Why photos automatically adjusts my pictures? How can I turn off this feature?

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Level 1

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Why photos automatically adjusts my pictures? How can I turn off this feature?

I've just migrated to "Yosemite" and, as a consequence, from iPhotos to Photos. I have noticed that when I open a picture, in 10-15 seconds it gets automatically adjusted (at least saturation and contrast). First of all this adjustment sometimes reduces sharpness and adds contrast to already over-contrast pictures, e.g. taken in very bright light conditions. Second, and more important, I don't want anything happening to my pictures without my consent. You can see the changes on the attached image: the left one was silently auto-adjusted after I viewed it. Although the adjustment may seem to be a good one, in this case it actually completely hid the reality: the picture was taken during a sunset, now it looks like a bright day one. Is there any way to undo the changes? Is it possible to stop the application from changing pictures automatically?

Posted on May 9, 2015 5:26 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

superbunker

Level 1

8 points

Aug 5, 2015 12:15 PM in response to léonie

I'm having this same issue -- Photos is automatically adjusting the saturation and contrast when I import images. However I am importing jpegs directly from my iPhone, so it has nothing to do with RAW processing. I am able to revert the forced changes by editing the image and clicking the "Revert to Original" button. But I have to do this for every single image, every time I import.

Where is the setting to turn off automatic adjustments?

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Answer 2

LaoTszy Author

Level 1

9 points

May 9, 2015 7:39 AM in response to léonie

I am using the preview pictures here to demonstrate an effect I observe when I open the photo for a full screen view: in around 10-15 seconds it gets obviously adjusted, sometimes noticeable loosing sharpness. NOT the preview picture, but the photo I am actively watching at the full screen. But I can not restore it to an original to show you the difference. It just happened that I had two almost identical (in color sense) pictures previews of which I can use to show you the effect I'm talking about. The second picture, which I not yet opened once shows the correct colors. The first one was made fancy-blue-sky by Photos without asking me.

I DO know about the preview JPG 's generated by the camera and the possible difference between this and the one generated from RAW by another software. I'm NOT talking about the thumbnails that changed.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,567 points

May 9, 2015 5:45 AM in response to LaoTszy

Are your photos RAW photos?

Then what you are seeing may be the RAW processing.

In that case open the photo in Edit mode and try the command "Image > Reprocess RAW".

Another reason for changes after the migration might be, that the available adjustments in iPhoto and Photos are different. Photos has to mimic the iPhoto adjustments. You could open the photo in Edit mode and try the command "Image > Revert to Original", if the migrated edits are wrong.

And send feedback to Apple, that some edits did not migrate well: Apple - Photos - Feedback

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Answer 4

LaoTszy Author

Level 1

9 points

May 9, 2015 6:01 AM in response to léonie

Yes, they are RAW photos. These are not imported from iPhoto, but freshly taken and imported from my camera.

The "Image > Reprocess RAW" item is grayed out, and there is no "Image > Revert to Original" in the Edit mode, suggesting there were no changes to the image.

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Answer 5

LaoTszy Author

Level 1

9 points

May 9, 2015 9:32 AM in response to léonie

Ok, here are screenshots with the same RAW open in Photos (left) and in the virtual Windows machine in the Nikon's viewer (right). The right one is what I originally also saw in Photos before it automatically adjusted it.

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

200,567 points

May 9, 2015 6:30 AM in response to LaoTszy

Yes, they are RAW photos. These are not imported from iPhoto, but freshly taken and imported from my camera.

The "Image > Reprocess RAW" item is grayed out, and there is no "Image > Revert to Original" in the Edit mode, suggesting there were no changes to the image.

Then the changes you are seeing are caused by the difference in the RAW development between the JPEG preview created by the camera and the RAW processing done by Photos. Photos will first show the preview embedded in the RAW by the camera, while it is rendering the own thumbnail from the RAW, and then you will see the new preview generated from the RAW. Both may differ considerable, because Photos will not reproduce any effects you added in the camera, but just show the naked raw. If you used Canon's Highlight Tone Priority or Nikon's Active D-Lighting the camera generated previews and the RAW you are seeing in Photos will differ considerably.

See Keith Barkley's User Tip: It will apply to Photos as well:

The Big Three: Setting your camera for the best Aperture RAW results

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

200,567 points

May 9, 2015 10:26 AM in response to LaoTszy

The Preview shows exactly the same picture as Photos.

If the Preview.app is showing the same as Photos, then Photos is not adding any adjustments to the developed RAW. Photos and Preview are using the same raw bundle, directly built into MacOS X.

You are seeing the basic RAW development in Photos.

Send feedback to Apple to point out the poor results for pictures with a lot of blue sky, so they can improve the RAW processing. Apple - Photos - Feedback

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Answer 8

léonie

Level 10

200,567 points

May 9, 2015 8:11 AM in response to LaoTszy

NOT the preview picture, but the photo I am actively watching at the full screen

Sorry, we are talking at cross-purposes. I hope, someone else will chime in.

As long as you never opened the photo in full screen you are only seeing the camera generated preview and not the original image. Photos is first displaying a preview while the Raw files is loading in full screen. Whenever I am opening a Canon RAW file for the first time in full screen in Photos, I am seeing the photo gradually change from the camera generated preview to the rendered RAW; but the differences are not as extreme as your example is showing. What you are finally seeing, when the Photo first opens in full screen, after the rendering finishes, is the original, unedited photo.

You could export the original RAW files from Photos and open them with Preview to compare the RAW processing.

Also compare with the software that came with your camera. If the RAW conversion with the camera software shows very different results, you may have used a setting in the camera, that influences the contrast.

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Answer 9

léonie

Level 10

200,567 points

May 9, 2015 9:39 AM in response to LaoTszy

That confirms the huge difference you have shown in your first post.

The Nikon Viewer does understand the "Active D-Lighting" setting, if you enabled it in the camera, but Photos does not.

What does the Mac's Preview.app show, when you load the same RAW file? This will tell us, if the MacOS X RAW processing alone will result in the dramatic differences or Photos does indeed add effects.

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Answer 10

léonie

Level 10

200,567 points

Aug 5, 2015 12:21 PM in response to superbunker

I'm having this same issue -- Photos is automatically adjusting the saturation and contrast when I import images. However I am importing jpegs directly from my iPhone, so it has nothing to do with RAW processing. I am able to revert the forced changes by editing the image and clicking the "Revert to Original" button. But I have to do this for every single image, every time I import.

If you are importing from your iPhone, check if you have accidentally enabled a filter/effect in your Camera.app.

If the photo has been taken with a filter applied, you will not see it in the Import panel, but Photos will apply the camera filter after the photo has been imported. You can see in the Edit panel, which effect is applied before you "Revert to Original" and disable this effect in the iPhone Camera.

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