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White balance settings?

Tintype_18
Authority
Authority

Couldn't find the dog show photo. Someone edited it with proper WB. Is there a rule of thumb for setting WB or set to Auto? I had used the shade icon as the exhibition center is shaded but open sides and artificial lighting.

John
Canon EOS T7; EF-S 18-55mm IS; EF 28-135mm IS; EF 75-300mm; Sigma 150-600mm DG
13 REPLIES 13

kvbarkley
VIP
VIP

The rule is to set it for the lighting you have. Mixed lighting is the toughest.

 

Most here will say to shoot raw and fix it in post. I usually use Auto and forget about it, and I shoot jpegs.

rs-eos
Elite
Elite

Shooting in RAW will not bake in any white balance.  Thus, you can freely edit it in post.

 

I still try to get within the ballpark though as the current white balance setting _will be used_ for JPEG (which is used for the back-of-camera preview too).

 

For light from a single source (or predominantly from a single source), I use the presets (tungsten, daylight, shade, etc.).

 

For mixed lighting, I'll use a custom white balance,

 

For ultimate control, when capturing proper color is critical, I will use a color chart.  Personally I use a Datacolor SpyderCHECKR Color Chart.   For each set of images under the same lighting, I'll capture one image with the chart.  I use Lightroom and there's a post workflow I use that creates a custom profile from the captured color chart.  I then apply that to all the other images in that "set".  Where "set" refers to a group of images all captured under the same lighting conditions.

--
Ricky

Camera: EOS 5D IV, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm f/2L
Lighting: Profoto Lights & Modifiers

Ricky, where is the colot chart available? i find this interesting.

John
Canon EOS T7; EF-S 18-55mm IS; EF 28-135mm IS; EF 75-300mm; Sigma 150-600mm DG

I got mine at B&H Photo.  Another popular brand is x-rite.

--
Ricky

Camera: EOS 5D IV, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm f/2L
Lighting: Profoto Lights & Modifiers


@rs-eos wrote:

I got mine at B&H Photo.  Another popular brand is x-rite.


I used to use ColorMonki before X-rite got it. But it seems like when I used it, it was Color Monkey, but it's been a while and could be a totally different program. I worked, for a while, as a graphic artist making logos and brochures for project solicitation. I worked with CorelDraw and Adobe Illustrator.

 

Newton

EOS R5, R6, R6II. RF 15-35 f/2.8L, 50mm f/1.2L, 85mm f/1.2L, 100mm f/2.8L Macro, 100-400mm, 100-500mm L, 1.4X.

Isn't Color-Munki a display proffiling system? That is not what we are talking about here. We are refering to portable color / white-balance standards that you can take to the field to give yourself a reference you can use during post.


@kvbarkley wrote:

Isn't Color-Munki a display proffiling system? That is not what we are talking about here. We are refering to portable color / white-balance standards that you can take to the field to give yourself a reference you can use during post.


I used it to create profiles for all three of my monitors (I used three 21" CRT's) and our Epson large format printers 17" and 42" roll). The version that I used had color and gray cards to use as a reference in the field or studio. I never used the feature, but you could integrate it with PS.

 

But you are correct, that isn't what the OP first asked, but later showed interest in. He already had/has the best advice, which, IMO, is to set Auto in camera and if need be, adjust in post. But, I shoot Raw so I am biased.

EOS R5, R6, R6II. RF 15-35 f/2.8L, 50mm f/1.2L, 85mm f/1.2L, 100mm f/2.8L Macro, 100-400mm, 100-500mm L, 1.4X.

"I used to use ColorMonki before X-rite got it"

 

You do not need a calibrated monitor in most cases. Certainly not a hobbyists but perhaps a hobbyist is the most demanding. Who knows?

 

Your monitor does need to have two things adjusted to do photography. Its grey scale needs to be correct and its contrast/brightness needs to be correct.

 

Most people have the brightness set too high. That makes judging photos more difficult.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

There is also the Whibal.

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