Need help knowing what to do!

[KrysLove]

Camera: Nikon D40
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
Focal Length: 18.3 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
Flash: No Flash




Camera: Nikon D40
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 18 mm
Focal Length: 18.3 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Auto, Fired, Return not detected


I want to know how to take a picture in a setting like this without a flash but without it also being red/orange. The second one was with a flash just to show what the church looks like normally. Can I alter the picture after taking the photo? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Sorry if this doesnt make sense.

[Alaskan Kilted Guy]

You can set your white balance when you take the photo. It should be in your manual. I am a Canon guy and don't know the steps for your Nikon.

I am sure someone will pop up with more details for you!

[inkista]

Originally Posted by KrysLove

I want to know how to take a picture in a setting like this without a flash but without it also being red/orange.

Master white balancing in your camera. You could just use the Tungsten setting, but a Custom White balance setting might work better.

Can I alter the picture after taking the photo?

Yes.

foo.jpg

I did a simple white balance correction in Photoshop by going to by going to Levels and using the eyedroppers (Gimp has them, too). Shooting in RAW will make this kind of correction a bit easier, but it can be done with JPEGs, too.

[KrysLove]

Thank you both very much. That helps alot. Most Churches dont allow flash so I was pretty upset by the way they turned out. Now to go and try it on a few other photos. LOL

[wulf]

From the top of my head (I'm at work - my D40 is at home).

1. Take a picture to establish you've got reasonable exposure settings.

2. Choose the PRE white balance option (different routes to that - check the manual)

3. Choose the option to take a reference shot and photograph one of the blank white walls.

This should set your camera so that it translates the colours and adjusts for the orange cast of the light. The main challenge in this setting is that it appears you have internal lighting AND natural light (filtered through the stained glass) so you may find that you need to adjust for shooting in different areas).

Wulf

[kencaleno]

To set custom White balance: (Nikon)

Select a neutral coloured object to set your white balance
It’s best to avoid using a white target. The camera prefers grey.( Print yourself a grey card: In photoshop- File> New
Click on background square in toolbox
select: red 127; green 127; blue 127 from color chart-Print)

In white balance menu select "Custom"> "Preset"
select "measure"
Press shutter release halfway to return to shooting mode
press wb button until a blinking "Pre" appears in control panel and viewfinder
frame reference (grey card) so it fills the frame
and press shutter release all the way down (Camera won't take picture)
If camera was able to register a value for white balance "Good" will flash in control panel and GD will flash in viewfinder
If lighting is too dark or bright "no g d" will flash in viewfinder and control panel


If you use white in direct sunlight you'll always get a "No Gd" response from the camera because the Matrix meter is rendering it white instead of grey. Thus the trick is to select the centre-weighted meter when using a white reference in bright light and you'll get "Good" from a camera. Remember to set back to Matrix metering as soon as you're done.