What do you use for image processing and what is your work flow? I use Elements and always start with Levels which often makes a quite a startling difference.

Hi Bob, this LINK OR this LINK may help you start getting your monitor right and its free. If you Google "monitor calibration", there is a lot of free stuff on the net and also look for a program that does the calibration and see if they have a free trial period .... if so, use it, calibrate monitor and then chuck it away.

Alternatively, get the photos printed and see if you like them.

The problem is they can look great on screen but completely different in print because the monitor is not calibrated and it is an expensive mugs game trying to guess when what you see on screen will print right. That is precisely what made me realize I really had to calibrate my monitor when a print I was doing for some ones golden wedding anniversary just would not come out right but had an awful colour cast. Instead of going in circles calibration sorted it in one hit.

I also want to know that is it really possible to get more colors in a picture?
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If you were referring to a colour calibration package when you said the option was too expensive, you might try this link to a freeware moitor calibration program which I have used and found to be quite good. I'm sure it lacks the sophistication of Spyder, but ...it's free!

For photo editing, try GIMP, which is an Open Systems product and therefore free, is a very competent package.

Graham