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Fix Wrong White Balance
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Apr 3, 2017 02:28:54   #
tschuler
 
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.

Reply
Apr 3, 2017 03:29:39   #
wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
 
tschuler wrote:
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was us... (show quote)


Probably a temperature correction of 3000 to 5000 Kelvin to get it where you want.

Reply
Apr 3, 2017 03:33:07   #
wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
 
Try looking for a Kelvin temperature correction in your "Search" block. Usually it is just a temperature change or correction for shadow to sunlight or sunlight to shadow.

Reply
 
 
Apr 3, 2017 05:02:45   #
Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK
 
my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.[/quote]

Two methods spring to mind.
1). With CS5 when you go to open the file don't do the usual "Open", select "Open as". This gives you file type options. Select RAW. Once it's open then at the top of the Raw editor you will see the "Temperature" slider. Move this until you get the desired effect.
2). With CC 2015. Open your file, either as 1) above. Or open it in the usual way "Open". Once opened go to FILTER>Camera Raw Filter. Then again go to the Temperature slider at the top to adjust.

Reply
Apr 3, 2017 05:50:46   #
TexasBadger Loc: Wylie, TX
 
tschuler wrote:
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was us... (show quote)


Open your files using Adobe Bridge on your laptop. You can find the .exe file in your CS5 folder. Select the folder where your images are stored. Right click on the image you want and choose open in camera raw. Use the temperature slider to correct the color temperature. Save the file. Do this for each of the images you need to correct. I recommend saving the corrected images in a new subfolder.

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Apr 3, 2017 07:03:21   #
tschuler
 
Thanks for the solution. It worked great.

Reply
Apr 3, 2017 10:22:54   #
Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK
 
tschuler wrote:
Thanks for the solution. It worked great.


When replying always click on "Quote Reply". That way we know who you are replying to. You had four responses to your query. Other than you, nobody knows which reply worked. Others can then also learn from the answer if it worked.

Reply
 
 
Apr 3, 2017 11:31:28   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
tschuler wrote:
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was us... (show quote)

Curve is certainly a good solution, but if you shot in raw, simple setting the WB to the proper setting in ACR/Photoshop is the much simpler way!!

Reply
Apr 4, 2017 06:13:18   #
lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA
 
tschuler wrote:
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was us... (show quote)


I take it you were shooting JPGs and not in RAW, otherwise you would not even be asking for help. For Raw files it is a one click fix with Adobe Camera Raw (Photoshop or Lightroom).

Reply
Apr 4, 2017 06:21:08   #
tschuler
 
lamiaceae wrote:
I take it you were shooting JPGs and not in RAW, otherwise you would not even be asking for help. For Raw files it is a one click fix with Adobe Camera Raw (Photoshop or Lightroom).


Yep.

Reply
Apr 4, 2017 07:37:48   #
kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy
 
Shift + Ctrl + B

Reply
 
 
Apr 4, 2017 07:44:25   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
Nevermind. I just read where you solved the issue.
--Bob

tschuler wrote:
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was us... (show quote)

Reply
Apr 4, 2017 09:36:50   #
lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA
 
Download Irfanview. Once you get it installed, load up a "yellowish" photo and hit Shift-U. All done.

Rick Girard

Reply
Apr 4, 2017 09:45:43   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
tschuler wrote:
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was using my Nikon D60. I changed the White Balance to "Shade" when I was shooting a shady area. When I got back to the sunny area, I forgot to change back to the "Auto" white balance. I ended up shooting about 10 photos that now are too yellowish. Is there an easier way to fix the color of my photos than it is with "Image --> Adjustments --> Curves" in Photoshop? Can it be done in the camera or will I need to do it in Photoshop?

If "Curves" is my option to fix the white balance, can I get some suggestions on what adjustments to make to back out the change that "Shady" white balance made?

Do I need to post one of the photos for suggestions to fix the white balance?

Additional info:
I am away from home and my laptop has Photoshop CS5. I would like help for this version. However, I do have a newer version at home, CC 2015. If there is something that makes it easier with the newer version, I would appreciate the suggestions.


Thanks for any help.
I was on a hike taking photos yesterday. I was us... (show quote)


JPEGs are not meant as "digital negatives" that must be post-processed. They are meant for immediate use. As such, the in-camera process must be set up correctly for the way you want to record the scene. If you blow the white balance, you can't really fix it, any more than you can repair blown out highlights or plugged up shadows.

Next time, save raw images. Raw files retain the EXIF data of JPEG files, which camera MANUFACTURER provided post-processing software can reference, but the FULL, UNPROCESSED, digitized data from the sensor is there, so you can get ANY white balance you want, whether "correct" or special effect.

JPEG files have to be created PERFECTLY in the camera if they are to look their best. JPEG files can be considered quite similar to color slides. Everything about the look of a JPEG should be controlled with exposure, white balance, and the menu settings in the camera (Hue, Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness, Picture Style, etc.). Ideally, you do PRE-processing, not POST-processing.

If you always include a gray patch reference in one frame of each sequence recorded in a particular lighting situation, you can do "click balance" in your post-processing software, and apply that white balance to all other images recorded in the same light.

When I record JPEGs, I try to use a "custom white balance" — Nikon calls it a "preset white balance". I carry an ExpoDisc, a Delta-1 Gray Card, and a One Shot Digital Calibration Target. Each has different advantages, but can be used for getting the white balance right in a JPEG. Each may also be used as a "click reference" for raw file processing. The ultimate white balance reference, if you're going for perfect color match, is the ColorChecker PassPort. It creates a profile for your camera and the lighting you are using.

I learned a long time ago that when the light is changing, or I'm moving to location after location where the light is different, I should probably save raw images, even if I'm trying my best to get perfect JPEGs.

I used thousands of rolls of slide film back in the 1980s. So I'm used to nailing exposure and color balance at the camera as a discipline. Back then, we used gray cards and in-camera meters, plus incident light meters and color temperature meters. We always had a gel filter holder and a pack of Wratten filter gels ready for color correcting the light source to the film. Slide film has no real latitude, and you cannot change anything once it is exposed (assuming normal processing). The film that ran through your camera is what is projected or scanned, later.

So handling JPEG capture is just an easier extension of that color transparency workflow. I think of a JPEG as something I have to "bake" precisely with camera settings. I have NO INTENTION of ever editing a JPEG. That discipline, ironically, gives me just enough latitude to edit one when it needs a slight tweak. The closer I get to the desired result, the more latitude I have to adjust it. The farther I get from the desired result, the LESS latitude there is for adjustment.

THAT brings me back to raw. When you save a raw file, it contains all the unprocessed but digitized data that is available. Essentially, it has latitude similar to color negative film. You can develop it any way you choose, with far more control. If you use the manufacturer's software, you can probably start with the EXIF data recorded for the JPEG preview in the file, and then dial in any of the camera menu presets they present in the software. So if you blow the white balance setting, it's no big deal. Using a perfectly calibrated monitor, you can dial in whatever white balance you want. And because you have ALL the recorded data to play with, you can fine-tune the image to look better than an out-of-camera JPEG would look. You can change hue, color tone, contrast, brightness, exposure, sharpness, saturation, white balance... So if you are in a situation that is changing rapidly, you can hedge your exposure bets by saving raw files.

Reply
Apr 4, 2017 10:16:24   #
russelray Loc: La Mesa CA
 
burkphoto wrote:
JPEGs are not meant as "digital negatives" that must be post-processed. They are meant for immediate use. As such, the in-camera process must be set up correctly for the way you want to record the scene. If you blow the white balance, you can't really fix it, any more than you can repair blown out highlights or plugged up shadows.

Next time, save raw images. Raw files retain the EXIF data of JPEG files, which camera MANUFACTURER provided post-processing software can reference, but the FULL, UNPROCESSED, digitized data from the sensor is there, so you can get ANY white balance you want, whether "correct" or special effect.

JPEG files have to be created PERFECTLY in the camera if they are to look their best. JPEG files can be considered quite similar to color slides. Everything about the look of a JPEG should be controlled with exposure, white balance, and the menu settings in the camera (Hue, Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness, Picture Style, etc.). Ideally, you do PRE-processing, not POST-processing.

If you always include a gray patch reference in one frame of each sequence recorded in a particular lighting situation, you can do "click balance" in your post-processing software, and apply that white balance to all other images recorded in the same light.

When I record JPEGs, I try to use a "custom white balance" — Nikon calls it a "preset white balance". I carry an ExpoDisc, a Delta-1 Gray Card, and a One Shot Digital Calibration Target. Each has different advantages, but can be used for getting the white balance right in a JPEG. Each may also be used as a "click reference" for raw file processing. The ultimate white balance reference, if you're going for perfect color match, is the ColorChecker PassPort. It creates a profile for your camera and the lighting you are using.

I learned a long time ago that when the light is changing, or I'm moving to location after location where the light is different, I should probably save raw images, even if I'm trying my best to get perfect JPEGs.

I used thousands of rolls of slide film back in the 1980s. So I'm used to nailing exposure and color balance at the camera as a discipline. Back then, we used gray cards and in-camera meters, plus incident light meters and color temperature meters. We always had a gel filter holder and a pack of Wratten filter gels ready for color correcting the light source to the film. Slide film has no real latitude, and you cannot change anything once it is exposed (assuming normal processing). The film that ran through your camera is what is projected or scanned, later.

So handling JPEG capture is just an easier extension of that color transparency workflow. I think of a JPEG as something I have to "bake" precisely with camera settings. I have NO INTENTION of ever editing a JPEG. That discipline, ironically, gives me just enough latitude to edit one when it needs a slight tweak. The closer I get to the desired result, the more latitude I have to adjust it. The farther I get from the desired result, the LESS latitude there is for adjustment.

THAT brings me back to raw. When you save a raw file, it contains all the unprocessed but digitized data that is available. Essentially, it has latitude similar to color negative film. You can develop it any way you choose, with far more control. If you use the manufacturer's software, you can probably start with the EXIF data recorded for the JPEG preview in the file, and then dial in any of the camera menu presets they present in the software. So if you blow the white balance setting, it's no big deal. Using a perfectly calibrated monitor, you can dial in whatever white balance you want. And because you have ALL the recorded data to play with, you can fine-tune the image to look better than an out-of-camera JPEG would look. You can change hue, color tone, contrast, brightness, exposure, sharpness, saturation, white balance... So if you are in a situation that is changing rapidly, you can hedge your exposure bets by saving raw files.
JPEGs are not meant as "digital negatives&quo... (show quote)


For several years and versions, Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) has also been accessible as a filter from within Photoshop. Thus a JPG, even one with the incorrect white balance, can easily be brought into ACR to change the white balance. When I do it with my JPGs, I have three choices in ACR using the drop down arrow for the White Balance box: As Shot, Auto, and Custom. The Auto works extremely well. In fact, Auto is all I ever use for my DNG, CR2, and JPG files if I don't like the white balance.

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