Another linear workflow thread

#1

Hi.

I want to ask about something that until today I was thinking I am fairly comfortable with.

From what I am reading now about gamma and linear workflow it seems that, the final image that we are seeing on our displays is linear actually? If 8bit images are generally gamma embedded and our monitors counter that with sRGB gamma curve then are we actually seeing linear images everyday?

I will also quote this paragraph which agrees with me:

Discussions around gamma-encoding and histograms on the internet are sometimes confusing. Many articles reference gamma-encoding in relation to the non-linear response of the human vision to luminance, insinuating (or simply just stating) that gamma-encoding has something to do with reconciling this with the linear nature of digital camera sensors. This is not true. We never see the gamma encoded image — the final image on our screens (or in print) is just what our camera recorded.
(http://www.furthereast.com/photography/understanding-gamma-in-photography/)

What do you think? I don’t mind technical talk. My brain needs a closure on this issue really.

Appreciate any input. Thanks.

#2

Simply put - yes. We see the images on our screen as perceptionally linear, due to a display device countering the embedded gamma boosting profile of 8bit images.

Floating point linear images are therefore being crushed by the display and coming out dark, due to lack of any lookup to map that image into values that the monitors would need to physically display as perceptionally linear.

I stress the perception of linear because if you where to measure the energy emitted from a monitor with such a response - that would be NOT linear. (I.e double the power is not double the brightness). Our senses are based around a non linear perception of energies such as illumination or forces.

#3

Thank you!