"Correct" white balance

[MFloyd]

I`m all ears, MFloyd regarding ETTR or not :-). Its just the way I've learned it, but I'm always willing to learn :-).

I’m afraid that I don’t have much to teach about an alternative method. I’m just relying, most of the time, in the way my camera sets the exposure. As my main photography domain is sport/action, little opportunity is given to do more sophisticated adjustments. In some extreme situations I’m adjusting, generally not exceeding 2/3 stop.

In some situations (e.g. reproduction) I'im using a 48 patch target which is then imported in Lr, ACR or Phocus (Hasselblad) and to which you apply a two step process: (1) adjusting the WB and setting the right levels for white, grey and black; (2) using a dedicated software from the card provider (DataColor) which will adjust hue, saturation and brightness for each of the 48 patches.

[Anthony]

I was told of a technique for setting white balance last week, at a talk at the Nikon School in London by Tom Mason  http://www.tommasonphoto.co/

He sets WB by maximising saturation, then adjusting the blue/yellow wb slider by eye to a neutral position, then the same for the magenta/green wb slider.  Then reduce saturation back to the default position.

[Les Olson]

Interesting, Ill look into it!

The technical term to search is "color constancy". There is a very elegant example at http://persci.mit.edu/gallery/checkershadow

[armando_m]

Like Elsa I use the colorchecker if color precision is needed

which in my case it rarely is 

[beryllium10]

I shoot RAW and set white balance later, but I find that auto WB gets close most of the time.  The cameras I've used (D200, D7000, D810) seem to be clever at recognizing my intent, neutralizing colour casts in daylight or similar broad-spectrum lighting, but keeping the orange of a sunset or the neon green or purple wash of a street scene.  One exception is scenes that contain bright snow and ice, which auto WB often renders too blue for my taste. I correct these by adjusting WB until the top edge of the "colors" histogram shows neutral grey (neither blue nor yellow).  This sets the brightest snow to a crisp neutral white. 
+ 1 for Anthony's advice - when processing RAW images turn the saturation slider up to 100%, adjust the WB sliders to neutralize greys and whites, then turn saturation back down to a reasonable level.  I find this method useful for setting green-magenta balance, which I often can't see well at normal saturation.

Cheers - John

[Frode]

I’m afraid that I don’t have much to teach about an alternative method. I’m just relying, most of the time, in the way my camera sets the exposure. As my main photography domain is sport/action, little opportunity is given to do more sophisticated adjustments. In some extreme situations I’m adjusting, generally not exceeding 2/3 stop.

In some situations (e.g. reproduction) I'im using a 48 patch target which is then imported in Lr, ACR or Phocus (Hasselblad) and to which you apply a two step process: (1) adjusting the WB and setting the right levels for white, grey and black; (2) using a dedicated software from the card provider (DataColor) which will adjust hue, saturation and brightness for each of the 48 patches.

Have I got it right; Nikon doesn't share their "codes" regarding color etc. with other software but their own (Capture NX- D)? So if one want Nikons "own" colors, one have to use their software... If so, then I take it for granted that software like PS CC / ACR / Lightroom make their own Nikon profiles by testing/"guessing". By using color checker like for instance X- Rites: one is making profiles by X- rite definition of color, and not Nikons?

[Frode]

The technical term to search is "color constancy". There is a very elegant example at http://persci.mit.edu/gallery/checkershadow

Thank you, Les  !

[Frode]

I was told of a technique for setting white balance last week, at a talk at the Nikon School in London by Tom Mason  http://www.tommasonphoto.co/

He sets WB by maximising saturation, then adjusting the blue/yellow wb slider by eye to a neutral position, then the same for the magenta/green wb slider.  Then reduce saturation back to the default position.

Thank you, Anthony!

Interesting, that Ill look into.

[Frode]

Like Elsa I use the colorchecker if color precision is needed

which in my case it rarely is 

Thank you, Armando!

Hehe, I hopefully end up like you, Armando  . It`s just that I`d like to get as good files (starting point) as possible - since I've spent such amount on my gear I´d like to take "advantage" of it 

[Frode]

I shoot RAW and set white balance later, but I find that auto WB gets close most of the time.  The cameras I've used (D200, D7000, D810) seem to be clever at recognizing my intent, neutralizing colour casts in daylight or similar broad-spectrum lighting, but keeping the orange of a sunset or the neon green or purple wash of a street scene.  One exception is scenes that contain bright snow and ice, which auto WB often renders too blue for my taste. I correct these by adjusting WB until the top edge of the "colors" histogram shows neutral grey (neither blue nor yellow).  This sets the brightest snow to a crisp neutral white. 
+ 1 for Anthony's advice - when processing RAW images turn the saturation slider up to 100%, adjust the WB sliders to neutralize greys and whites, then turn saturation back down to a reasonable level.  I find this method useful for setting green-magenta balance, which I often can't see well at normal saturation.

Cheers - John

Thank you, John!

I agree that Auto WB (especially nr 2) gets the job done, most of the time. Maybe there's no settings/software that gives us a "perfect" starting point.... ?

[David H. Hartman]

Maybe I should try to adjust the Auto WB 2 in camera in order to decrease the warmth?

Give it a shot. I tried warming up Auto1 but had more problems over saturating the red channel alone so I gave that up.

Dave

I need to be careful of this phone. It sometimes tries to slip naughty words into my writing.

[Frank Fremerey]

look at this ... the original color of this house is a greyish yellow, but the leaves are "correct WB". This has to do with the fact that shadow areas tend to have the complementary color of the sunny parts. That is why professionals use strobes and huge reflectors and huge pieces of black cloth at model shoots (edit: outdoors). Deep shadows can be a nice design element, but deep shadows in complementary colors can ruin the result:

[Frode]

look at this ... the original color of this house is a greyish yellow, but the leaves are "correct WB". This has to do with the fact that shadow areas tend to have the complementary color of the sunny parts. That is why professionals use strobes and huge reflectors and huge pieces of black cloth at model shoots. Deep shadows can be a nice design element, but deep shadows in complementary colors can ruin the result:

Thanks Frank!

A great illustration of something that, I for one, haven`t paid to much attention to before.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Frode, as someone living in a winter country, you should be familiar with snow appearing blue instead of white in shadows ... The camera simply tells the truth and we believe our erratic eyes.

Sometimes one simply has to make a choice. Or selectively edit the unwanted colour cast pre- or post-production.

[Frode]

Frode, as someone living in a winter country, you should be familiar with snow appearing blue instead of white in shadows ... The camera simply tells the truth and we believe our erratic eyes.

Sometimes one simply has to make a choice. Or selectively edit the unwanted colour cast pre- or post-production.

Yes, you’re right, Bjørn. It looks like I’ve got to accept that there is no short cut in this regard. I’ve become more aware of the «problem» now.

Snow appearing blue? Never seen that, to few Sunny days in my part of Norway 😄!