White balance?

[delphicwhisky]

Hello,

First of all, I honestly don't know where to ask this question. I went through the forums and to the best of my judgement, this was the only place I found fit to ask. If I'm wrong, please move my thread and I'm sorry for the mistake I might have made.

Now about the topic, I've recently switched to a DSLR and as such have literally no experience with them (never really shot much with a P&S either). Problem is, I just CAN'T get the white balance right. Why!!?? I tried taking pictures of white paper in CUSTOM White balance mode etc. but it doesn't really help. Indoors, my subjects look like aliens from planet Orange. How do I get a neutral effect with their skin actually resembling what I see with my eyes? And is there any easy way of doing it instead of going through lengthy processes every time I turn my camera on in another location?

Also, another question off topic:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61bw3fJkYaL.jpg

What kind of coloring is that and how do I achieve it? I like how that picture looks. The tone of the image adds to the interest of it.

Any insight into this would be highly appreciated.

Thank you and best regards.

[dvtldav]

Custom white balance usually won't give you what you want.
What kind of camera do you have?
You should have a white balance setting on your camera. I have a Canon and all I have to do is push a button on the back and dial in whatever light source I am shooting in ( daylight, cloudy, shade, fluorescent, tungsten, or flash) and the pictures come out pretty good although I do sometimes tweak them in LR3. White balance is one thing you should really learn how to adjust on your camera because it will make a big difference on your photos and it isn't that hard to do.

Dave

[Indigo November]

You could just set it to auto WB...
Of course knowing how to use manual is great, but for WB auto works pretty well most of the time.

I mainly use the Kelvin settings, you can manually set the color temperature in degrees Kelvin.
But I have gotten pretty good at seeing the light in Kelvins... Not something you can just pick randomly at.


If you still have trouble with it, I suggest you RTFM!

[JFSanders]

WB (white balance) is an adjustment that can be made in camera or PP (post processed) if shot in RAW mode. It depends on the type and temperature of the light that is falling on the subject. Film and CCD respond differently to different types of light. If your camera has "auto WB" then make a photograph of something with it set to auto WB. Then change it to "incandescent", "cloudy", "shade", "fluorescent", or whatever different modes your camera gives you of the same subject. Compare each one and you will get an idea of what WB does for you.

Please tell us the make and model of your camera so that we can give you a more specific answer to your question.

[faeriegodess612]

Easiest way to get more info on White Balance. Google. That being said,...

Light is a full spectrum of color. Our eyes and our cameras sensor don't see this the same way. Learning how to identify the light is important to WB. Incandescent bulbs give off a orangey yellow glow. This is the orange light your getting. This also might be listed as Tungsten with your camera. So, you would set your WB accordingly. Fluorescents give off green light. Again, set WB accordingly. Fluorescents also have a cycle that they go thru. And they can give off different colors within this cycle. To avoid getting weird color lines with fluorescents use a shutter speed thats long enough to capture the full cycle. To avoid getting that orange color when using slower shutter speeds, you need different light. Even with the WB set. If all else fails, shoot something in Auto WB or RAW, where it can be adjusted later. Remember your flash can combat this to a degree, just be careful how you use it. As for Custom White Balance, you really need a gray card for that one. Your camera's sensor measures the amount of gray that it sees. To explain a lil better,....Gray card - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Google is your friend. It won't give you smart assed answers to your questions either.

As for the photo and how to achieve it, the best way to figure that one out,.... is to try it yourself. Grab a couple of friends, and find a deserted road. I can tell you that some of the effects were most likely done in Photoshop.

Hope this helps,.... and good luck.

[Chip]

Taking a photo of white paper, indoors, can be tough. If the photo is underexposed, the paper will/can look grey. The reasons why a white piece of paper can fool your camera's meter is another subject, but try upping the exposure compensation (EV comp) and see if the color of the paper becomes less grey.

For white balance, my suggestion would be to put the camera in manual white balance (the one where you pick the kelvin temperature). Then, take a series of photos of one setting with different temperatures for each photo. Make note of which temperature looks best in that setting. Then repeat in other settings. After some trial and error, you may be able to "see" the color of the light before you take a photo, and should be able to make a good guess as to the correct WB setting. This is how I learned. But, my camera doesn't do auto WB too well. Others' results may vary.

For photography in general, trial and error, by changing just one variable in a series of photos, is a great way to learn. It becomes "real" and meaningful when you do it yourself.

Good luck and have fun!

[ravncat]

Also, White paper is not often neutral. Very often papers have phosphors in them to be "bright". Many times, Paper actually has a bit of blue or yellow in it. I would recommend a neutral target over a sheet of paper. (Edit, by bit, i should say small amount)

[Chip]

Originally Posted by ravncat

Also, White paper is not often neutral. . . . Many times, Paper actually has a bit of blue or yellow in it.

I didn't know that. Thanks for the information.

[wulf]

Moved

Wulf

[delphicwhisky]

Thank you for your responses. I totally forgot to include camera details. It's a Nikon D3000.

While the auto modes may work great outdoors, usually indoors even while choosing TUNGSTEN in White balance, the pictures look very different from what I see with the eye. It's a pain but I'm trying to learn.