canon 10D

[Ben613]

I have trouble with my 10D when it comes to white balance. I will set it for the white shirt of the client and yet their faces end up not having the right tone in the end. Thus, I need to fix it in Photoshop. Any suggestions?

 

[darin3200]

It would be much easier if you shot raw. You set white balance to the type of lighting your using. How did you set white balance for a shirt?

 

[malweth]

How did you set white balance for a shirt?

Wouldn't manual white balance work off a pure white shirt?

I've just read books though... my camera (D50) comes Friday!!

 

[ksmattfish]

Is your monitor calibrated? Maybe the photo is fine, but just looks bad on your monitor.

I think my 20D sets the WB too yellow. I stopped testing for WB in the field since I'm usually shooting RAW, and I always ended up adjusting it from what the camera recommended anyway. Now I just leave it on daylight balance most of the time.

 

[Ben613]

Thanks. How do I calibrate the monitor?

What I usually do is have 2 elinchrome 500's set up at 45 degree angles with reflector umbrellas (white inside). Then, I take a shot of the shirt with the camera white balance set for flash. Then, select that shot to tell the camera that's what white should be and custom white balance it from there. Maybe it is my monitor???? I usually shoot at the highest JPG because I furnish a CD of images to the client almost immediately and am done. When not doing that, I could shoot RAW - doesn't that essentially mean that I lose no data and photoshop all the images . . .time consuming - how can I get it right from the beginning???

Thanks everyone.

Ben

 

[darin3200]

Thanks. How do I calibrate the monitor?

What I usually do is have 2 elinchrome 500's set up at 45 degree angles with reflector umbrellas (white inside). Then, I take a shot of the shirt with the camera white balance set for flash. Then, select that shot to tell the camera that's what white should be and custom white balance it from there. Maybe it is my monitor???? I usually shoot at the highest JPG because I furnish a CD of images to the client almost immediately and am done. When not doing that, I could shoot RAW - doesn't that essentially mean that I lose no data and photoshop all the images . . .time consuming - how can I get it right from the beginning???

Thanks everyone.

Ben

Just do some WB bracketing. If you have to shoot JPG just do a couple of shots at different WB settings. If you have umbrellas and everything set up why don't you just do some test shots on your self. It's not like the WB is going to be changing

 

[darin3200]

Wouldn't manual white balance work off a pure white shirt?

I've just read books though... my camera (D50) comes Friday!!

Even though things appear to be white there is going to be some color in it. Adjusting the white balance could give it a cooler or warmer look

 

[Big Mike]

Properly calibrating your monitor requires a hardware device to read the output. I recently purchased the Spyder2 calibration package and the difference is significant.

Shooting RAW typically does mean more time in post production but it does offer more flexibility. You can batch process the files though. So, if all your shots are done under the same lighting, you can adjust one image any apply those adjustments to all the other images automatically. Sure you could apply a color adjustment to a JPEG in Photoshop but then you are altering (damaging) the image. Adjusting WB of a RAW file does not degrade the image.

Although, it seems you are doing the right thing by setting a custom WB for your shoot. Maybe try using a white card (or grey card) to set the WB rather than the client's shirt.

 

[Digital Matt]

Are you filling the frame with the shirt? Don't overexpose it either. A blown out shirt, devoid of detail, can give a false reading.

 

[ksmattfish]

And if the shirt is at all transluscent then color from the subjects skin could be affecting wb.

If you are going to all the trouble of a studio strobe set up then get a gray card to use instead of the subject's shirt.

 

[Ben613]

Thanks everyone. I'll try these things.
Ben

 

[Ben613]

A BELATED THANK YOU FOR THE ADVICE ON CALIBRATING MY MONITOR.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THAT SO THAT THE MONITOR IS SET RIGHT WITH THE CAMERA?
I HAVE NO CLUE.

BEN

 

[Digital Matt]

You can use Adobe gamma, which comes with photoshop, but I would suggest getting something like this:

http://www.xrite.com/product_overview.aspx?Industry=1&Segment=12&ID=607