Calibrite Celebrates 50 Years of ColorChecker as the Photography Industry's Most Trusted Standard
© Calibrite
Since 1976, the ColorChecker has been the industry's reference tool for accurate colour reproduction. This simple 24-colour card is now marking its 50th anniversary as Calibrite honors a legacy spanning professional photography, filmmaking, and visual content creation. While the creative world has transformed from studio spaces to home offices and from professionals to independent creators, the ColorChecker's role has remained unchanged. It continues to be the standard that keeps color consistent for everyone, across all settings.
From Calibrite:
Launching September 1, Calibrite kicks off a year-long celebration marking 50 years of the ColorChecker, the small card of 24 colour patches that has quietly kept colour honest since 1976.
What began as a scientific tool for evaluating colour film has become one of the most recognised reference targets in imaging, used on film sets, in photo studios, in museums, and in camera bags around the world. For half a century, the creative world has transformed beyond recognition. Film became digital. Studios became home offices. Professional productions now share the stage with millions of independent creators making work every day. Through every technological shift, one thing has stayed constant:
the need for accurate, trustworthy colour.
The original chart was introduced in 1976 by three scientists at the Macbeth company, led by Dr Calvin McCamy, in a paper titled "A Color-Rendition Chart". Its premise was deceptively simple: place a set of known, carefully engineered colours in the frame, and every camera, screen, and printer finally has a shared truth to measure against. Fifty years later, that premise has not changed, and neither has the chart’s job.
© Calibrite
Every ColorChecker made since, including every Calibrite ColorChecker on the market today, descends directly from that original 1976 chart. Gretag and Macbeth merged in 1997, the line passed through X-Rite in 2006, and in 2021, the ColorChecker brand came to Calibrite, while the Munsell Color Company, whose colour heritage reaches back to 1918, still manufactures the targets. The lineage is unbroken.
A key factor behind the ColorChecker’s exceptional precision lies in the way its colour patches are manufactured. The reference colours are based on specially formulated pigments that are carefully produced and applied with the highest levels of accuracy and consistency. Each patch is not simply printed but created through a controlled manufacturing process that ensures reliable colour reproduction and long-term reference stability. This level of precision is what has made the ColorChecker an essential tool for photographers, filmmakers, and colourists around the world for 50 years.
"Very few products earn 50 years. The ColorChecker did it by being right, every single time, for every person who trusted it. Today, more people create visual content than at any point in history. Professional photographers and filmmakers continue to rely on the ColorChecker, but so do product reviewers, educators, designers, livestreamers, content creators, and emerging storytellers around the world. Our job is not only to protect this legacy. It is to ensure trusted colour continues to empower the next generation of creativity."
Stefan Zrenner,
General Manager of Calibrite
To mark the anniversary, Calibrite has opened a virtual museum exhibit tracing the chart from a 1976 lab to the cameras in creators’ hands today.
The celebration also includes an interactive ColorChecker Challenge that teaches what each of the 24 patches actually does, and a Colour Perfectionist Quiz that matches creators to the right tools. Because while technology has evolved dramatically over the past 50 years, one thing has never changed: every great creative project begins with confidence in what you're seeing.
"Twenty years ago, when I first learned about this little set of colourful squares, I had no idea how meaningful it would become to my workflow," said Alan Shapiro, photographer and Calibrite Ambassador. "I keep one in every camera bag and in my studio, sometimes a few different sizes depending on what I’m shooting that day. This target ensures I’m starting from the most optimised place and never guessing, so I have that much more time for the creative edits. Happy 50th, ColorChecker. Colour Perfectionists Unite."
Alan Shapiro,
photographer and Calibrite Ambassador
© Calibrite / Alan Shapiro
To mark the milestone, Calibrite is also releasing a limited collection of 50th Anniversary merchandise.
This includes a t-shirt, cap, and tote bag featuring the iconic 24-patch design. These items will be gifted throughout the anniversary year as a thank-you to the Colour Perfectionist community that has helped shape the ColorChecker's remarkable journey.
The ColorChecker family today spans the pocket-sized ColorChecker Passport, the studio-standard ColorChecker Classic in sizes from Nano to Mega, and the 140-patch ColorChecker Digital SG, all carrying the same original DNA forward. Fifty years on, the question the chart was built to answer remains exactly the same: what colour is this, really?
For 50 years, the ColorChecker has helped creators capture the world as it truly is.
The next 50 are about empowering an even broader generation to tell their stories with confidence, creativity, and colour they can trust. The tools will keep evolving. The need for colour you can trust never goes out of style.
For more information, please visit the Calibrite website.
ePHOTOzine Daily Theme Winners Week 4 August 2026
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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to RobTurner (Day 29 - 'Circle' Theme).
Daily Theme Runners-Up
If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A.
Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.
Day 23Markets
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Day 24
Environmental Portrait
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Day 25
Swimming
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Day 26
Butterflies
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Day 27Canals
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Day 28
Storms
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Day 30
City Close-Ups
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Day 31
Villages
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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.
Create Balance In Landscape Photos With These 5 Top Tips
1. Focal Lengths
Choosing the right focal length is critical to balancing the key elements in the frame of a landscape. Before hitting the shutter button, take the time to think about where you're placing the camera and the focal length you're using. For example, try a longer focal length and step back. This will pull distant objects into the image and create harmony with what's in the foreground.
Another way to balance your landscape shots is with foreground interest. An object placed in the foreground can help guide the eye in the right direction as well as filling in what could be a vast empty space when your attention is on mountains and other background detail. Foreground detail helps give landscapes a sense of depth too. For more information, take a look at this article: Why You Should Look For Interesting Foregrounds For Your Landscapes.
3. Add A Frame
An alternative way to add foreground interest is with a frame. We don't mean for you to go out with a large photo frame in-hand but do be on the lookout for items and objects out in the landscape that can be used to create a frame for your shot. Overhanging branches, doorways and arches are just a few examples of frames you can find when out-and-about.
Don't overlook the basic rules of photography which includes the rule of thirds, lines, shapes and various other elements as these can help you balance your shot. You'll need to use your lens to complement the rule which could mean changing its position or adjusting the zoom. Take a look at these beginner's tips for more information: Beginner's Guide To Composition
As wide-angle lenses sometimes create distortion, an alternative way to shoot photos that have more of the landscape in them is with a panorama. You can shoot panoramas with a short telephoto focal lens and using a tripod helps but it's not essential. The important thing is the choice of scene. Scenes with close to the camera elements will not stitch properly with this method. However, you can buy dedicated panorama heads for scenes that have foreground as well as background interest. More panorama photography tips can be found here: How To Shoot Panoramas and Panoramas Without A Panoramic Head.
More information on lens choices for landscapes can be found in this article: Make The Most Of Your Lenses For Scenics
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition
The Ultimate Skill for Better Street and Travel Photography
I find people fascinating, and when I see someone interesting when I’m out and about, I often want to photograph them. And I do. Many photographers have commented about this and would love to do the same but don’t feel comfortable or confident doing so.
Put Your Phone in Your Bag and Watch What Happens
Most of the strongest documentary and street photographs come from moments the photographer almost missed. The difference between catching them and losing them often comes down to whether you were paying attention at all.
John Free and the Purpose of Photography
Washington Irving’s classic story of the Headless Horseman saw Sleepy Hollow, New York, as its setting. The village was officially known as North Tarrytown until it adopted the name Sleepy Hollow in 1996. Nearby Tarrytown, a historic village on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, was where photographer John Free was born. Life would take him to Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and then to Los Angeles, where he would establish himself as a photographer. It was during his time in LA that his philosophy on photography would emerge.
3,000 Miles of Film: What One Cross-Country Trip Taught About Shooting on the Road
A highway fire less than an hour outside Los Angeles is the kind of thing that stops most trips before they start. Here it became the first frame of a 3,000-mile drive across the country, and the moment sets the tone for everything that follows.
DXO Releases PhotoLab 10 with Depth Masks, Advanced Color Grading, and New AI Tools
DxO is making PhotoLab 10 available today, with some solid new features and improvements to the existing ones. PhotoLab has become increasingly popular among raw editors because of its power and the inclusion of the DxO technology that adjusts for specific lens and camera combinations. These corrections are applied automatically upon opening a file if you use the default DxO Style – Natural preset, providing a sharp, geometrically accurate starting point before manual editing.
Hasselblad's Best Feature Isn't the Camera, It's This App
Most camera companion apps are an afterthought, slow, clunky, and quick to disconnect the moment signal drops. Hasselblad's Focus Mobile is the rare exception, and it finally runs on Android after living on iPhone alone.
The Case for Going Back to an Old Project Instead of a New One
Four handmade photo books arrived in one week, and each one circled the same feeling: nostalgia, and the ache of things passing. That thread runs through this entire round of submissions, and it turns a simple show-and-tell into a quiet lesson on how personal work holds together.
8 Top Photography Tutorials To Help Improve Composition
As patterns, lines and symmetry surround us, it makes sense to use these features to help us create interesting compositions which in turn, produce a great photograph. So, to help you on your journey to creating better compositions here are 11 tutorials that use lines, symmetry and patterns as ways to enhance images.
1. How To Capture Patterns On Your Travels
Patterns may not be the first thing that spring to mind when you're on holiday and capturing images of your trip but they can be an interesting subject to focus on.
2. How To Use Patterns & Repetition In Your Photography
When you're out on a day trip or on your two-week annual holiday and are looking for some photographic inspiration, have a walk around and start shooting patterns, we'll guarantee you'll soon become addicted.
3. Shooting Rocks As Patterns & Textures To Enhance Your Photos
Our landscape is abundant with rocky views from the gneiss rocks of Scotland, through the limestone pavements of the Yorkshire Dales, to the rocky Jurassic coastline of Dorset. Move-in closer and their patterns and textures provide fabulous abstract opportunities for photographers.
4. How To Shoot Patterns In Architecture: 4 Quick Tips To Get You Started
Here are a few quick tips on looking for, and photographing, patterns in architecture found in towns and cities.
5. How To Use The Power Of Lines To Improve Your Landscape Photography
Did you know that you can use diagonal lines to guide the eye, add interest and more to your landscape shots? If you didn't, here are 4 top tips on the subject for you to peruse.
6. Why & How To Use Vertical Lines In Your Photos
Here are 6 reasons why you should try to use vertical lines in your images as well as a few tips on how to use them to make the most impact in your shots.
7. How To Use Horizontal Lines Successfully In Your Images
Enhance patterns and add interest to your photos with horizontal lines which you can find almost anywhere when you really look.
8. Three Reasons Why Converging Verticals In Photos Can Be A Good Thing
Converging lines and verticals don't always have to be avoided. In fact, they can be a clever tool for guiding the eye when used right.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition
The Secret That Makes the Creamiest Bokeh in Photography and Why It Remains a Niche
Sony sells a 100mm portrait lens with an f/2.8 aperture that meters like an f/5.6. That is not a manufacturing defect or a marketing rounding error. Sony built a disc of gray-graded glass into the middle of the lens, on purpose, and gave away roughly two stops of light to buy what might be the smoothest out-of-focus blur any lens can produce. The trick works, it has worked since the 1990s, and the lenses built around it have never been more than a niche.
Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (August 2026): Dariusz G
The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2026, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.
‘Shoot More’ Is Good Advice If You Keep Shooting the Same Thing
"Shoot more" is one of the most common pieces of advice a photographer receives. We usually read "more" as more places, more subjects, more opportunities. Repetition may teach considerably more than novelty does.
Shooting more gives you experience. You become faster with the camera and less likely to miss an obvious frame, but broad experience is not the same as measurable improvement. The problem with "shoot more" is not the word "more." It is what we keep changing while doing it.
One Word That Reveals Whether Your Photo Works
You look at a photo and decide almost instantly whether it works, long before you've weighed composition or settings. That fast reaction turns out to be a useful tool, and learning to name it can sharpen how you choose which shots to keep and which to walk away from.
What Successful Photographers Do When the Calendar Goes Empty
The empty calendar is the part of a photography career nobody warns you about. Shooting is only a fraction of the work, and how you spend the hours away from the camera often decides whether the next job ever shows up.
Ten Years of Fujifilm Weddings: The Lenses That Actually Made the Cut
Ten years of shooting weddings on Fujifilm, and the internet still insists it can't be done well without full frame. That advice is wrong, and the right set of X-series primes proves it on every wedding day.
3 Top Tips On Shooting Stunning Summer Silhouettes
When you head off on your holidays you'll probably spend some time at the beach and when the sun begins to set and the sky fills with those warm, summer shades, you and every other person on the beach will be pulling their camera out of its bag. The low sun may make great landscape shots but put anything in between you and the sun and it'll turn into a dark silhouette lacking shape and texture.
However, this isn't always a bad thing. For summer silhouettes to work you need a strong, recognisable shape so if you're headed to the beach with your family, why not use one or all of them in your shot? You could also spend time shooting other people as they walk along the shore or stand to watch the sunset.
1. Set-Up
Make sure you know what time the sun will be setting and in what direction as you don't want to turn up at a beach to find you can't actually see the sun setting from it. Once you have your chosen location make sure you arrive in plenty of time, which shouldn't be a problem if you've had a day out at the beach, but if you haven't been on the sand, at least an hour or two before the sun is due to set. Do check out tide times too as you don't want your kit and your family swept out to sea!
2. How To Shoot
Once you have a willing subject position them so your light source is behind them and it can help if you set yourself up so you’re shooting from a slightly lower angle, although this isn't a must. Take a test shot and have a look at the image on the back of the screen. Chances are unless you're working manually, you'll have shot a silhouette. If you don't get the desired look, try using exposure compensation and dial in a -1 or -2 setting. Using spot or centre-weighted metering will also help you capture a silhouette, although can still use multi-zone metering, you just need to aim the camera up at the sky and use exposure lock to take a reading from the brighter sky. Then all you have to do is recompose and take your image.
3. What To Photograph
As mentioned strong shapes work well so get your subject to try and make different shapes while stood on the sand. This should be quite easy with kids but you may have to be more persuasive with adults!
If you have a group of people, get them to jump in the air so you can capture the shapes they create at the top of their jump. Try capturing a couple holding hands as they watch the sun go down or introduce props to keep your kids busy and more relaxed. Giving them a ball to throw or a bucket and spade to carry will create more interesting shapes and as a result, you'll have a more dynamic shot.
Experiment with angle and how far you crop in too to see how it can make a more interesting picture. If you're photographing someone's head, for example, shoot them as a profile rather than face on as you'll be able to see more features. Don't have too many objects too close together either as they'll all merge into one indistinct shape and the effect won't work as well.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition
The $10 Rule That Changed How One Photographer Shoots
Photography works like language, built from patterns you learn to read until recognizing them becomes automatic. Once you understand that shooting is pattern recognition, the way you approach every scene shifts, whether you're standing in Tokyo or on a quiet street in your own city.
An Image Of A Misty Day At Lake Brunner Wins 'Photo Of The Week'
A quiet vista titled 'Swan Lake' by capturingthelight has been crowned our latest 'Photo of the Week' (POTW) winner.
Taken at Lake Brunner in the South Island of New Zealand, the image is full of detail with its cool blue tones, calm water reflections, thick mist, tall slender trees and two dark swans swimming together all combining to create one atmospheric image. It's a beautifully composed picture of a peaceful scene on the lake.
Every Photo of the Week (POTW) winner will be rewarded with a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, providing top-tier storage for all your creative needs across multiple devices. But that's not all! In January 2027, we'll crown our 2026 Photo of the Year winner, who will take home the ultimate prize of a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield, courtesy of Samsung. It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards!
Want to be our next POTW winner? Just upload an image to our gallery where you'll also find all of our past POTW winners.