Setting white balance with fill flash outdoors?

I'm new to taking white balance readings and plan on using custom settings for each different pose instead of leaving the camera on auto. I just purchased the x rite color checker passport and will use the white card included.

I plan on taking a portrait under a shaded tree with the setting sun in the background and will use fill flash thru a nylon panel at around 20% of ambient.

My question is when taking the white balance reading I assume I should use the fill flash as well and not just ambient light to take an accurate reading?

Thank You!

The problem you have is unless you gel your flash you have two light sources with different color balances. You can't use custom WB to average them, you have to decide which one is more important. In this case its gotta be the flash.

Are you planning to gel your flash to match the ambient white balance? Usually a 1/4 CTO does the trick. My apologies if you already new this. It doesn't matter how accurately you set a custom white balance, if your flash and ambient are different temperatures it won't look right.

Gonzo beat me to it. Here's a shot about 2 hours before sunset with 1/4 CTO gel on the flash.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pzGJ​Cj

You will also get lots of reflected light from the leaves, which will tint the photo green somehow. The X-Rite is not the right tool for this one shoot: the greenery will throw it off most likely, and its 'neutral' value will either have a cast or yield you a very cold image.

If you're shooting in mid day, just use the daylight WB. Flashes are set to the same colour temperature as daylight —~5600K (well, Canons are actually colder @ 5200K)— when fired at full power. If you're shooting during the golden hour, do as gonzogolf said and use a 1/4 CTO, or maybe even a 1/2 CTO on the flash head.

Don't hedge yourself in in regards to colour accuracy (I'm assuming you're not shooting products here, whose colours need to be rendered perfectly): if you gel your flash with a full CTO or two, the subject will be very warm, whilst the ambient will go blue: this can be striking once you've lowered the temperature in post processing so that the skin tones look normal and not cheesies-orange. Now, for this kind of effect you can use your X-Rite so that it 'normalises' the flash light in post processing and makes the background go quite blue (or very blue, depending on how many gels you used).

Thank you for the replies! I did not know that I should use a 1/4 cto gel!

I initially was planing to shoot my off camera dual speedlight set up thru a white ripstop nylon panel for diffusion. I will shoot in raw and jpeg fine.

From what you are saying, I should get the gel and shoot that thru the white nylon panel then take the white balance reading that includes the fill flash?

silvermesa1 wrote in post #17217317
Thank you for the replies! I did not know that I should use a 1/4 cto gel!

I initially was planing to shoot my off camera dual speedlight set up thru a white ripstop nylon panel for diffusion. I will shoot in raw and jpeg fine.

From what you are saying, I should get the gel and shoot that thru the white nylon panel then take the white balance reading that includes the fill flash?

Take wb reading from the flash. Don't try averaging the different sources

Enclosed is a test shot I did tonight around 6pm. From memory I took a white balance reading not including the fill flash. This is around 20% flash to ambient exposure. It appears a bit yellow to me?

The light at that time of the day IS yellow.

We're missing the obvious question:
"What do you want it to look like"

There are some interesting colours you can get in the sky by gelling your flash different colours. Or you can just set the WB for the bare flash to leave a warm sky.

Basically, you have a multitude of options, it depends on the look you want to achieve, and how well you can predict a sunset.

Phil V wrote in post #17217502
We're missing the obvious question:
"What do you want it to look like"

There are some interesting colours you can get in the sky by gelling your flash different colours. Or you can just set the WB for the bare flash to leave a warm sky.

Basically, you have a multitude of options, it depends on the look you want to achieve, and how well you can predict a sunset.

this one

Anybody know What are the 2 gels that come with the Canon 600 EXRT speedlights in CTO terms?

I thought they were for Tungsten lights, - never used them myself just wanted to know.

I want to thank all that have replied so far. I really appreciate it!!

My goal for this family portrait would be to keep the back ground warm, and with your much appreciated suggestion of a cto gel on the flash head to have the faces warm like the background.

So today I will go to our local store to see if I can purchase Cto gels. The above sample photo(with straw bale) was taken around 6pm. I will be starting around 5pm with one group of portraits with the next group coming at 5:30 so the light may not be quite as yellow.

Questions:

1) suggestions on density of cto gel to use at this bit earlier time frame?

2) Should I set white balance to "direct sunlight", "Shade", "flash" or take a custom white balance with gelled fill flash and ambient. "Sorry, I'm a bit thick headed on this topic just being one day in on experience".

Thank You!

You are shooting in raw, correct? Set it to anything other than Auto white balance, and you will be fine. You can adjust in post. I typically set it on shade, and will correct the white balance in the first image of the set and copy it to the others. For flash gels- it will be your personal preference- they are inexpensive. Get a couple 1/4, 1/2 1 CTOs and play around- the effect will depend greatly on flash power, modifiers used, distance to the subject, and the look you want to achieve. You can typically buy a set of CTOs and colored gels for $10-30 depending on the quality. I use those rubber bracelets you see everywhere for all the different causes to hold them on my flash- rubber bands/gaffers tape works too.

http://www.youtube.com …vEnAhkL0i38&fea​ture=feedf