Confused about custom white balance

[table1349]

So wait? You are suggesting I import the horrible picture in photoshop and change all the colors around? It will take me ages to do...

Welcome to the world of photography. Pushing the button is just the tip of the iceberg and adjusting white balance is one of the simplest post processing aspects there is.

 

[Quovadis]

nope...nothing in Fort Myers, Naples or anywhere around here.
I called Harmon and they told me to use a white card.

The question is ? Why will my camera not allow me to take a PRE custom wb?

 

[Quovadis]

Another problem...it's dark, I can barely see the purse in the viewfinder. I have an af manual 50mm, how can I focus if i can't see?????

 

[table1349]

nope...nothing in Fort Myers, Naples or anywhere around here.
I called Harmon and they told me to use a white card.

The question is ? Why will my camera not allow me to take a PRE custom wb?

Are you tripping the strobes when you press the shutter?
Read this:
http://www.dummies.com/photography/...ce-settings-on-canon-rebel-t3-series-cameras/

 

[Dave442]

You should be able to get a custom WB with the strobes as they fire when you push the shutter button. I often grab a custom WB when using bounce flash. I would just take an out-of-focus shot of the spot with no bag in it.

You could also set the WB to 5500 °K or the daylight setting and it will probably be close, but doing a custom WB before each session would be best (or if you change the power output of the strobes).

 

[Quovadis]

Yes the strobes are working fine when i press the shutter.

LET ME DEFINE THE PROBLEM.
Before strobes I had continuous light. It was always on, the back ground was lit, and I could take a PRE custom white balance. My Nikon camera allowed me to point the camera at the lit background and it would "record" the data of the white balance.

Now if I point the camera at the background it's dark, There is a little ambient light but not much. The nikon every time I try to take a PRE white balance, the nikon refuses to do so.

 

[tirediron]

I cannot
the camera says it cannot take a custom white balance, in it's current state...probably because it's too dark in the room

You can dial on a specific colour temperature in your camera's menu. Consult your manual for how to do this, once you figure out how, start by setting it to 5500; and agree with Gryph, white printer paper is rarely white.

 

[table1349]

Sorry for some reason I thought you were using a t3i. The process should still be similar.

 

[Quovadis]

Could you two please answer one question for me?
The who point of taking a picture with a gray card is to then use the gray color in the raw software with the eyedropper? right?
I want the camera to take more or less good color pictures before I export the picture into the raw software. Forget, the raw software, light rooom or photoshop for a minute.
Pretend all we have is a cmera and strobes, a purse and white backdrop.
I am trying to take a PRE white balance, but the camera will not allow it in these circumstances. Why would a Nikon or Canon for that matter REFUSE TO TAKE WHITE BALANCE?
I cannot get to the stage where I press the shutter button to take a picture because the camera tells me it cannot measure white balance under these conditions...what could be the cause?

 

[Dave442]

You should be able to hold the WB button until the PRE blinks, then take the picture. When you take the picture the strobes will fire and you just need to make sure your camera settings allow enough light with the strobes firing to light the scene. You also do not want any off colored objects so an out-of-focus white or neutral grey background works. Having some shots with a grey card also lets you compare later in the computer, or if you forget to set the custom WB.

 

[Quovadis]

PRE can only blink and allow you to take a shot, IF THE CAMERA AGREES TO LET YOU....I have done it a thousand times with continuous lighting...with strobes, it's pitch black before they fire...maybe the camera does not allow you to measure WB if it's too dark before the shot?

 

[Quovadis]

ok i put the camera in FLASH mode and this is what I got...it's a little better... still do not understand why the shadow is purple

 

[Quovadis]

Also ...how in the hell do you guys focus on the subject in the dark, can i turn on some cfl lights pointed at the bags to focus? The modeling lights on the strobes are a joke. I may as well light up a match it would give me more light

 

[SCraig]

The documentation for your strobes should give the color temperature. Otherwise, just put it in Auto White Balance and move on. Two mouse clicks in virtually ANY editing software will set a white point and you're done.

 

[Dave442]

I can make the PRE letters blink and take the picture with the lens cap on, but that does give me a No Good and just lets me know to retry. The same would happen if my strobes were not on, the camera would still try to make the custom setting by taking the picture.