit a visual style.
2. Color Accuracy for Product Photography
In many cases-especially product photography for fashion, furniture, toys, or cars-accurate color is crucial. Buyers make decisions based on color. For example, someone ordering an olive green cushion won’t accept a bright green one. Here, color fidelity is non-negotiable.
So, What Happens When Clients Say the Colors Are Wrong?
Let’s imagine a simple scenario: a red ball is photographed in a studio. The photographer views the image on a calibrated Mac screen and sees a perfect red ball. The client views the same image on a Windows office computer and insists the ball looks pink, not red. Then, if a third person opens the image on their Samsung phone, the ball looks brown!
Who’s right?
Assuming the photographer knows their craft and has the physical product for comparison, the photographer is right. The color in the image file is correct. The problem lies in how each device displays the color differently.
Why Do Colors Look Different on Different Devices?
All devices display colors differently. Even two identical models can show subtle variations. This is due to several factors:
- Device Calibration: Professional photographers use calibrated monitors to ensure colors are accurate. Consumer laptops or office desktops often have cheap, uncalibrated screens with poor color rendering, making colors look dull or shifted.
- Device Settings: Features like brightness, contrast, and color profiles (e.g., Apple’s True Tone) affect how colors appear. True Tone warms the display, which can make images look yellower or different from the original.
- Viewing Environment: Lighting around you impacts how your eyes perceive colors. Viewing a screen outdoors in bright sunlight or indoors under warm or tinted lighting changes your color perception.
How to Get the Most Accurate Color Viewing
The best way to see accurate colors is to use a calibrated screen, in a neutral, well-lit room with moderate ambient light, and have the actual product for direct comparison.
If you don’t have a calibrated screen, here are some practical tips:
- Use a Mac computer or iPad with brightness set around 75% and True Tone turned off.
- If no Apple device is available, try an iPhone under similar conditions.
- Borrow a calibrated device if possible.
Communicating Color Accuracy to Clients
Explaining all this remotely can be challenging. When clients see different colors on their devices, they often trust what they see, not technical explanations. In one case, a client complained about colors, compared images on multiple office computers, and still wasn’t convinced. When we met in person and she saw the photos on my calibrated screen, she was shocked at the difference. The other computers simply had poor color rendering.
Her next question was:
“How do we make photos look correct on everyone’s screen?”
The honest answer: You can’t. Color appearance depends on each individual’s device, settings, and environment. Most people prefer colors that look pleasing rather than perfectly accurate.
What’s Our Responsibility as Photographers?
Our job is to ensure colors are as accurate as possible or to meet the client’s desired style. But remember, colors will always shift somewhat when viewed on different devices.
This explains why sometimes buyers see colors differently from what was intended-and why misunderstandings happen. It’s nobody’s fault, but it can cause frustration.
So, What Can We Do?
- Tell every client to read this blog? (Maybe not practical!)
- Put a notice on every product page instructing viewers to use specific devices and settings? (Also unlikely.)
The best solution is education and clear communication: explaining the limits of color accuracy across devices and encouraging in-person review when possible.