Rank Amateur~Low Budget Portraits~ C&C Please

[EmMcCon]

I don't shot models but if you want the right white balance follow in the steps of my schools tv channel and get I white towel keep it in a locked briefcase and only touch it with white silk gloves.

 

[CapturingLight]

Yes, the white balance is that far removed from the metering mode you use.

I have mentioned mixed lighting a couple of times, and wonder if you understand what that refers to.

The lowest cost option available often makes it virtually impossible to get good results. However, that doesn't mean there are not DIY, low cost options, like using a bed sheet and incandescent light bulb in a household lamp, that can be effectively used.

However, using the low cost, or DIY options requires having a very good technical understanding of how photography works, so you can maximize using camera/lens/light features/functions/properties to mitigate any of the short comings of the lowcost/DIY options used.

Keith, I think I understand, it's the multiple light sources, each with its own color temperature. Which by the way is exactly what I did in these, so kudos to you for figuring that out! As far as my question regarding metering and WB - I understand metering controls exposure. I didn't know if the camera uses the metering mode to also calculate AWB, ie; spot metering would calculate AWB only for the 'spot', evaluative would determine AWB for the entire scene, etc.

I researched off camera flash options today. There are some inexpensive kits including an umbrella, stand, and wireless slave gadgets for my existing 430EXII on the market for under $100. I would imagine these are far from professional grade, but so am I! They look like a good place to start.

The comments in this thread indicate I am still far off from achieving proper images, which is fine, I am here to learn.

~Jesse

 

[KmH]

Yep, you got it about mixed lighting. White balance can correct for only 1 light source type at a time, or partially correct for each of multiple light sources so none of them is fully corrected for..

When you set the White Balance in the camera you are actually describing to the camera software programming, what color temperature your light source is. When you use a sheet of so-called white paper to make a custom white balance you are doing the same thing, but showing the camera something that is intended to be white.

By the way, most white wall paint also isn't actually white.

When a photographer is using 2 sources of mixed light, we can use inexpensive gels to make one light source the same color temperature as the other. You can get gels to put in front of your 430 EXII, so it can have the same color temperature as say an incandescent light you are also using in the scene. Then you set the camera's white balance to Incandscent since both lights now have the same color temperature.

Rosco The Strobist Collection, Strobist 55 Piece Cinegel Filter Kit, 1.5" x 3.25" to fit most Shoe Mount Strobes.