Best Method To Determine Correct WB

Hi all,

Please excuse the rather rudimentary question, this is something I've pondered for a while, but now have a pressing need to have a good answer for.

I'm due to be a dad again in two weeks, and want to take plenty of pictures whilst in the hospital.

I will shoot RAW, so WB will not be a 'get it right or else' issue, but I was wondering what is the best/correct way to determine the correct WB after the event.

1) Set custom WB against the white side of a Kodak gray/white card

2) Include the white side of the Koday card in my first pic (a sacrificial picture) and then select this as the WB representative colour later.

If 2, I have both C1 and BB - would any software be more capable than the other?

These are the two methods I have heard of, I must admit to relying on auto WB most of the time and then correcting the hues as best I can (if way out) but would welcome any thought/advice that would make this more of a 'hit' than 'miss' excercise.

Thanks for all and any help you can offer.

Sounds like you're right on track. #2 is exactly what I'd do. I've heard that the Kodak Gray Card is *not* completely neutral - per Bruce Fraser, so I believe it.

As to C1 vs BB either will do the job - use the one you're more familiar with.

Kevin,

first of all ... congratulations on becoming a dad!!!
that's exciting enough - even if you don't have to photograph it 8)

I'd go with Scottes advice ... maybe shoot pictures in different parts of the room, if they have different lighting. (e.g. in the bed as opposed to outside of it)

Best regards,
Andy

Scottes:

Thanks for finding the time to reply, I was actually leaning towards option 2 myself, if nothing else for its' simplicity (and I could not forget the camera would have a custom white balance - there's enough to remember as it is )

Andythaler:

Thanks for the kind words, my first child is now 6 1/2 and I'm trying to remember what it was like back then

This is the question I have been pondering for a while, but did not get chance to raise it here. Thanks Kevin for asking the question.

I donot quite understand how to set WB for subsequent shots from one photo of just white paper. Kindly explain this. Thank you.

If using Capture 1 (C1), after selecting the white side of the Koday grey card with the WB eyedropper, you can choose to assign this WB selection to the rest of the pictures taken in the same/similar light.

In BB, there may be a way to assign the custom selected WB (again, from the white side of the Koday grey card) to the conversion process for all selected RAW files. (kinda fuzzy, so allow a pinch of salt here)

Hope this helps,

There is a way to do this in camera, too - at least on the 10D. Take a picture of the white card, then flip the camera to Custom WB, selecting that white-card picture to use at the custom WB.

Page 52 of the 10D manual.

Indeed, as there is on the D60, which I currently use.

I can't help with the page number(s) in the manual as I don't currently have it to hand.