On 16 Nov 2007 at 20:20, Stan wrote:
>
> > Perhaps someone here, well, I KNOW someone here, can help me with this.
> > How would you say is the best way to achieve correct white balance IN
> > CAMERA with a digital camera in mixed lighting situations?
> >
> > I normally use my White Bal grey card, then use that as my correction
> > point in post processing, then set the other photos taken under the same
> > lighting to the resulting corrected white balance...
> >
> > Here is what *I* am thinking would be the only totally assured way to get
> > completely correct WB under such conditions. Use a color meter... (NOT
> > cheap)..., then set the Kelvin temp in the camera to that reading. That
> > would have the ambient lighting correct. Then, the correct color
> > compensating gel filter would have to be placed over the flash to arrive
> > at a matching color temperature from the flash. This would have to be
> > tested by using the color meter to be sure the flash temp now matched the
> > ambient temp.
> >
> > Does any of this make sense to anyone... am I on the right track at all?
> > Does anyone here use such a technique to get white balance CORRECT in
> > camera, especially under mixed lighting conditions?
> >
>
> To Steve and the group,
>
> From what you wrote, you seem to have diagnosed the situation correctly. The
> bottom line is that shooting under mixed lighting is always a compromise.
> You seem to want the camera to perform a minor miracle of reconciling
> fluorescent lighting to flash. Some parts of the photo will have to look
> weird.
>
> In the past I shot architectural interiors with a view camera. In a mixed
> light situation, like an office, I would shoot multiple exposures: one
> unfiltered for my strobes - fluorescent lights off, then another exposure on
> the same sheet of film, filtered for the fluorescents. Yes, I used an
> expensive Gossen Pro 3F which was a little better at guessing the color
> filtration than I was. Now with my 1Ds, I shoot separate RAW exposures, then
> combine them in Photoshop.
>
> But if there are people in the photos, the multiple exposure solution is
> gone. You have already mentioned some choices:
> 1) Shoot AWB, as you have been, and accept the occasional green
> hair
> 2) Put a 30G over the flash and 30M on your lens and the
> available fluorescent will look a lot better.
> If you take the second route, make sure the combo delivers a decent white in
> studio testing. (This may not work with some dedicated auto-flash units
> unless all sensors are covered with the right filter.) And you must be aware
> that this combo will act as a neutral density filter robbing you of some
> light. As a bonus, the combo will give you nice pink windows or daylight
> fill!
>
> When the lighting is consistent, AWB or Custom WB does a good job. But when
> the lighting is mixed and you cannot control it, then you have to accept the
> "odd" color accents. No gimmick like an Expo Disc or color meter will fix
> this problem.
>
> Stan Patz NYC
>
> www.PatzImaging.com
One additional note/warning:
Flash energy is quite intense, don't be surprised to see your filter
buckle, fade or even melt....:))
(although this is mostly based on experience with IR-pass filters, in
which at least half the energy must be absorbed....but not every
type/brand of filter is equally stable, so be sure to test
extensively, with just as many/frequent flash-bursts as you would see
on a real wedding)
Btw, this 'opposing/contrasting filter' concept on lens+flash has
also been used in a more artistic context, with much stronger color
grades....I believe Cokin once had such a set, not sure if they still
do today (much tacky stuff of days long gone has been removed from
the filter catalogs....;))
--
Bye,
Willem-Jan Markerink
The desire to understand
is sometimes far less intelligent than
the inability to understand
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]
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