White balance issues with continuous lighting studio

[luvmyfamily]

I use manual white balance with natural outdoor light, however, seems like no matter what setting I put it on for indoor studio shots, I get a blueish tint. Is it considered cheating using auto white balance, lol....

Exposure time, sec: 1/125
Aperture (F): 6.70
ISO speed rating: 800
Lens focal length, mm: 32.0
Shutter speed (APEX): 0.0078 (1/128)
Exposure mode: Manual exposure
White balance: Auto white balance

 

[cgipson1]

I use manual white balance with natural outdoor light, however, seems like no matter what setting I put it on for indoor studio shots, I get a blueish tint. Is it considered cheating using auto white balance, lol....

Why don't you post one of the ones with the WB issues.. so we can check it out?

 

[mjhoward]

Have you tried using a grey card. That'll clear your problem right up. BTW, it doesn't look like you have here, but keep in mind that any other ambient lights in the room may be of different color than your 'studio lights' and can cause real white balance issues since you can only adjust to one color temp.

 

[luvmyfamily]

Ok, but it's really, really bad.....and I threw a bunch of different colored stuff in there...props, no people.....hang on....

 

[tirediron]

I always shoot AutoWB unless I know that the lighting is 100% controlled (eg indoors, with no windows). BTW, grey-cards are primarily for exposure, if you want to set WB from a card, use a white card (a dog with white fur works well too).

 

[luvmyfamily]

This was playing around with the white balance in my studio under continuous tungsten light. This is WHY I switched to auto white balance...it didn't do this anymore. I had it set to manual white balance tungsten light because that is what light I was using.

Exposure time, sec: 1/60
Aperture (F): 19.00
ISO speed rating: 800
Lens focal length, mm: 34.0
Aperture (APEX): 19.0
Shutter speed (APEX): 0.0156 (1/64)
Exposure mode: Manual exposure
White balance: Manual white balance

 

[luvmyfamily]

Have you tried using a grey card. That'll clear your problem right up. BTW, it doesn't look like you have here, but keep in mind that any other ambient lights in the room may be of different color than your 'studio lights' and can cause real white balance issues since you can only adjust to one color temp.

I hope I don't sound ignorant, but what is a grey card? Anyway, as you can see from the 1st photo, I didn't get the bluish tint....

 

[MTVision]

I hope I don't sound ignorant, but what is a grey card? Anyway, as you can see from the 1st photo, I didn't get the bluish tint....

A grey card!
LOL!!

It's just a grey colored card which is around 12 to 18% gray. You can buy grey cards and white cards. You probably have an option to set your own white balance by taking a picture of the card under the lighting used.

 

[cgipson1]

Have you tried using a grey card. That'll clear your problem right up. BTW, it doesn't look like you have here, but keep in mind that any other ambient lights in the room may be of different color than your 'studio lights' and can cause real white balance issues since you can only adjust to one color temp.

I hope I don't sound ignorant, but what is a grey card? Anyway, as you can see from the 1st photo, I didn't get the bluish tint....

Gray card - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Understanding White Balance

http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Gray-Ca...R7B0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1329450042&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Pocket...4VJO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329450042&sr=8-1

 

[mjhoward]

I hope you don't mind, your tag says 'OK' to edit your photos:

I dont know how accurate this is since I wasn't there, but this is why I suggest using a grey card (or white card). If your camera doesn't support custom WB by shooting a card, what you can do is take one photo with your reference card large in the frame under the light you'll be shooting. Then shoot as you normally would. Then when you get back to the computer, you open your photo with reference white/grey card and remove the color cast in PS (or whatever PP tool you use). You can usually save this adjustment and apply to all other photos in the shoot. For this photo, I just used the white block on the rubix cube as the white reference.

 

[luvmyfamily]

I hope you don't mind, your tag says 'OK' to edit your photos:

I dont know how accurate this is since I wasn't there, but this is why I suggest using a grey card (or white card). If your camera doesn't support custom WB by shooting a card, what you can do is take one photo with your reference card large in the frame under the light you'll be shooting. Then shoot as you normally would. Then when you get back to the computer, you open your photo with reference white/grey card and remove the color cast in PS (or whatever PP tool you use). You can usually save this adjustment and apply to all other photos in the shoot. For this photo, I just used the white block on the rubix cube as the white reference.

I was reading Cgibsons links, grey & white card...new to me. I think I like tiredirons idea better, just use auto white balance, however I really would like to perfect manual WB for indoor studio photo's. I do manual WB outdoors with ease, but indoors....ugg. The color is still off with the edit. The hat is white with light pink ribbon, the backdrop is black and still looks a little blue-ish. Maybe auto WB for indoor, manual for outdoor, solved! LOL!

 

[cgipson1]

I hope you don't mind, your tag says 'OK' to edit your photos:


I dont know how accurate this is since I wasn't there, but this is why I suggest using a grey card (or white card). If your camera doesn't support custom WB by shooting a card, what you can do is take one photo with your reference card large in the frame under the light you'll be shooting. Then shoot as you normally would. Then when you get back to the computer, you open your photo with reference white/grey card and remove the color cast in PS (or whatever PP tool you use). You can usually save this adjustment and apply to all other photos in the shoot. For this photo, I just used the white block on the rubix cube as the white reference.

I was reading Cgibsons links, grey & white card...new to me. I think I like tiredirons idea better, just use auto white balance, however I really would like to perfect manual WB for indoor studio photo's. I do manual WB outdoors with ease, but indoors....ugg. The color is still off with the edit. The hat is white with light pink ribbon, the backdrop is black and still looks a little blue-ish. Maybe auto WB for indoor, manual for outdoor, solved! LOL!

And if you run into a situation that AUTO WB won't handle? What are you going to do then.. just not shoot? And you will... trust me! Buy a grey card.. learn to use it..

 

[NebraskaNewGirl]

Someone recommended an Expodisc to me. Since I have gotten one I feel a tremendous improvement in my white balance. I highly recommend getting one. But I don't know if they work the same with studio lighting.

 

[Bossy]

Your onboard flash is firing for one, thats a different color temp than your continuous lights are.

​

 

[mjhoward]

I hope you don't mind, your tag says 'OK' to edit your photos:

I dont know how accurate this is since I wasn't there, but this is why I suggest using a grey card (or white card). If your camera doesn't support custom WB by shooting a card, what you can do is take one photo with your reference card large in the frame under the light you'll be shooting. Then shoot as you normally would. Then when you get back to the computer, you open your photo with reference white/grey card and remove the color cast in PS (or whatever PP tool you use). You can usually save this adjustment and apply to all other photos in the shoot. For this photo, I just used the white block on the rubix cube as the white reference.

I was reading Cgibsons links, grey & white card...new to me. I think I like tiredirons idea better, just use auto white balance, however I really would like to perfect manual WB for indoor studio photo's. I do manual WB outdoors with ease, but indoors....ugg. The color is still off with the edit. The hat is white with light pink ribbon, the backdrop is black and still looks a little blue-ish. Maybe auto WB for indoor, manual for outdoor, solved! LOL!

AWB is certainly easier, but can be inaccurate and restrictive. AWB also will not work when you have multiple light sources of varying color.