WB / color cast issue

[elsa hoffmann]

Fons - that is what I have been doing as well. I would like a more consistent way of working. I am not fond of de-saturating the greens - there always seem to be something missing.

[David H. Hartman]

1. Kelvin 5560 G-M M0 (default)
2. Kelvin 5560 G-M M1

Straight out of camera - cropped a piece off and saved for viewing here

One could of course do the same adjustment when converting from RAW - which I think might be better as you can fine tune better

Thoughts?

To my eye #1 is best. In that photo the wall of the building in the back is warm due to warm light reflected on it from the tile roof and the building in the front near the water is cool as there is cool light reflected on it from plants and perhaps the water. But now the calibration of my display may not be right so who knows? Not me.

Dave

[elsa hoffmann]

Dave - I kind of like someting between the 2, but I dont have that option in camera.
WB is so objective - so who knows as you say!

[David H. Hartman]

Dave - I kind of like someting between the 2, but I dont have that option in camera.
WB is so objective - so who knows as you say!

But you do have that option if you shoot NEF. If you generally want JPG(s) strait out of camera then you can shoot NEF + JPG. I decided I didn't have the HD space so I only shoot NEF and extract a JPG if I need it fairly quick. I generally post process anything that's important to me.

Dave

[elsa hoffmann]

I only shoot in RAW. so yes I do have some options available

[Almass]

I have been having an issue for a while - and need some input please

Often of my images have a blue/green cast to them. Especially if there is a lot of foliage /grass etc in the image - but not necessarily.

While this could be a WB issue - is there a chance that my camera body has a color issue /setting that can be changed? What am I missing?
I think I am doing something wrong - so your thoughts suggestions might be very helpful.

I typically shoot on WB 5400 - 5600 or thereabouts.

1- Why are you shooting generally at K5400 - 5600?

2- Why do you have an Exposure Compensation of +1/3 on both images?

3- Why your Color Temperature on the first image is 5350

4- Why your Color Temperature on the second image is 5400

5- Why is the Tint on the first image +6

6- Why is the Tint on the second image +20

7- Why is your Black clipped

8- Why is Your magenta peaking in the midtones.

And why are you using yesteryears Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 9.1.1 for D810. Do you really think Adobe got it right?

There is nothing wrong with your camera. Set it back to default and stop tempering with the settings if you are not familiar with it.

Why and How did you decide to stick to one/two color temps....Why? Are you using gut feeling? Zodiac signs or a Sekonic 700R color meter of some kind?

Now repeat after me> I will not play around with the Camera color settings and will use Auto WB.

And write down the following sentence 100 times: I will not use Adobe CR but only C1P.

Put up a poster in the washroom: Post Processing is 50% of Photography.

Have an Ice Cream in the mean time......Strawberry Flavour...

[elsa hoffmann]

1- Why are you shooting generally at K5400 - 5600?

2- Why do you have an Exposure Compensation of +1/3 on both images?

3- Why your Color Temperature on the first image is 5350

4- Why your Color Temperature on the second image is 5400

5- Why is the Tint on the first image +6

6- Why is the Tint on the second image +20

7- Why is your Black clipped

8- Why is Your magenta peaking in the midtones.

And why are you using yesteryears Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 9.1.1 for D810. Do you really think Adobe got it right?

There is nothing wrong with your camera. Set it back to default and stop tempering with the settings if you are not familiar with it.

Why and How did you decide to stick to one/two color temps....Why? Are you using gut feeling? Zodiac signs or a Sekonic 700R color meter of some kind?

Now repeat after me> I will not play around with the Camera color settings and will use Auto WB.

And write down the following sentence 100 times: I will not use Adobe CR but only C1P.

Put up a poster in the washroom: Post Processing is 50% of Photography.

Have an Ice Cream in the mean time......Strawberry Flavour...

1. My WB is always set at K5600 as it always was my preferred way of working. (used to work in the past!)

2. Exposure compensation doesnt affect my WB

3 & 4 Dont ask me why PS does that - it is set at K5600 and Photoshop never gives me the same info (has been discussed before somewhere and apparently it does that? perhaps someone can shed light on that?

5 & 6  Read my previous post - those are 2 different images - different settings in camera  -
    1. Kelvin 5560 G-M M0 (default)
    2. Kelvin 5560 G-M M1

7. Clipped black doesnt affect WB

8. see above 5 & 6

9. I dont understand your question - rinse your mouth out and try again.

If I am not welcome to raise my questions here - where should I raise it?

I do not fiddle for fun - I fiddle to learn and to see if I can improve - AND I ASK

my question is not about using photoshop or ACR. Next time I am shooting wildlife I will ask the elephants to hold my color checker for me for a test shot.

now let's start again -

I have a greenish cast. I shouldn't HAVE a green cast at default settings. THAT'S the issue.

Can you address that please?   

[charlie]

I have a greenish cast. I shouldn't HAVE a green cast at default settings. THAT'S the issue.

But you are not at the default settings. You have white balance locked down to 5600K where the magenta/green tint adjustment is locked as well. If the light you are shooting in does not match your manual white balance setting then you will have a color cast. I'd suggest to at least compare your 5600K setting to AWB and see if that makes a difference before changing anything else, that is if you haven't yet.

Also does the color cast change with different lenses?

[David H. Hartman]

Next time I am shooting wildlife I will ask the elephants to hold my color checker for me for a test shot

Just ask the elephants to stand still a moment. Don't they make a suitable gray card replacement? 

Dave

[elsa hoffmann]

Thanks for commenting Charlie.
My feeling is that I get a green colour cast when I shoot in light where I shouldnt get a cast - but you got me thinking.

Regarding different lenses - interesting question - I had to think  - it does but so does the light - so comparing may not be fair. Which brings me back to your Manual WB comment .

I don't recall ever having had this issue before I got my D800.

[elsa hoffmann]

Just ask the elephants to stand still a moment. Don't they make a suitable gray card replacement? 

Dave

sharp comment that haha 

[Andrea B.]

Elsa, Kelvin settings are too specific, too narrow. They were designed to be that way because they are meant to be used (mostly) under very specific studio lighting conditions where the studio lights have been metered for temperature. For your shots as shown above, you might like to try instead Auto White Balance (Normal) as a working white balance. You will get better initial results. Auto White Balance in recent Nikons is quite good. I have become a convert to Auto WB as the starting setting in the D600, D810 and now the D500.

To use a white card or grey card, it is not necessary to have the elephants hold it. <love that image!!> You only need make one photo of your white/grey card under the illumination present at the beginning of a particular shoot. Then that shot can be used to set the WB in the converter for all subsequent shots in the shooting session.

Even better is to preset an in-camera white balance off the white card under the illumination present at the beginning of a particular shoot. Then use that in-camera preset WB for all subsequent shots in the session.

This stuff is quite easy to test out. Find some outdoor scene with the green which has been troublesome and shoot the scene at each of 5600K, Daylight and Auto WB (Normal). Which shot looks the best while still on the camera? That will be the shot which is easiest to adjust further in the converter/editor if or when needed.

You probably already know this stuff somewhere in the back of your head. But when we don't use it for awhile we start to forget about it.

Let me know how this works out. Show us the 3-shot test JPGs (extracted from the raw NEFs) at 5600K, Daylight and Auto WB so we can also see which looks best. If you have time, try also the in-camera WB preset method.

[[One problem you will face is that whatever WB settings you use on the camera are not always properly preserved by your chosen converter unless you've taken the time/trouble to make camera profiles. This is why I asked for extracted JPGs. 'Cause I don't know how your camera profiles are set up.]]

[David H. Hartman]

I know every one loves to hate Capture NX-D but it works and it understands what your Nikon was thinking when  it took the photograph. It quite easy to develop one's NEF(s) in CNX-D and then send them **directly to The Little Shop Of Horrors (AKA Photoshop) for finishing.

Dave

**OK, there is a TIF file saved but it's always saved in the same location so they can be deleted periodically if they are not desired. It's really quite fluid (Yes the pun was intended.).

[Fons Baerken]

I know every one loves to hate Capture NX-D but it works and it understands what your Nikon was thinking when  it took the photograph. It quite easy to develop one's NEF(s) in CNX-D and then send them **directly to The Little Shop Of Horrors (AKA Photoshop for finishing.

Dave

OK, there is a TIF file saved but it's always saved in the same location so they can be deleted periodically if they are not desired. It's really quite fluid (Yes the pun was intended.).

 i actually use nx-d more often, and i like its conversions

[David H. Hartman]

I've been using Auto WB since my D300s for most shooting and find it works quite well. It's only getting better with newer Nikons. With my D800 I use a custom WB only with nasty light like cheep twisties and with high pressure sodium street lights I give up.

In my foolishness I recommend Auto WB to CNX-D to Photoshop. Elsa, this what I do and if you adopt this work flow that would validate my choice even if I'm wrong.

Dave