Adobe Gallery Blog

Photography Standards & Digital Integrity

At Adobe Gallery, we have spent 50 years honoring the artistry of the Southwest. Our goal is to translate the physical beauty of an art object — its texture, color, and presence — into a digital format that allows you to collect with confidence from anywhere in the world. We utilize professional studio tools to document our collection and occasionally employ AI to help you visualize an item's scale and character in a home environment.

To achieve this, we follow a rigorous set of standards in our digital presentation:

Technical vs. Contextual Imagery

We provide two distinct types of imagery for our collection:

• Technical Portraits: These are captured in our gallery studio under controlled, neutral lighting. These images are color-corrected using professional software (like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and InDesign) to ensure the most accurate representation of the artist's original pigments and natural condition.

• Contextual Visualizations: We occasionally use advanced digital tools, including Artificial Inteligence (AI), to place an object in a "living" environment, such as a studio or a traditional Santa Fe home. These images are intended to help you visualize scale, size, and lifestyle fit. 

• The Science of Color: Why Screens Vary Despite our best efforts, digital images can never perfectly replicate the experience of seeing a piece in person. This is due to several technical factors:

1. RGB vs. Print: Most digital screens use a three-color light system (RGB or RED, Green, Blue), whereas professional printing and the physical world operate on a more complex spectrum using four colors.
2. Screen Calibration: Every device — from a Smartphone to a high-end desktop monitor — is calibrated differently. A turquoise stone may appear more green on one screen and more blue on another.  Because digital screens (RGB) render colors differently than physical light, we provide multiple views to capture each piece's true nuance; however, please note that AI-generated environments are illustrative and may contain minor inaccuracies. The full depth and pigment of these masterworks are best realized in person or within your own home.
3. Lighting Environments: A piece of pottery will look different under the morning sun of a Santa Fe window than it does under the incandescent lights of a gallery. We provide multiple photos in varying light to help illustrate these shifts.

Our Commitment to Transparency and Ethics

To maintain absolute integrity, we never use digital tools to obscure defects or imperfections.The tools we use — whether it is the precision of Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop or InDesign for our layouts or modern visualization software — are employed to enhance your experience as a collector. However, we believe that art is a physical experience. We always encourage collectors to visit the gallery to see a piece "in the flesh" for real-time viewing.

"The true life of a piece is only fully realized when it enters your home and lives in your light."

Gamut Image Source: Getty Images