Do you use a grey/white card?

[TJPhotoGuy]

I was told by a "real"pro recently that he hadn't used a grey card in years. I was shocked. I definitely feel the best colors I get bar none are when I use a "real" 18% grey card. I have been told by other pros (although I highly admire this one) that they do use grey cards. Do you? If so/not, why?

[ssim]

I use one very rarely but always have one with me. I tend to shoot just about everything in RAW so I will work in AWB and I can always adjust the color temperature to get the results I want in post processing.

If working outdoors the light can change so often that I found it not worth the time to always be taking another reading off the grey card. If working indoors with available light I will use this from time to time depending on the light source.

This is another one of those areas that is of a personal choice nature in ones workflow habits. Some people swear by it others don't have the inclination to try it. It really boils down to what works the best for you and what you are comfortable with. Technology changes and I would at least try it to see if it fits with me. Perhaps he was being generic about "not trying it in years".

[TJPhotoGuy]

Sssim,

I hear that sometimes "well I shoot raw.' But the thign is, if you are talking about 50+ photos, isn't just easier to shoot a grey card so you can mass apply it to all and get a perfect color balance in one easy step?? I shoot raw exclusively as well, but I also shoot a grey reference card.

[Benji]

My lab sells a 'Zebra' card which has an 18% grey stripe down the middle and alternating black and white stripes on either side of it. I shoot RAW about 99% of the time so after I get my meter reading I shoot the card first then whatever I'm photographing (usually a person as I am a professional portraitist.) Then in Adobe Camera Raw (included with PS CS2) I click on the Zebra card image, click on my white balance eye dropper then click on the grey stripe. The white balance is then established for every image shot with that light source. Then I take the crop tool and crop to where 50% of the card is grey, 25% is white and 25% is black, I look at the histogram and adjust the highlights (or shadows) until the histogram is centered and correct. Lastly I go to Synchronize All and every image I have highlighted will instantly be perfectly color corrected and will have perfect exposure be it one image or 200.

Benji

[TJPhotoGuy]

after I get my meter reading I shoot the card first then whatever I'm photographing (usually a person as I am a professional portraitist.) Then in Adobe Camera Raw (included with PS CS2) I click on the Zebra card image, click on my white balance eye dropper then click on the grey stripe. The white balance is then established for every image shot with that light source.

Benji,
Ok,that is exactly what I do. Thanks

[chriswade]

I use three cards, a white card for white balance, a color patches card as a color reference and a gray scale card for exposure and dynamic range determination.

[redbutt]

Benji,
Ok,that is exactly what I do. Thanks

Yeah...I do something really similar to that...only the card I use just has three patches...white, gray, black (QPCard 101). It's amazing how fast you can process a shoot with this kind of workflow.

[daclozer]

is there a good resource that a newbie to gray cards could get the info how to use it properly? Maybe a reference to some threads if available?

[Statement]

And in a continuation to the above post, what a grey card is exactly? Now I feel dumb..

[grego]

Sssim,

I hear that sometimes "well I shoot raw.' But the thign is, if you are talking about 50+ photos, isn't just easier to shoot a grey card so you can mass apply it to all and get a perfect color balance in one easy step?? I shoot raw exclusively as well, but I also shoot a grey reference card.

Yeah, I agree there to some extent. But out of 50+ photos, not all of them are going to be that good, generally. Usually there are a few that are "just right."

Lets take outdoor portraits for example. Aside from the lighting, and if you move around to different locations, you are switching a lot. But even then, probably 1/10 shots from each topic will be really good. The girl might blink, you might not have framed as well on that one, etc. But of course it doesn't hurt to have a card. Like anything it can act as a guide.

[AmericanFirst]

I keep my cards tucked in the back of my LowePro Nature Trekker AW II backpack... and I do mean back. There is a pocket or slot just wide enough between the pack itself and the backstrap plate. The tri-tone white balance and the color checker card slip right in there, all the way down... always handy and won't get bent.

94037

94038

[PhotosGuy]

Gray Card…White Paper. What’s best? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58677)

Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)

[redbutt]

RE the above post. I don't use my gray card for exposure (it's not a traditional 18% gray card)...I get that from my histogram. I use a gray card specifically for color correction in post processing.

http://www.qpcard.com/?p=instructions&q=1

The workflow mentioned here in this site has been mentioned many times before, but this is the card I use.

[TJPhotoGuy]

RE the above post. I don't use my gray card for exposure (it's not a traditional 18% gray card)...I get that from my histogram. I use a gray card specifically for color correction in post processing.

.

Agreed - except I use a light meter

[tbfoto]

I use my gray card all the time. I shoot in alot of high school gyms and the lighting is always different and somtimes very hard to adjust to. I shoot a gray card before every event and things are spot on then.