Megan Borek; Imatest LLC; Boulder, CO, USA
This paper was presented on 2025-02-05 at Electronic Imaging 2025
Abstract:
Accurate representation of diverse skin tones in photography has been a longstanding challenge due to biases toward lighter skin in traditional reference materials used for film and digital photography, such as Kodak’s “Shirley” cards and the Fitzpatrick scale. These and other tools, such as the ColorChecker Classic, have offered limited ranges of skin tones and do not capture the full diversity of human skin, including variations in shades, undertones, and exposure behavior. In this study, we evaluate the application of the 10-point Monk Skin Tone Scale, developed by Harvard’s Dr. Ellis Monk, to camera testing and characterization using printed skin tone charts. The Monk scale is applied to color-matched printed faces for testing cameras with facial detection capabilities. We compare the measured CIELAB values and reflectance spectra of these printed targets to those of other commonly used skin tone references, and to data measured from real human skin. Additionally, we assess the performance of these printed targets in photographed scenes in terms of exposure accuracy and color reproduction. This research identifies limitations and strengths of current printed skin tone scales and charts in representing actual human skin tones, and introduces a novel solution for improving equitable camera calibration and characterization protocols.
Full text (PDF):
Face Targets:
Diverse Skin Tone Face Targets, (initial version, will be updated soon)
Earlier work:
Equity in Camera Technologies: How Consumer Cameras Perform Across Skin Tones
