Custom white balance / gray cards?

[Artisticmind]

My friends have always said I have horrible white balance in my photos, and I just tell them... well I would assume so because I use the Auto setting. I don't know how to I should adjust white balance yet. One of my friends suggested using a gray card until I learn how to custom set my WB or each type of setting.

What are your thoughts on using gray cards? How do you use them? Any tuts you would recommend on learning WB?

Thanks

[stathunter]

Grey cards work good--- but you really have to shoot in RAW for them to work effectively. I use a WhiBal card -- but have been trying to use custom white balance --- once you get the white balance down it will make editing simple and easy.

[TheGreatOg]

I have a grey card, but mostly I use my hand or a white object in the light I'm shooting in. It's easy to set the custom white balance in the 40D. Worth figuring out if you're not sure how to do it. And if you need to shoot in Auto, shoot in raw. My husband does his white balance with the Kungsten color spectrum setting and gets great results. Good luck!

[dustyporch]

I use AWB and RAW most of the time, and I will fix them in DPP if they are way off. If I'm shooting in the home studio, or in a place where I know the camera is going to mess up, then I take a shot with a WhiBal card in it, and use that shot in DPP to set the white balance for the whole bunch.

I never do it in camera... just personal preference.

[tzalman]

I have a grey card, but mostly I use my hand or a white object in the light I'm shooting in. It's easy to set the custom white balance in the 40D. Worth figuring out if you're not sure how to do it. And if you need to shoot in Auto, shoot in raw. My husband does his white balance with the Kungsten color spectrum setting and gets great results. Good luck!
Most of us don't have your lovely white hands. We don't even have neutral grey hands. :)

[tzalman]

Any tuts you would recommend on learning WB?
http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/white/white_balance.htm

[[Hyuni]]

I heard using a pringles top for WB works...
Not sure if that's accurate though.

I'm new to photography, and this may be a stupid question, but can white balance be easily fixed when you edit pictures?

[TheGreatOg]

Another thought, I'm reading a couple of photography books so I don't remember which one said it. But an author suggested shooting a white or grey card in a variety of lighting situations. Keeping those files all on a small CF card. When you need a custom white balance you pop in that CF card, set the custom white balance using the shot that most closely approximates your lighting conditions and voila you're set. I haven't tried it, I don't know if it's as tediuous as it sounds. But just a thought.

[mrkgoo]

Some tests I've been doing to understand what is going on. It's not totally resolved, because you can't use monochrome setting for white balancing.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=646827

[Hyuni]: It can only easily be changed if you are shooting RAW. During the processing of RAW into an image, the colour temperature that is set dictates how the pixels turns out. In JPEG, you have VERY limited range in which to adjust white balance as you are editing actual pixels - what is right for some pixels isn't for other ones. If you intend on adjusting White balance in post, I suggest RAW is the way to go.

[krb]

Another thought, I'm reading a couple of photography books so I don't remember which one said it. But an author suggested shooting a white or grey card in a variety of lighting situations. Keeping those files all on a small CF card. When you need a custom white balance you pop in that CF card, set the custom white balance using the shot that most closely approximates your lighting conditions and voila you're set. I haven't tried it, I don't know if it's as tediuous as it sounds. But just a thought.
Not a bad idea, but I'm having trouble believing that it would be faster than just shooting a gray card in the current light. Might be helpful if you are not able to get close enough to the subject. Like if you're out in an darkened audience and taking pictures of something on stage.

[alduin]

Another thought, I'm reading a couple of photography books so I don't remember which one said it. But an author suggested shooting a white or grey card in a variety of lighting situations. Keeping those files all on a small CF card. When you need a custom white balance you pop in that CF card, set the custom white balance using the shot that most closely approximates your lighting conditions and voila you're set. I haven't tried it, I don't know if it's as tediuous as it sounds. But just a thought.

Isn't that what the various white balance modes are for?

I can see how this might be handy if you have a set of venues that you shoot in that have predictable light from occasion to occasion, but I'm not sure it really saves a whole lot of time.

Definitely an interesting idea, though.

[PhotosGuy]

Isn't that what the various white balance modes are for?

I can see how this might be handy if you have a set of venues that you shoot in that have predictable light from occasion to occasion, but I'm not sure it really saves a whole lot of time. I agree.

Re: Auto WB indoors
Gray card: Why your meter may be lying to you! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54281)
Notice that the very last exposure in the 2nd group was of a gray card. Not even close.

Re: Custom WB:
It takes about 30 seconds, & you really don't need to buy a gray card. If you shoot white paper ON THE METER READING, it will photograph gray, just what the cam needs for Custom WB. Use that exposure for the WB set-up.
It's pretty good for adjusting exposure too, when there are bright highlights that aren't important in the frame.
What’s best for exposure, Gray cards, white paper, expensive attachments for the lens?
Gray Card…White Paper. What’s best? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58677)

I'll always at least use a pre-set because waiting to adjust WB after shooting RAW may be a mistake. Curtis N found that a blown red channel is a problem:
How NOT to expose to the right (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=93712)

Regarding WB generally, reality isn't everything. Would we try to make a sunset neutral? The "Correct" WB may not be the "Right" WB for a image. Remember, you're the judge of your own image. We used to use gels to add "romance" to our car shots for ad agencies.

[ryant35]

I bought an Expodisc with the recommendation of from my local camera store. It was pricey but the first weekend I used it was overcast and dark and my WB came out perfect while shooting jpg. Then I shot a night race with awful orange lights and the Expodisc worked perfectly again. Just remember to reset your custom WB every time the light changes.

[asysin2leads]

Here are the results I got with the Photovision Digital Calibration Target (http://www.photovisionvideo.com/store/shop.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=DCT).

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=6361743&postcount=1

[Artisticmind]

Thanks for the posts guys, will be trying some things out.