custom white balance question

[calistoga]

How dp you set custom white balance when using speedlight SB900 on Nikon D 700 ? Do I just have to use flash white balance? What if Im indoors with different sources of light, like bulbs, flourescent and so on..? And if doing the custom white balance, do i have to use the flash on while having a white surface on the lens? Thanks a lot. I feel like this is a silly question.

[Doug Pardee]

Originally Posted by calistoga

I feel like this is a silly question.

It's not a silly question. It's a very complicated one. There is no simple answer, because mixed-lighting conditions provide uneven lighting coloration.

The simplest solution, when possible, is to use one overpowering light source.

Bouncing the flash will help reduce the effect of its coloration, and will apply light from the flash over more of the scene to make more even lighting.

Another solution, when there is only one other light source besides the flash, is to "gel" the flash with colored plastic to put out about the same colored light as the ambient source. For tungsten lighting, CTO (color temperature orange) gels are what you need.

The folks over in the Lighting forum can probably provide more detail:
http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/lighting/