C/C please

Hey guys...new to the digital stuff.working on figuring out the details of good pics. Here is the first of possibly many cries for help. Why did this pic have so much blue tint to it?? I have a 40D, was outside but later in the p.m.

First off let me say this type of post should be in one of the photo sharing forums.

Second, your image is blue because the white balance is off. I did a quick adjustment in Photoshop and came up w/ the following.

No big deal, you just need to learn some basic Photoshop skills or use a grey card.

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I agree that the image has a blue cast to it. The tweak above looks quite natural to me (on a calibrated monitor).

If you shoot in ACR or use Lightroom, you can use the auto white balance tool and it should correct pics like that to an acceptable degree. Once you see how that works then you can change it yourself manually.

Thanks guys....appreciate the help!

I've found AWB outdoors (40D) in late afternoon can sometimes give a pronounced blue cast as well (more so when there's alot of white in the frame). I shoot RAW, so ACR's Auto WB seems to correct it.

Some people swear that AWB is OK outdoors, but I ran a test indoors & have never used it since. Notice that the very last exposure in the 2nd group of tests was of a gray card, & it's way off.
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=54281

I don't have any software except what came with the camera. After my 40D purchase it will be awhile before I can afford something like that. Any suggestions regarding this problem. I read about using a gray card but doesn't seem like an option while outside in action

You really need to read all that you can on your camera first. Once you get a handle on your equipment then you can get into the editing portion. I am learning daily and I hope to never stop. Take tutorials online, go to your local library, take classes at your local community college, etc.... Start small. You will regret going big if you don't. Good luck.

Digital Photo Professional (the software that came with the camera ) should be able to handle setting the WB. I prefer the workflow of Bridge/ACR/Photoshop, but the image quality of DPP is excellent (as is the price!).

JenniferLShort wrote in post #5702303
You really need to read all that you can on your camera first. Once you get a handle on your equipment then you can get into the editing portion. I am learning daily and I hope to never stop. Take tutorials online, go to your local library, take classes at your local community college, etc.... Start small. You will regret going big if you don't. Good luck.

That is where I am starting. I do want to learn to take pics the right way and not have to edit them, too much......if possible.

You can use the Sliver "Canon" logo on the lens cap to approximate a gray card.

Try this when you have some free time:

• Camera in AWB and shoot RAW!
  
• Take a reference shot of the Lens cap under the lighting condition in question
  
• Proceed with your shooting leaving the camera in AWB
  
• In DPP (software that came with the camera) open the reference shot. Use the "Click white balance" tool (or whatever it is called) and click on the silver area on the lens cap. Observe how the color temp, etc. change. Find what works for you and write that down.
  
• Open the next image and apply the color temp changes, etc...that you got from the reference shot.
  
• Do this for the rest of your shots.

rhodesx6 wrote in post #5702253
I don't have any software except what came with the camera. After my 40D purchase it will be awhile before I can afford something like that. Any suggestions regarding this problem. I read about using a gray card but doesn't seem like an option while outside in action