[SOLVED] Google Photos - Color Space blunder ?

[asiniv]

Hi,

The other day I realized a HUGE blunder I got myself into with all my photos and cloud backup.
Many times when I uploaded my exported 16 bit Prophoto color space Tiff files to google photos for cloud backup purposes (and sharing with friends and family)
the color appeared washed out and I could not understand why - only yesterday the 'penny has dropped'. ..
So I read a little about this
(Google Photos on web force sRGB softproofing | Preparing Images for the Web: Color Profiles, sRGB and Adobe RGB ,etc... ).

I have come to realize that for years I've been saving my photos in Prophoto RGB (since it allows for a broader Gamut and as it was selected by default).
And now I understand that Google forces sRGB that totally messes up everything.

I'm quite worried it messed up years (!!!) of private memories.
What should I do?

For example: does this mean that google actually changes the color space of the uploaded tiff file and hence I lose some of the spectrum?
(I thought that when you upload a file they don't touch it),
Do I actually need to re-export EVERYTHING in sRGB and upload again ??? (dreadful thought😱).

I'd appreciate any advice and assistance on this...
(if further information or examples is/are needed please let me know).

Thanks in advance!

 

[rgd1101]

download one and check?

doubt google change your file. it just web browser can't handle the color correctly

 

[asiniv]

right, it does not.
Thing is I never noticed it since I use chrome when working with google photos and chrome displays the colors correctly.
Firefox for example does not. Even more than that - since there's a preview thumbnail which is based on the jpeg it doesn't manifest this problem; when you view individual images via some web browsers or mobile wrong colors are used.

Now since I share my albums with friends and family, and they do not understand these sort of things they might complain that 'something is wrong with the photos'
What can be done about this?
I mean the google photos is also my main cloud backup of my final images so I wouldn't want to downgrade the color profile.
Thanks in advance!

 

[rgd1101]

tell them to use chrome?
unfortunately that an issue with the web browser.
other then have them download and view them on the local system. none

 

[asiniv]

bummer.
Guess I'll add the much used phrase: "best viewed on ..." 🤔

Thanks for the comment 🙂

 

[Ralston18]

And be sure to create additional backups in other locations - on and off line.

Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable/viewable.

 

[hang-the-9]

right, it does not.
Thing is I never noticed it since I use chrome when working with google photos and chrome displays the colors correctly.
Firefox for example does not. Even more than that - since there's a preview thumbnail which is based on the jpeg it doesn't manifest this problem; when you view individual images via some web browsers or mobile wrong colors are used.

Now since I share my albums with friends and family, and they do not understand these sort of things they might complain that 'something is wrong with the photos'
What can be done about this?
I mean the google photos is also my main cloud backup of my final images so I wouldn't want to downgrade the color profile.
Thanks in advance!

I have never once heard a friend or family member tell me my photos look wrong LOL
Thanks for the graduation pictures, but that red looks like it's Pantone 1442 when it should be 1443, we hate you now.

You can't control what people see on their systems, they view it on a hundred different screen types and color settings and light conditions.

 

[asiniv]

I have never once heard a friend or family member tell me my photos look wrong LOL
Thanks for the graduation pictures, but that red looks like it's Pantone 1442 when it should be 1443, we hate you now.

You can't control what people see on their systems, they view it on a hundred different screen types and color settings and light conditions.

I decided eventually to convert the images to simple sRGB JPG to share online.

Hope no harm done to your eyes with the colors 🤭
Thanks!