On Camera Flash and CWB

[papathree]

When I shoot a wedding, along with my 5D, I use a 580EX which is attached to my stroboframe. When I am 15' and closer I use a mini softbox, westcott
to help diffuse the light. Farther away I use just the flash.
So my question is, how do I do a custom white balance with the 580EX flash in a church or wherever I will be using my flash as the main light source?
Thanks
Papathree

[tony fanning]

To be honest, I shoot in Raw and use AWB. Then in the confort of your own desk chair, tweek away! I find I`m too busy to worry about WB on the day!

[papathree]

I find it the other way around, I have a full time job and therefore don't have time to shoot in RAW. I shoot in jpeg, so I still want to know how to CWB using my flash

[sapearl]

Hi again Ron - people seem to use several methods, products and techniques to get the results they want. There have been a couple of threads you may have seen:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=324082

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=325792

Some people love the Expodisc (ED). I don't use it myself but in the right circumstances I understand it can be an excellent tool. Others use the Whibal, and I prefer the 20" collapsible Lastolite disc. It has a white side with target - preferred by the 5D - as well as a gray side. I'll place it in several representative scenes throughout the wedding day, shoot everything RAW on AWB, and then eyedropped my WB later on in ACR. It really speeds up my workflow.

Which one is best? Well, that depends upon your shooting style, patience, PS skills and amount of time you have between shots. No one of them seems to be perfect, but when used properly all can be very effective tools. - Stu

[canotographer]

I use expodisc neutral in the house (just got it yesterday)... ..it accurately corrects the WB and forces the white to be shown as white (amazingly simple and effective), but I do not quite like it actually. It basically neutralizes all the non-white light that falls on the subject and makes the light source look like the white fluoresent light...It does not bother too much if the subject is a still life.. but for portrait, I need the skin tone and the surrounding to be a little more natural (soft and warmer) instead of truely neutral... I am thinking of getting the warm one tomorrow and give it a try...

The best results are achieved by bouncing with gary fong clear lightsphere/white dome with ABW on my 5D and 30D. I shifted the WB a little to correct the overdone red tone from the default setting of both cameras. The results were natural and eye pleasing. This way preserves the actual background lighting and makes the skin tone of the subject more natural while properly exposed.

I will shoot jpg+ raw in wedding..just in case I need the raw copy if some of the jpg copies do not work well. Get the 8 GB card for the 5D.. you will have about 370 shots (L-fine+ RAW)...

If you get two 8GB cards.. I think that should be enough for a day.

To set the CWB with the flash as main source... if the tool is expodisc.. I am thinking if I can shoot against a mirror to set it...

[sapearl]

Why not save yourself the $100 or so and just make the color temperature adjustment in your RAW files later on for those particular shots? I think that would be simpler, faster and certainly cheaper. But then I confess that I'm not a big fan of the ED in rapidly changing situations like weddings.;)

... but I do not quite like it actually. It basically neutralizes all the non-white light that falls on the subject and makes the light source looks like the white fluoresent light...It does not bother too much if the subject is a still life.. but for portrait, I need the skin tone and the surrounding to be a little more natural (soft and warmer) instead of truely neutral... I am thinking of getting the warm one tomorrow and give it a try...

........