White balance anomalies

[adamhiram]

Something I've always struggled with is working with mixed light sources or large color casts. The image below is an example of this. I set the white balance based on skin tones as well as the overall scene, and am pretty happy with the overall edit, except for one thing - the coat is supposed to be gray, not blue.

I took a color reading of the coat using a gray card and set the white balance in the original photo to match the coat color, only to end up with a very orange photo. In the end, I wound up just using the adjustment brush tool to fix the coat color and the rest seems to be correct.

Any thoughts on why just the coat color seems off, or tips for better white balance in this photo? My theory is that the orange fence put a warm cast on the rest of the scene, and I cooled it off too much in LR to correct for this, resulting in a blue coat, but that's just a guess.


Original edit by adamhiram, on Flickr


Actual color of coat with gray card by adamhiram, on Flickr


White balance from coat by adamhiram, on Flickr


Original edit with adjustment brush fix for coat by adamhiram, on Flickr

 

[Designer]

Something I've always struggled with is working with mixed light sources or large color casts.

Yes, you will always struggle with mixed light colors if your intent is natural-looking colors. I am not aware of any easy "fix". It is way easier to try to use only one color of light when you capture the image.

 

[tirediron]

What are the sources of light in the original (top) image? It looks like it was only lit by ambient daylight to me...

 

[adamhiram]

What are the sources of light in the original (top) image? It looks like it was only lit by ambient daylight to me...

Just one light source - sun to camera far right, slightly behind. However everything seems to cast some sort of color in the yard. The fence casts a warm orange on anything near it, and nearby trees and shrubs have a strong green cast (although not really an issue in this photo). There is also a large building directly behind camera with white siding that acts as a giant reflector and seems to amplify any color casts. To be honest, I think I just need to choose which portions of the photo need to have accurate colors and live with the rest, but I was curious if I might be missing something...

 

[tirediron]

You're going to get closest by shooting a white balance target in the scene itself (I use this one; not recommending the vendor, just the product), but there are lots of others. At the end of the day, adjust to what looks right.

 

[The_Traveler]

I took a color reading of the coat using a gray card

Just to be clear, you made a custom wb using a grey card that was in the same light as the coat?
The WB is of the light, not any object.

 

[adamhiram]

I took a color reading of the coat using a gray card

Just to be clear, you made a custom wb using a grey card that was in the same light as the coat?
The WB is of the light, not any object.

Correct, I just figured a detailed explanation of how I indirectly used the gray card would lead to unrelated tangential discussions. I created a custom wb based on the gray card in the coat photo, used the eyedropper on the coat to get the wb difference between the coat and gray card, then used eyedropper tool on the coat in the outdoor photo and applied the same wb difference. If I recall correctly, neutral gray was Temp -550 and Tint +5 off of the color of the coat. Either way, the correct wb for the coat was definitely not correct for the rest of the scene!

 

[Braineack]

probably all you need to do is de-saturate blues a bit. I'd believe that the sky is casting blue on the jacket before i'd think the fence is casting orange.

 

[robbins.photo]

probably all you need to do is de-saturate blues a bit.

Or buy the kid a new coat.

 

[Designer]

Just one light source - sun to camera far right, slightly behind. However everything seems to cast some sort of color in the yard. The fence casts a warm orange on anything near it, and nearby trees and shrubs have a strong green cast (although not really an issue in this photo). There is also a large building directly behind camera with white siding that acts as a giant reflector and seems to amplify any color casts. To be honest, I think I just need to choose which portions of the photo need to have accurate colors and live with the rest, but I was curious if I might be missing something...

Reflected light from several different surfaces are troublesome, to be sure.

 

[The_Traveler]

I took a color reading of the coat using a gray card

Just to be clear, you made a custom wb using a grey card that was in the same light as the coat?
The WB is of the light, not any object.

Correct, I just figured a detailed explanation of how I indirectly used the gray card would lead to unrelated tangential discussions. I created a custom wb based on the gray card in the coat photo, used the eyedropper on the coat to get the wb difference between the coat and gray card, then used eyedropper tool on the coat in the outdoor photo and applied the same wb difference. If I recall correctly, neutral gray was Temp -550 and Tint +5 off of the color of the coat. Either way, the correct wb for the coat was definitely not correct for the rest of the scene!

This seems like an unnaturally complex way of using a custom wb.
Try setting the wb solely on the camera, then taking a picture of the coat and seeing how that works.
I use a custom wb to tell the camera what it looks like and how to correct the color.
Except for the more intricate dance with a color checker, that's all I've ever done.
Either that or keep the grey card in the field and make it grey in post.

 

[adamhiram]

probably all you need to do is de-saturate blues a bit. I'd believe that the sky is casting blue on the jacket before i'd think the fence is casting orange.

Yup, that's exactly what I wound up doing, except with the adjustment brush on the coat rather than the whole image. Thanks for the great feedback.

 

[photo1x1.com]

For images taken outdoors in the sun it sometimes helps to add some split toning. Add a little yellow to the shadows and a little blue to the highlights.
This may as well work for other different light sources, but one always has to be stronger than the other.