White balance: A two part question: How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos? Why? Ok, essential for product...

lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland

A two part question:

How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos?

Why?

Ok, essential for product photography, fashion shots, perhaps wedding photos, or any other photography that must produce very accurate realistic results; but is it really important for landscape, nature, artistic, or even portrait photography?

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

lesdmd wrote:

... How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos?
Why? ...

For my converted Full Spectrum mirrorless camera, I use my 18% gray cloth every time I change an external optical filter (exception: I employ illuminated chlorophyll-containing objects, usually grass, instead if the filter allows only infrared light to pass.)

Why? To optimize the colors for my photography, as dogmatic as that seems. Note that if I don't use such a reference, the colors seen using the Hot Mirror filter don't come close to what a conventional color (visible light spectrum only) camera demonstrates.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

lesdmd wrote:

A two part question:

How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos?

Why?

Ok, essential for product photography, fashion shots, perhaps wedding photos, or any other photography that must produce very accurate realistic results; but is it really important for landscape, nature, artistic, or even portrait photography?

Only when doing portraits or interior shots for Realtors. For landscapes, the Lightroom WB dropper is sufficient.

HT

lev29 wrote:

For my converted b Full Spectrum /b mirrorless c... (show quote)

If your truely dogmatic about such things, the discipline for which I truely admire, then perhaps you should use the 18% grey card for determining exposure, as that’s what a grey card is designed for. For setting white balance, use a colour neutral white-balance card or neutral transparent disk to set the white balance, because that’s what they are designed for.

An 18% grey card and a white balance reference card aren’t the same thing. For those of us less committed to dogma though, either one works for either job 😎

..sorry, couldn’t help myself 🙄 got a link for you photos? Interested in how a full spectrum camera differs from a “standard” camera.

HT

lesdmd wrote:

A two part question:

How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos?

Why?

Ok, essential for product photography, fashion shots, perhaps wedding photos, or any other photography that must produce very accurate realistic results; but is it really important for landscape, nature, artistic, or even portrait photography?

Modern cameras do a good job measuring WB. Unless the colour is critical (and your whole imaging system is colour managed!), the times you will need a WB reference card will be few and far between. When I did need to worry about such things, I spray painted the inside of a few lens caps with a neutral grey paint and used them as WB Cards if I thought the colour temperature was important enough to measure and I didn’t have “proper” reference tools. That cheap as and dodgey paint did a damn fine job, in fact 😎

I also have a WhiBal card, some Munsell Cards and an Xrite Passport Colour Checker and gray scales etc from when I got paid to shoot images, but I’ve never used them since retirement.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

It only takes seconds to perform a 'White Balance' check. I use the grey one side, white on the other side, disc. So the 'Colour', and 'Exposure' are determined before shooting. Quite often, the Nikon in-built-system, will suffice. I always have the choice on which method to employ. "I'm in charge"!

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

As to question #1 - I have started using a white balance card.
As to question #2 - Beyond products, weddings and the other commercial uses you mentioned, I prefer to create photos that portray the colors I saw as correctly as possible for landscapes, nature and certainly for portraits. I generally do not create so-called “artistic” images. Without getting into long debates regarding adjusting colors on my screen, my software, my printer, my tablet, my eyewear, the windshield of someone’s car, etc., I believe a white balance card is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to achieve that result.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

I might be missing something, but I find the Adobe RAW converter allows such fine WB adjustments, very quick and easy.
OK I have to rely on memory for the colours, but a pleasing result is more important to me than a precise replica of the colour.
Or am I missing something by doing that?

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Only on occasion when I don't feel good about a crimped image with an unusual color. I shoot raw and this is seldom a problem. Sometimes when you rely on memory regarding an odd or unusual color it might be wise to use a card. I always have a card and a color checker Xrite in my bag.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

lesdmd wrote:

A two part question:

How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos?

Why?

Ok, essential for product photography, fashion shots, perhaps wedding photos, or any other photography that must produce very accurate realistic results; but is it really important for landscape, nature, artistic, or even portrait photography?

The only method I have found that works flawlessly 100% of the time is the Xrite ColorChecker Passpor. Nothing else I have tried even comes close. And it is the only device that will resolve dual light sources with different color characteristics. The best part, at least for me, is that I can use multiple cameras, each with it's own slightly different color response curve, and I can make the shots look like they were all taken by one camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDtebpvATzc

White cards, gray cards, Expodiscs and other approaches do not provide reliable results. And none give you a camera profile. No, you don't need a 100% color managed profile to take advantage of a ColorChecker Passport. I use it when color is important - portraiture, real estate photography, etc, or when I expect to record highly saturated color (flowers, usually), where the camera would otherwise clip a channel or two. Nothing out there can provide that level of color accuracy.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I have a white cap .... never used ! I rely on auto and if needed, tweak in post.
BUT!
Since doing IR [visable end of IR, 680 nm or less] I find that setting the white balance is crucial to good false color work. If using grayscale conversion, no big deal.

Would you believe that for UV work one uses black paper as "white balance"
http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/511-learning-in-camera-uv-white-balance/

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Yes, ColorChecker Passport...great investment if you shoot RAW.

Gene51 wrote:

The only method I have found that works flawlessly... (show quote)

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

lesdmd wrote:

A two part question:

How many of you use a white balance card/device to lead to (as close to) perfect color reproduction in your photos?

Why?

Ok, essential for product photography, fashion shots, perhaps wedding photos, or any other photography that must produce very accurate realistic results; but is it really important for landscape, nature, artistic, or even portrait photography?

I do essentially Landscape, Close-ups of flowers and other natural items, and abstract or contemplative photography. Little of others and only Product or Portrait in classes. Shooting RAW and using ACR and if need be Ps I can have or create any WB I want. Realistic or Artistic. First for your question you need a calibrated monitor. For say Pepsi as a client, you must make your Pepsi-cola can look like a real Pepsi-cola can. I do use a Gray card for exposure at times.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

HT wrote:

If your truely dogmatic about such things, the dis... (show quote)

full spectrum. I know what that is. I have a converted Infrared camera. His full spec. gives him visible, IR, and UV. But with the high and low pass filters removed WB gets a bit more complicated. He can explain more fully if he likes to.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

dpullum wrote:

I have a white cap .... never used ! I rely on auto and if needed, tweak in post.
BUT!
Since doing IR [visable end of IR, 680 nm or less] I find that setting the white balance is crucial to good false color work. If using grayscale conversion, no big deal.

Would you believe that for UV work one uses black paper as "white balance"
http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/511-learning-in-camera-uv-white-balance/

Yes, to your last question there. And I probably know why.