Setting the White Balance for Night City Scenes
Jul 23, 2015 04:02:42 #
I plan to visit Taipei and the surrounding cities in October. In various neighborhoods I have encountered some street lights that cast a yellowish brown glow,
For this type of lighting what should I adjust my white balance to? I have taken many night shots in cities where the light from the street lights cast a white glow so I had no problems with the looks of the photos.
Thanking you in advance. Oh, I shall be using my erstwhile Nikon D5300,
For this type of lighting what should I adjust my white balance to? I have taken many night shots in cities where the light from the street lights cast a white glow so I had no problems with the looks of the photos.
Thanking you in advance. Oh, I shall be using my erstwhile Nikon D5300,
Jul 23, 2015 04:19:35 #
I would set it for tungsten light and then do a custom adjust by Mk I Eyeball in Light Room or some other PP program.
Jul 23, 2015 05:43:00 #
I would suggest capture RAW files and set camera to Auto white balance.
I've always found night shots in Asian cities a challenge. What works in one neighbourhood doesn't necessarily work in the next.
I think it depends on both the light source (bulb) and the actual power being delivered at the time.
I've always found night shots in Asian cities a challenge. What works in one neighbourhood doesn't necessarily work in the next.
I think it depends on both the light source (bulb) and the actual power being delivered at the time.
Jul 23, 2015 06:09:20 #
If shooting JPEG, my experience with night shooting is to set a custom white balance using a Vello Universal White Balance Disc. You hold the camera up to the light or in the direction of the lights with the disk held over the lens and snap an image. In the camera you select that image as the custom WB. Repeat as situations change. These were on sale at B&H last week.
Jul 23, 2015 07:45:55 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
If shooting JPEG, my experience with night shooting is to set a custom white balance using a Vello Universal White Balance Disc. You hold the camera up to the light or in the direction of the lights with the disk held over the lens and snap an image. In the camera you select that image as the custom WB. Repeat as situations change. These were on sale at B&H last week.
The answer here.
Jul 23, 2015 07:55:01 #
Personally, it sounds like a great, once in a lifetime trip! I would shoot in RAW and Auto white balance and correct, if necessary, in Lightroom.
Jul 24, 2015 06:55:19 #
TonyP wrote:
I would suggest capture RAW files and set camera to Auto white balance.
I've always found night shots in Asian cities a challenge. What works in one neighbourhood doesn't necessarily work in the next.
I think it depends on both the light source (bulb) and the actual power being delivered at the time.
I've always found night shots in Asian cities a challenge. What works in one neighbourhood doesn't necessarily work in the next.
I think it depends on both the light source (bulb) and the actual power being delivered at the time.
This is what I'd do.
Most often Auto WB gets it right and having the jpegs and RAW gives best option.
Jul 24, 2015 07:41:43 #
Use it used to be that tungsten was the "go to" setting for cities at night. With all the new post processing abilities, auto is best now.
When you find those special images you want to print out, then simply have multiple white balance sections to accent the color lighting in that area. For cities that looks much better than an HDR image.
When you find those special images you want to print out, then simply have multiple white balance sections to accent the color lighting in that area. For cities that looks much better than an HDR image.
Jul 24, 2015 09:53:25 #
No one has called me smart or stupid for pointing the camera at the light itself and manually setting the white balance that way. Not too close and not an incredibly bright light of course. And you might want to reset the WB when you change locations.
Or shoot raw and fix it in post processing. That could get mighty tiresome.
Or shoot raw and fix it in post processing. That could get mighty tiresome.
Jul 24, 2015 09:59:33 #
jfn007 wrote:
I plan to visit Taipei and the surrounding cities in October. In various neighborhoods I have encountered some street lights that cast a yellowish brown glow,
For this type of lighting what should I adjust my white balance to? I have taken many night shots in cities where the light from the street lights cast a white glow so I had no problems with the looks of the photos.
Thanking you in advance. Oh, I shall be using my erstwhile Nikon D5300,
For this type of lighting what should I adjust my white balance to? I have taken many night shots in cities where the light from the street lights cast a white glow so I had no problems with the looks of the photos.
Thanking you in advance. Oh, I shall be using my erstwhile Nikon D5300,
Start off with automatic and experiment until you are satisfied with the image. There is no "correct" answer here.
Jul 24, 2015 10:46:34 #
TonyP wrote:
I would suggest capture RAW files and set camera to Auto white balance.
I've always found night shots in Asian cities a challenge. What works in one neighbourhood doesn't necessarily work in the next.
I think it depends on both the light source (bulb) and the actual power being delivered at the time.
I've always found night shots in Asian cities a challenge. What works in one neighbourhood doesn't necessarily work in the next.
I think it depends on both the light source (bulb) and the actual power being delivered at the time.
:thumbup:
Jul 24, 2015 11:56:32 #
What are you shooting with?
If you have an automatic white balance setting use that.
From what I have read it is a good idea to set the WB as correctly as possible notwithstanding shooting in raw.
If you have an automatic white balance setting use that.
From what I have read it is a good idea to set the WB as correctly as possible notwithstanding shooting in raw.
Jul 24, 2015 22:13:42 #
You might try taking a photo of the palm of your hand in the available light and using it for the custom white balance. Back in the film days this was one way to get a correct exposure in these types of situations - didn't take the photo, but used the setting to take the pictures.
The palm of the hand is equal to the grey card sold in photo stores and used by many photographers.
I have used it in mixed lighting to set a custom white balance and got the closest to the expected results than from any of the other settings that I have tried.
Doesn't take much time to try it for yourself and see if the results are what you expected.
The palm of the hand is equal to the grey card sold in photo stores and used by many photographers.
I have used it in mixed lighting to set a custom white balance and got the closest to the expected results than from any of the other settings that I have tried.
Doesn't take much time to try it for yourself and see if the results are what you expected.
Jul 25, 2015 00:13:16 #
Dun1
Loc: Atlanta, GA
If you shoot in RAW and set your camera to Auto White Balance you can correct white balance in post processing.
If I have any scene where white balance is going to be difficult I use an Expo Disc to calculate and adjust to a custom white balance setting. For me it certainly give a better point at where to start and getting good color balance especially in night time photos.
If I have any scene where white balance is going to be difficult I use an Expo Disc to calculate and adjust to a custom white balance setting. For me it certainly give a better point at where to start and getting good color balance especially in night time photos.
Jul 25, 2015 00:44:22 #
Nikon D5300.
BboH wrote:
What are you shooting with?
If you have an automatic white balance setting use that.
From what I have read it is a good idea to set the WB as correctly as possible notwithstanding shooting in raw.
If you have an automatic white balance setting use that.
From what I have read it is a good idea to set the WB as correctly as possible notwithstanding shooting in raw.
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