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Day or night, you can eliminate any guesswork on white balance by using an inexpensive gray card as a calibration target. I believe it was Helen (whom I trust completely to always have accurate information) who posted that a styrofoam cup works very well for that, which is as inexpensive and easy as it can get.Woah, thanks Lew. Bad white balance is what happens when you edit late at night.![]()
I had no idea Home Depot sold 18% gray cards! I'll have to ask for them next time I'm there.Yep, I used to have a 18% gray card... but I lost it. Until I go back to the home depot for another (which should be soon) I've just been doing all the white balance magic in post.Thanks!![]()
I had no idea Home Depot sold 18% gray cards! I'll have to ask for them next time I'm there.Yep, I used to have a 18% gray card... but I lost it. Until I go back to the home depot for another (which should be soon) I've just been doing all the white balance magic in post.Thanks!![]()
How did you verify that it's equal parts of each color to make it 100% neutral? Wait... Let me guess... You didn't. :er:I had no idea Home Depot sold 18% gray cards! I'll have to ask for them next time I'm there.Yep, I used to have a 18% gray card... but I lost it. Until I go back to the home depot for another (which should be soon) I've just been doing all the white balance magic in post.Thanks!![]()
It's actually a paint card called Smoky Gray or something. I just taped 4 of them together to get a nice big one.
Take picture of paint card, go to gimp or photoshop, create new layer, select the 18% gray from the color palette (can't remember the exact code for 18% gray) using pencil tool color over the original picture and notice that the color is exactly the same.How did you verify that it's equal parts of each color to make it 100% neutral? Wait... Let me guess... You didn't. :er:I had no idea Home Depot sold 18% gray cards! I'll have to ask for them next time I'm there.It's actually a paint card called Smoky Gray or something. I just taped 4 of them together to get a nice big one.
You need a real gray card or white balance tool to do this right. Seriously.
It doesn't need to be "a nice big one" either. That's irrelevant.
It's really too bad you don't know what you're talking about. Color shifts are very subtle, and you can't discern true neutral by eye the way you're describing. Even most whites aren't neutral white.Take picture of paint card, go to gimp or photoshop, create new layer, select the 18% gray from the color palette (can't remember the exact code for 18% gray) using pencil tool color over the original picture and notice that the color is exactly the same.How did you verify that it's equal parts of each color to make it 100% neutral? Wait... Let me guess... You didn't. :er:It's actually a paint card called Smoky Gray or something. I just taped 4 of them together to get a nice big one.
You need a real gray card or white balance tool to do this right. Seriously.
It doesn't need to be "a nice big one" either. That's irrelevant.![]()
If you are looking for a fight, go ahead and skip me.It's really too bad you don't know what you're talking about. Color shifts are very subtle, and you can't discern true neutral by eye the way you're describing. Even most whites aren't neutral white.Take picture of paint card, go to gimp or photoshop, create new layer, select the 18% gray from the color palette (can't remember the exact code for 18% gray) using pencil tool color over the original picture and notice that the color is exactly the same.How did you verify that it's equal parts of each color to make it 100% neutral? Wait... Let me guess... You didn't. :er:
You need a real gray card or white balance tool to do this right. Seriously.
It doesn't need to be "a nice big one" either. That's irrelevant.![]()
That's why actual color balance tools are made for this.
I was just trying to help you, because you obviously are lost on this.If you are looking for a fight, go ahead and skip me.It's really too bad you don't know what you're talking about. Color shifts are very subtle, and you can't discern true neutral by eye the way you're describing. Even most whites aren't neutral white.Take picture of paint card, go to gimp or photoshop, create new layer, select the 18% gray from the color palette (can't remember the exact code for 18% gray) using pencil tool color over the original picture and notice that the color is exactly the same.![]()
That's why actual color balance tools are made for this.
Either way, my technique works close enough that if I need to do a slight bit of changing, then it's easy.