My monitor is calibrated. I proof in CS3 with whcc profiles.
My prints back from whcc are accurate color wise I like them but they need more pop.
I know the prints are not backlit like the display but I would like to submit the same images again with different processing to try and liven them up a bit.
They don't need much, just more luminance perhaps.
Do I just use brightness & contrast or exposure in RAW before converting?
I duplicate my original so that I can compare the proofed image with the unproofed image. On the image that is being viewed with proofing, I will use curves to increase brightness, generally in the lighter areas of the image and to add more contrast as needed. Then I use hue/saturation to fine tune the colors, as needed.
I apologize ahead of time if you already know/do this but what brightness/luminance do you run on your monitor? If you use an LCD, they can be pretty bright. Turning that down can often help in print matching. 120 cd/m2 is what Pantone recommends for LCDs and I have seen some people use even lower.
I have always felt C-Prints, even Chromira or Lightjet don't have a real pop to them unless you over saturate the image. Always liked Ciba/Ilfochrome better, more pop to the image. Of course you didn't get the full tonal range of the negative film. That is and digital b&w is why I bought a good inkjet printer, c-prints look dull in comparison to the images I can now produce.
Actually just lifting the middle of the curve towards the top left corner in PS will probably do the trick if it just needs a bit more brightness - if you need "pop" try a setting of say Amount 10, Radius 200 and Threshold 0 in Unsharp Mask. Best done on a duplicate layer set to luminosity to avoid unwanted color shifts and adding a mask then allows you to bring back the highlights if this starts to make them blow out. .
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