lighting help

[newcanon]

Hello,

This is my first post so please excuse the dumb questions. I recently purchased the new Canon Digital Rebel 300D EOS. I use it most of the time to take pictures of my artwork. I have tried all different lighting methods but nothing seems to work.

I make one of a kind dolls and the skin tones are similar to a baby's, but when I take my pictures, the skin tones usually looks dark tan or has an orange tint.

Right now I am using 2 outdoor 500 watt halogen light stands but I have used soft white light bulbs and clear light bulbs. nothing seems to work. Could anybody please help me so my pictures look like what they should? No settings have been changed on the camera itself. Please help!

I have also tried two different lenses. The first lens is an EFS 18-55mm and the second is 75-300mm. I do not have an external flash bulb. Hope someone can help. Thank you very much!

[robertwgross]

It certainly sounds like you have a white balance problem. That is the kind of result that I get on my D60 if I use those lights.

Try setting for Tungsten white balance. That may not be perfect, but if it gets better results than before, then you know you are onto something.

Also, sometimes the user will have a custom white balance setting still stuck in the camera when they've moved to a different light source.

---Bob Gross---

[Mark Kemp]

Tungsten light is much more orange than daylight.

The tungsten white balance setting should mostly correct this.

Alternatively use the custom white balance setting, by setting it using a white card held under the tungsten lights. The procedure is explained in the manual.

[Belmondo]

Another option is to shoot the images in RAW format and correct the white balance with a program like Capture One. I've rescured a great many pictures in exactly this manner.

[newcanon]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I think that I may be a bit confusing in my descirption though. The color of the things I am taking pictures of is similar to an average Caucasian baby skin tone.

However, the pics look very orange or sometimes dark tan. If I use the pop up flash on the camera, it takes away all the color of the item. No flash and it is too dark. The lights I am using are new and I still can't figure out what is going on with the color. Any more info will be greatly appreciated.

Ryan

[JABACo]

Shoot your picture in the "RAW" mode. Download and adjust your white balance in your "FileViewer Utility" program or Photoshop. I don't do dolls but it's works for me on my night football photo's with the stadium lighting.

Bradley

[robertwgross]

On your camera top, there is a button for AWB. When you push that button, it should display which white balance mode it is set for, such as AutomaticWB, flash, tungsten, etc.

Then the last icon is for custom white balance. This is explained in the book. Set for AutomaticWB first. You light up your lights facing toward your subject, and then you put a pure white target right at the subject so that it is illuminated with your lights. You shoot that image, and it can be displayed on the rear display. It may show that orange tint. That's OK.

Now in the menu, you have a choice for Custom White Balance. Then it will display the images that are on that CF card, select it to the one that you just shot. Then you hit the button that it tells you to save that as "custom white".

Now, on the top display, press the AWB button until you see the icon for Custom White Balance. Now shoot the same scene the same way with the same lights. Now view that on the rear display. It should be a purer white with almost no orange.

This is explained in the book.

---Bob Gross---