Yet another WB question...

Hi, all,

I'm having the hardest time figuring out the WB in CO 7. I've a number of questions:

What would the best approach for the WB be? In the camera: Daylight throughout (I hear Daylight records the light as is, no bias), or Custom (set to the flash's temperature: ~5650K)? Or use a colour card and set in Capture One?

Here are two series of images (well the same image, different settings), the first one edited in CO and the second one in LR. For some reason the photos look quite greenish to me (yes, my monitor is calibrated). Can I ask you which one do you find most pleasing/accurate? The one with the best skin tones?

CO 7: http://diamantstudios.​ca/Gemeines/MG_WB1/ind​ex.htm

LR 3.3: http://diamantstudios.​ca/Gemeines/MG_WB_LR3/​index.html

TIA

Alveric wrote in post #17147125
For some reason the photos look quite greenish to me (yes, my monitor is calibrated).

I think they could use a little more red. (Magenta is the opposite of green.)
The "correct" WB isn't always the right" WB? Don't be afraid of fudging it a bit if you think the shot looks better.

Best approach to setting "accurate" white balance is to shoot a reference frame with a color card like your Passport. Better than using presets (like Daylight, Flash, Cloudy). Better than visual swags.

But consider that after WB is set in a raw converter, the camera profile is applied. Different profiles will yield different colors (skin tones) under the same WB setting. Colors will also change a little as tonal adjustments are made.

With skin tones, look at the "by the numbers" approach. Using either CMYK or LAB values is best. The common rule for CMYK values is Cyan 1/5 to 1/3 of Magenta and Yellow "slightly" greater than Magenta. How much greater is a matter of personal taste. That's where reality goes out the window.

In your samples, the skin tone yellows average 15 points greater than magenta on both the CO7 and LR "color card" shot. That's a lot of yellow, but given the truly neutral patches on the color card, I'd say that's the natural tone of the model.

The cyan/magenta ratio is much lower on the CO7 shot than it is on the LR shot. That is because of the different profiles. However, that cyan/magenta ratio is far less important than the magenta/yellow ratio. I think the best approach to portraits is to start with an accurate WB in raw conversion (via color card), and then adjust the only the skin tones to taste. If you try to use WB alone to set skin tones to a target, the rest of the colors may be way off.

Taste varies, and varies widely. So when you ask people which is "best", be prepared for widely different answers.

Thanks for the replies. In this case, I also think that the make-up made a big difference. Take a look at the hands: they're a totally different colour than her face.

It can be seen better in this series: http://diamantstudios.​ca/Gemeines/MG_WB2/ind​ex.htm