Please help me with my lighting/exposure/flash

[kellysue22]

I just don't know what I am doing wrong.
I have to do a lot of post processing with my images which is fine, but i'd rather have some better settings on my camera. Something has got to be wrong.

I use my D200 with a SB600 with a gary fong. Usually I am using a 70-200 f2.8 or a 12-24 f4.

I adjust my ISO for lighting i.e. indoor or out. I usually shoot in aperture mode. White balance generally on auto.

My images are usually coming out pretty red. I usually just take the temp down. I know this has to be a white balance thing, but I can't get it right with any setting.

Is it my flash? I am shooting TTL, but again, I don't think this is right.

I hope this is enough info, I am desperate for help.

[i speak in math]

Do outdoor/daylight images come out red as well? Sounds like indoor, your camera and flash are intelligently balancing with the ambient which is typically tungsten. Your subject that is hit with the light of the flash probably looks okay, but the background will be red from the ambient light. You can gel your flash with a 1/2 CTO gel and set your WB to tungsten and everything should be okay. An example, as always, would help

[kellysue22]

Yes it's almost always inside. Sometimes I get it outside, but 90% of the time it's an indoor thing and I am not using my flash much outdoors.

[i speak in math]

Try not using the flash indoors and set the WB to tungsten

Then add the flash back in and make sure the WB is still on tungsten. You subject will likely be blue while the background looks alright. If so, your camera/flash combo is balancing the ambient light well.

To unbalance the light, set your camera to manual and your shutter speed to 1/200 while keeping everything else the same. Now you will light the room only with your flash. No color balance issues, but you can only light what your flash can reach.

[Sime]

Hi KellySue22 - Do you have an example you could share with us?

--Sime

[kellysue22]

ok I will try that. I have been reading a lot about bouncing too. I think that may help huh? There are things you can buy to achieve that when you can't bounce off the ceiling right?

[kellysue22]

Originally Posted by Sime™

Hi KellySue22 - Do you have an example you could share with us?

--Sime

Yep...be gentle lol
This was from my last wedding...post processing, I got the red out, but I know this isn't necessary. I can do this in my camera/flash.

This one isn't terrible, but still red.

[kellysue22]

I found a much better example!
ISO 640
f 4.5
34mm (shot with a 18-55)
1/320

Also when I import to Lightroom, I put a high contrast on it and it makes it WAYYY more red.

[OsmosisStudios]

Did they all go golfing that morning?

Sounds like the white balance is set too warm (in the amber/blue) and too far to the right (in the Green/Magenta). This will increase yellow and pink, giving you red.

[Swisstony10]

If I'm bumping up the contrast (in whatever post-processing tool) I usually back the saturation off just a little to balance it out.

Russ.