Challenge 9-25 to 9-27 Using White Balance to Enhance Color
Sep 25, 2014 00:25:53 #
When I signed up to host these three days with the topic of Using White Balance to Enhance Color I had just seen Jennifer Wu, a Canon Explorer of Light at a camera club meeting. She showed the most amazing photos and gave very clear instructions on how she changed the white balance to get sky and water pictures to be beautiful blue, dusk pictures to really look azure and beautiful fall colors. It sounded so easy and looked so nice.
Guess what, I am way too amateur for this topic! But I said I would host and I will. I know many of you will do much better than I did. In my defense life has been difficult lately. Last weekend when I had all sorts of ideas of where to take new pictures I had to go to a double funeral (yes, a cousin and her husband died within 4 hours of each other!) and it was a state away so the traveling ate up all my time.
I sure did not pick the right subjects or the right time of day because I did not get very much change in coloration unless I went to extreme change and then the coloration did not really enhance the picture, it just changed the color. Believe me, when I saw it done right it was impressive.
I noticed a few days ago RoadRunner said he changed the color temperature using post processing. Basically changing the white balance in camera is the same as changing the color temperature. See http://www.apogeephoto.com/july2004/jaltengarten7_2004.shtml
Guess what, I am way too amateur for this topic! But I said I would host and I will. I know many of you will do much better than I did. In my defense life has been difficult lately. Last weekend when I had all sorts of ideas of where to take new pictures I had to go to a double funeral (yes, a cousin and her husband died within 4 hours of each other!) and it was a state away so the traveling ate up all my time.
I sure did not pick the right subjects or the right time of day because I did not get very much change in coloration unless I went to extreme change and then the coloration did not really enhance the picture, it just changed the color. Believe me, when I saw it done right it was impressive.
I noticed a few days ago RoadRunner said he changed the color temperature using post processing. Basically changing the white balance in camera is the same as changing the color temperature. See http://www.apogeephoto.com/july2004/jaltengarten7_2004.shtml
Auto White Balance
(Download)
Sunny WB really not any change
(Download)
Cloudy WB really not any change either
(Download)
Tungsten WB Changes Color, but not much enhancement!
(Download)
Fluorescent WB which I think helped to dull the hot spots just a little but not too much change to the color
(Download)
Sep 25, 2014 07:31:24 #
Anna, thank you for hosting. A very interesting topic and will be a challenge. Article was a good one. I tend to leave my camera on Auto WB and then make adjustments afterwards for the very reason the article mentions (I forget to return it to AWB) and have lost a few one and only shots. Took these yesterday in AWB under fluorescent lights (I think) in a historical fish market on Portland's wharf. I hope to experiment using foliage today.
chose to show the pic with lobster meat in it as folks are always asking me the price of lobster. This meat has already been picked . Forgot to look at the price of live ones :(
chose to show the pic with lobster meat in it as folks are always asking me the price of lobster. This meat has already been picked . Forgot to look at the price of live ones :(
The original
Tungsten setting
Fluorescent setting
Sep 25, 2014 07:40:51 #
Good morning Anna. Thanks for hosting....this should be fun. I had recently read a segment in the book 'Understanding Exposure' and there was information on changing the WB setting to change the mood of the image.....and was happy to see your upcoming topic and shot again with this in mind. I used a fluorescent white balance setting for both of these images....
Water Lily
(Download)
Mille Lacs Lake at Father Hennepin State Park...shot in late afternoon
(Download)
Unedited of similar shot of the above...cloudy white balance....typically shoot in this WB setting
(Download)
Sep 25, 2014 07:47:51 #
Irenejb wrote:
Good morning Anna. Thanks for hosting....this should be fun. I had recently read a segment in the book 'Understanding Exposure' and there was information on changing the WB setting to change the mood of the image.....and was happy to see your upcoming topic and shot again with this in mind. I used a fluorescent white balance setting for both of these images....
Irene, did you happen to do an AWB for each for comparison? Am guessing colors would not be as rich in #2 in AWB, right? Like the artsy look to #1
Sep 25, 2014 08:14:55 #
Great start Anna. Went out this morning with the sun coming up and took these in the shade. These are right out of camera.
AWB
Cloudy
Shade
Took this yesterday with a little pp
Sep 25, 2014 08:31:32 #
PAToGraphy wrote:
Irene, did you happen to do an AWB for each for comparison? Am guessing colors would not be as rich in #2 in AWB, right? Like the artsy look to #1
Pat, I did not shoot a comparison shot of this composition. I did add a photo (unedited) shot in the same time frame but a different composition. I somehow misread time shot as was in the late afternoon....both shots and have corrected that info. I typically shoot in cloudy WB setting at all times. I'll have to try for another shoot with better comparisons.
Sep 25, 2014 08:34:13 #
Irenejb wrote:
Pat, I did not shoot a comparison shot of this composition. I did add a photo (unedited) shot in the same time frame but a different composition. I somehow misread time shot as was in the late afternoon....both shots and have corrected that info. I typically shoot in cloudy WB setting at all times.
That's interesting, Irene - choosing cloudy WB for default setting. I know I can also further tweak the color grid within each of my WB settings. Haven't played much with them. This challenge might get me to do that...
Sep 25, 2014 08:34:28 #
fish9x wrote:
Great start Anna. Went out this morning with the sun coming up and took these in the shade. These are right out of camera.
Can see the difference.
Sep 25, 2014 08:39:33 #
Forgetting to return to AWB is why I seldom have changed it in the past. I once heard an instructor say that before you start a photo session you should always check your ISO, WB, and the setting for either aperture or speed but I usually get too excited about the subject at hand!
I think in this case the Tungsten setting gave a more realistic color to the ice and the stainless steel. I am going to start saving my pennies so I can have a treat at the Maine Palooza!!
I think in this case the Tungsten setting gave a more realistic color to the ice and the stainless steel. I am going to start saving my pennies so I can have a treat at the Maine Palooza!!
PAToGraphy wrote:
Anna, thank you for hosting. A very interesting to... (show quote)
Sep 25, 2014 08:46:20 #
Irene, I really like the effect of the WB change on the water lily. It makes the photo have a very nice art quality. I had planned on getting a water/sky combo because that is where she changed the WB a lot. I think your photo has a richer blue shade to the water and a nice blue sky, but the tradeoff was less richness in the reds/pinks.
P.S. Have you ever seen the albino deer at Father Hennepin State Park that the park ranger told me about?
P.S. Have you ever seen the albino deer at Father Hennepin State Park that the park ranger told me about?
Irenejb wrote:
Good morning Anna. Thanks for hosting....this should be fun. I had recently read a segment in the book 'Understanding Exposure' and there was information on changing the WB setting to change the mood of the image.....and was happy to see your upcoming topic and shot again with this in mind. I used a fluorescent white balance setting for both of these images....
Sep 25, 2014 08:51:34 #
PAToGraphy wrote:
Can see the difference.
Yes definitely Pat. I believe a lot depends on the subject and what you want to say or portray with it. Thanks
Sep 25, 2014 08:54:54 #
Donn, Those flower shot clearly showed a difference. I think the color of the flower improved with either cloudy or shade setting, but you would have to choose which green background you like the best. I think cloudy for me. I thought shade gave too much of a yellow cast to the green background.
Thanks for the post, it is helping me to learn. In the PPing one, did you use a temperature setting or other choices?
Thanks for the post, it is helping me to learn. In the PPing one, did you use a temperature setting or other choices?
fish9x wrote:
Great start Anna. Went out this morning with the sun coming up and took these in the shade. These are right out of camera.
Sep 25, 2014 08:58:26 #
Great challenge Annacady! Not to worry regarding what level we are at. :-) It is all a learning curve. My sister used to drill me with "color temperature" when I was learning to paint with watercolor. It took me forever to figure out what was warm and what was cool. But I finally got it! We laugh about it now! I often forget to change my WB when I start a photo shoot! After a few pics I look at them, I laugh at myself (or sometimes kick myself) and go in and do some test shots to see which setting looks more natural. If I get home and I have a picture that I know is wrong I go into my Elements 11 and click on "remove color cast", then find something white in the picture and click on it...it will "most times" bring out the correct color. Sometimes you have to try a few different areas to get it right. Another thing I do if most of the picture looks right, but perhaps one color just doesn't look right, I go into " adjust hue and saturation" then click on "master" and pick out the color that is wrong.. i.e. yellows, greens, blues...etc. and then use the slider..it will change only the color you have chosen.
I hope this helps someone out there! LOL!
There are many, many ways of correcting and those that us RAW can "probably" fix them easier/better through the RAW editing program.
I have to click on your link and check it out...and I will be!
In the meantime, here are 3 pics I took one morning and I will give the settings. I find it interesting that I didn't change my w/b at all...but other settings were changed. These were all taken with my 100mm canon macro lens
Thanks again for hosting such a great challenge! Have a great day everyone!
I hope this helps someone out there! LOL!
There are many, many ways of correcting and those that us RAW can "probably" fix them easier/better through the RAW editing program.
I have to click on your link and check it out...and I will be!
In the meantime, here are 3 pics I took one morning and I will give the settings. I find it interesting that I didn't change my w/b at all...but other settings were changed. These were all taken with my 100mm canon macro lens
Thanks again for hosting such a great challenge! Have a great day everyone!
TV (shutter priority) f5, 1/60sec ISO100 Exposure "0" step
TV, f5,1/200 sec ISO100 Exposure -1.7step
TV f3.5 1/50 sec ISO 100 Exposure 0 step
Sep 25, 2014 09:00:35 #
annacady wrote:
Donn, Those flower shot clearly showed a difference. I think the color of the flower improved with either cloudy or shade setting, but you would have to choose which green background you like the best. I think cloudy for me. I thought shade gave too much of a yellow cast to the green background.
Thanks for the post, it is helping me to learn. In the PPing one, did you use a temperature setting or other choices?
Thanks for the post, it is helping me to learn. In the PPing one, did you use a temperature setting or other choices?
Thank you Anna and I totally agree with you. No, pretty much standard settings then played a little the saturation, clarity and light amount.
Sep 25, 2014 09:06:21 #
[quote=annacady]When I signed up to host these three days with the topic of Using White Balance to Enhance Color
annacady thanks for hosting the challenge. Your examples are very well done. I leave my camera on AWB because I have lost some one off photos. I do check the WB durning PP. Busy work day I hope to get back with some examples.
annacady thanks for hosting the challenge. Your examples are very well done. I leave my camera on AWB because I have lost some one off photos. I do check the WB durning PP. Busy work day I hope to get back with some examples.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.