New- Datacolor® Spyder Checkr Photo; Helps You to Get Colour Right from the Start
Datacolor is expanding its popular Spyder Checkr product line with the Spyder Checkr Photo – a pocket-sized, colour reference tool for camera colour correction in with ultra-matte colour patches. In combination with the included software, colour correction data for hue, saturation and luminance are calculated based on a reference shot and made available in the form of an HSL preset, for example, in Adobe Lightroom Classic. This facilitates and optimizes work processes and ensures colour consistency across the series of shots before post-production. In this way, the colour characteristics of individual lenses, different camera systems and image sensors can be coordinated.
The Spyder Checkr Photo also shows its strengths where camera and RAW converter automatics reach their limits. For challenging subjects that include specific brand colours, monochromatic scenes, pastel colours, low and high key shots or portraits with finely graded skin tones, automatic systems often do not deliver satisfactory results. In contrast to using just a white balance with a grey card, the advantages of a Spyder Checkr Photo colour reference card combined with its software, include that individual colours are analysed and corrected if they deviate from the original hues. Colours that do not deviate remain untouched.
The ultra-matte colour patches have extremely low reflectivity regardless from which angle you look at the colour chart. The importance of matteness in colour targets cannot be overemphasized, since this minimises handling errors. Too often a colour card is used in a photo shoot or video production, with little to no attention paid to whether a reflection, caused by a light or flash applied from the side, had occured. This results in additional colour correction later in post-production.
Spyder Checkr Photo offers the company’s most comprehensive collection of color targets that includes 62 target patches in 4 interchangeable cards for all types of photography: expanded skin tones for portraits; large targets for easy white/grey balancing; 24-step grey scale for perfect exposure and instant dynamic range check.
Spyder Checkr Photo is compact and secured in a durable, rugged case – perfect for tossing into your camera bag or pocket whether you’re on-the-go or on location.
The use of innovative methods of colour target development reflects Datacolor’s commitment to colour accuracy, from the selection of premium paper that conforms to ISO 9706 standards – meeting exacting requirements for age-resistance – to high-quality inks that offer long-lasting color integrity.
“Photographers have long been asking for more matte colour targets, that limit reflectivity for more precise colour. We’re happy to say that we’ve heard you, and through our new Checkr-Matte printing system, we’re able to provide ultra-matte targets for unsurpassed colour accuracy regardless of lighting conditions,” notes Casey Krugman, Product Manager, Consumer Solutions for Datacolor.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
