White balance

[arul_nandha]

How do i get the correct white balancing effect?
i always try to use AWB, but i feel i am missing something in White balancing.
how would i handle Custom White balancing in order to achieve good effect?

Arul

[whowie]

I find its best to shoot in RAW mode then set the white balance after you upload the image to your computer. The Camera RAW plug-in for Photoshop will allow you to do this (I think its's a native feature of PS CS) as will BreezeBrowser. (There are others as well). If you need to set a custom white balance in your camera, it's usually done by photographing a calibrated image (Kodak Grey Card for example) and then using that image to set a custom white balance according to the instructions in your camera manual. If you just need to set the white balance to a standard setting, i.e. tungstun light, flourescent light, cloudy day, etc., then those settings are already set up for you, you just need to select them as per instructions in your manual.

[Jerry Vanderberg]

What is the best way of correcting a white balance shot after it has been taken in non-RAW mode (and you can't go back). On occasion, I've made errors, for instance, by shooting a flash picture (forgetting that I am in sunny day mode) or vice versa. Is there a simple way in PhotoShop Elements to bring the picture back into proper balance?

[stopbath]

Some graphics programs have a thing where it can change a pixel to neutral colour, then aply that to the entire region.

So if your image has a colour cast, you can "colour correct" it by selecting a white or grey item and telling the program that you want it white(ish).

Otherwise, you can manually colour correct the image by using the colour correction tool which would be a set of three sliders.

I don't have your program, but look up help items under "colour correction"

[arul_nandha]

What is Gray card.. ?
do we have to buy one? or is there any way to do for Custom white balancing?

[whowie]

Check this link for a short description of a grey card. Basically its a piece of cardboard that's calibrated to reflect a known quantity of light. It can therefore be used to calibrate (determine) exposure and/or white balance settings in any lighting conditions. If you need more info you might find something if you search the kodak site ( www.kodak.com ). Or, of course, you could post more queries here.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/kodakgraycards.html

[stopbath]

You don't *need* a grey card. It's just darned handy to have to attain the correct exposure when your dealing with things that are not really neutral in tone. If you use an hand held incedent meter (meters with the white disk or dome) you don't need the grey card. At any other time, it may be useful.

White balance can easily be used on the grey or white side of the grey card (see your manual on what steps to take). You can also use anything else that has no colour. A bit of white plastic, paper or cardboard would do fine.

[arul_nandha]

Thanks for your tips. i used my office scratch board which is gray shaded. I tried with wall too. It worked well.

[stopbath]

Thanks for your tips. i used my office scratch board which is gray shaded. I tried with wall too. It worked well.

Great. :) Just be watchful for colour shift in the whites (beige, rose, antique, yellow subtle tones in the white.) Take a look at all the different shades of white office paper... For cool effects, take custom white balance readings off "wrong" things, like grass, skin, sky...