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User profile for user: MacGuyver
MacGuyver Author
User level: Level 1
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Oversaturated photos in iPhoto 08

Whenever I import or view photos in iPhoto 08 it applies the Camera RGB Profile and makes all my photos look oversaturated and red-ish. I attempted to change my camera's colorsync profile within the colorsync utility then I checked "embed colorsync profile" in iPhoto, but iPhoto still applies Camera RGB Profile. If I do not edit images in iPhoto the do not get saved with this colorsync profile, however if you do any type of editing in iPhoto they get saved with that profile. THIS IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING! The thumbnails look normal (as in, they dont have the Camera RGB Profile, they have no profile), but then when you double click, they get bigger and for a split second look normal, then they turn oversaturated.


I found the profile in my system files and deleted it (dont worry i saved a copy just incase.) This fixed the problem when viewing photos in iPhoto, as it no longer embedded Camera RGB Profile and the photos looked how they are supposed to, but iPhoto crashes everytime I try to import photos with the profile deleted from the frameworks folder.

P.S. I had almost the same exact problem with iPhoto 06. However, if I recall correctly, the Camera RGB Profile was not buried in the frameworks folder. After deleting that file for 06, I never had a problem. But in 08, it crashes every time I try to import.

PLEASE HELP! and let me know if anyone else if having this problem

Thanks,
Eric

Black SR MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.1), 8G iPhone iPod Mini iPod Shuffle

Posted on Dec 8, 2007 7:04 PM

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21 replies
User profile for user: Old Toad
Old Toad
User level: Level 10
207,367 points

Dec 13, 2007 12:07 PM in response to MacGuyver

Eric:

Try deleting the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your User/Library/Preferences folder. See if that will help.

If not log into another account on your Mac, preferably a vanilla account, create a test library, import a couple of photos and see if the problem persists. If not your primary account is the culprit. It could a bad preference file other than iPhoto's. Here's how to determine if that's the case:

Trouble Shooting Preferences

Go to HD/Users/Your_name/Library. Move the Preferences folder (in its entirety) to the Desktop and make a second copy of it so you have Copy A and B. Now try the the process again and determine if problem is fixed.
If the problem IS fixed, then go to the new Prefs folder that the OS will have created and open it up.
Open Copy B on the Desktop and select all of the items inside. Drag them into the open new library folder. When the Copy window comes up check the Apply to All check box and then click on the Don't Replace button as seen here. That will keep the new files created and bring back all of the others.
If the problem is NOT fixed, trash the new Prefs folder and move the intact Copy A folder back to the Library folder .



User uploaded file Happy Holidays



TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
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User profile for user: MacGuyver
MacGuyver Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 14, 2007 7:43 PM in response to Old Toad

I deleted com.apple.iPhoto.plist, no luck.

I logged into another account on my Mac and still had the same problem.

Another thing I have noticed... When I go to import photos into iPhoto 08, it applies the profile even in the import window. However, if I click on Photos or Events and then click back to the Canon SD200 import window, for a split second you can see the thumbnails without the over-saturated harshness. iPhoto refuses to let me do anything with applying Camera RGB for everything. I even tried to set a specific colorsync profile with image capture, and also with applescript, after which, the thumbnail in iPhoto looks "normal," but it still applies the profile when I enlarge it.

Another anomaly I noticed... when I open photos taken horizontally inside the iphoto window (not full screen) the profile is applied. When I open photos taken vertically in the iPhoto window the profile is not applied. However, both horizontal and vertical pictures have the profile applied when in full screen. This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Heres an example... the one on the left is how the photo looks when it is enlarged in iPhoto. The one on the right is how the thumbnail looks and how it looks in preview, when it is not embedded with Camera RGB Profile. The photo on the left is Camera RGB, the photo on the right has no profile

User uploaded file

Thanks for all your help Toad!
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User profile for user: Old Toad
Old Toad
User level: Level 10
207,367 points

Dec 15, 2007 10:43 AM in response to MacGuyver

Does the profile get embedded even if you do not have the option selected to embed a color profile in iPhoto's advanced preferences?

Go into your User/Library/ColorSynce folder and move the Camera RGB.icc file to the Desktop. Then try importing again. If that clears it up just put the file in long term storage somewhere. You might not want to delete it in case it is required later on for something.
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User profile for user: MacGuyver
MacGuyver Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 15, 2007 1:17 PM in response to Old Toad

iPhoto embeds the photo whether the box is checked or not. Ive tried assigning a colorsync profile in Preview with Applescript and then importing it to iPhoto, but iPhoto still applies its own colorsync profile.

Also, the User/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder does not contain Camera RGB Profile (it contains one profile named Color LCD Calibrated).

I had almost the same exact problem with iPhoto 06, but I removed the Camera RGB Profile from the User/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder and that fixed it. However, with 08 it isnt there anymore, and the only place I found that profile on my system is in iPhoto's "Frameworks" folder.
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User profile for user: Old Toad
Old Toad
User level: Level 10
207,367 points

Dec 16, 2007 7:31 PM in response to MacGuyver

It was just a shot in the dark. When I've imported photos without a profile the monitors profile would be embedded. If there is a profile already in there I guess it doesn't do anything.

iPhoto isn't supposed to change the profile unless there is none to begin with and you've select the option to embed a profile. That part of iPhoto is not well understood by many of us.

There is an Applescript that I've modified to embed the sRGB profile in image files. It's a lossless process. I don't know if it will help you but you can at least try it out on a couple of test files and see if it improves their display. You can download it from Toad's Cellar.
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Oversaturated photos in iPhoto 08

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