# Lightroom is automatically darkening my photos



## Vcize

I'm having an odd issue with Lightroom 3.  When I import some new photos and click on them in my library the first time, lightroom appears to be darkening the images.

When I first click on them they are blurry, the preview loads and they sharpen out, nice and vibrant.  However the preview continues loading and eventually the image flips much darker and more washed out.  It's like Lightroom is applying some kind of preset to every photo but as far as I can tell, there aren't any presets set up.

I actually took a screen caption of it happening, which you can see in the link below.  Take note of how right as the preview finishes loading, the image becomes much darker and more washed out.  It's especially noticeable in the 3rd and 4th photos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gag4EoOaquY

Any idea what's happening here?  The photos look much better before the darkening happens.


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## clee01l

*Vcize*,  welcome to our forum.  You would be help by taking a look at our Tips & Tricks Forum.  Especially the thread  Labeled "Why did LR ruin my Picture?:

RAW files out of the camera like your CR2 files are unedited. That means they look very different from the image you see on the back screen of the camera.  Even when shooting RAW your camera processes it to produce a JPEG to show on the back screen, This JPEG is also embedded in the header of the CR2 file. It is this camera edited JPEG that LR first shows before it processes the RAW data and produces the 'changed' image It is the default Import develop settings that you see that your are calling 'darker'.  LR needs to apply some develop to the RAW data otherwise it would appear flat and toneless.


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## Gary Gray

Darker could be a result of a few of things.

1.  You are underexposing your images.  Check your camera metering and settings.
2.  You are applying some kind of preset to the image that darkens it.  If you're seeing any adjustments to the image in the develop module after importing the image, try changing to a different preset for importing or importing with "none" selected as a preset, which will bring a RAW file into the catalog without any adjustment.  If you still see the images too dark with a zeroed preset, you're probably underexposing your shots.
3.  Your monitor is not calibrated and/or the display needs to be adjusted.
4.  You could be experiencing any combination of all or some of the above.


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## MarkNicholas

Yes its almost certain that the initial photo you are seeing is the embedded Jpeg. The final muddy photo is the LR rendition of your RAW files after applying the default settings.


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## Jim Wilde

One further thought: not sure what Canon model you're using, but if it has ALO (Auto Lighting Optimisation) and HTP (Highlight Tone Priority) it would be a good idea perhaps to disable them. Essentially these try to protect highlights by underexposing, then correcting exposure in camera when producing the embedded Jpeg. Lightroom, however, doesn't recognise that ALO/HTP have been used so cannot correct during its raw conversion with the result that images shot with those features often appear under-exposed in Lightroom.


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