WDCash Loc: Milford, Delaware, USA

While photographing Wrens by a woodpile in the fall woods, in the shade, I began wondering what I would use for my "eyedropper " sample in LR to adjust my whitebalance. With the first set of images from the woods I played with the sliders to make the White feathers look white with no unnatural, to my eye, color hue or tint. It worked OK but was subjective and relied on my memory of what I thought I saw.

The next trip to the woodpile I took along my 3 little color cards and placed them near there I expected, hoped, my subject would land and made sure to include an image of the cards in my test shots while adjusting for exposure.
Later when I started processing the bird pics from the outing I used the picture of the White and Gray cards with the white balance eye droper to correct the white balance for all the images from that session. This was much quicker and easier and hopefully got me closer to the true colors. Hopefully.

This morning in church I was looking at the lighting on stage and wondering what a white balance challange a picture like the one I have attached, from my cell phone, will pose. Not an idle wonder because I have been asked to help out with collecting some candid photos for the church.
Obviously I could place my dandy little color cards somewhere on stage like I did at the woodpile.
Sitting and looking at the stage, other than the ceiling tiles overhead, I was having a hard time finding a "neutral" color to work with. Absent the color cards, what spot in this image would you select to use begin balancing the colors?

After uploading the picture I have found a couple usefull neutral spots I would or could use. But, in the interest of possibly learning something I'm going to see what advise this stirs up.

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User ID

You mentioned memory of what you thought you saw as if thaz not very trustworthy. For me, OTOH, thaz the Gold Standard.

I choose to make MY picture, not something based on an "objective" measurement, or on instrument readings.

I dont use much daylight (as shown below).

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CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I still have a credit card sized WB card in my wallet. I use to be religious about taking a WB shot. But honestly, it's now been years. I just edit the images to fit my desire, using the AWB of the camera and shooting RAW.

User ID

Aaaaahhh ... the reality behind realism.

WDCash Loc: Milford, Delaware, USA

Very true, but.
Don't you think the folks whose pictures we take might appreciate us- representing them correctly ?
How would a bride feel if we liked a little extra yellow in her brides maids gowns?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The camera does not see like the human eye, so why would anyone worry about what the camera saw?

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

While I understand UserID's perspective, your job is to produce a recognizable and identifiable reproduction of what the congregation has seen or will see when sitting in the pews. Unfortunately, you cannot use your recollection of what you think you saw in this situation, because your brain will do all sorts of mysterious adjustments to make sense of what it thinks it sees. You also cannot rely on your camera's Auto ISO system, because it will fall prey to the same tricks and confusion.

What I've learned to do over many years of photographing all sorts of staged events, is to focus on the main speaker (or singer or performer) and ignore everything else. This person can almost always be counted on to be in light that is at least supposed to be white. If you can learn the base Kelvin temperature of the lighting, set to that. If not, and if it's an LED system, 4000K is a good starting point. 3200K can be a starting point for incandescent, but I've had to go as low as 2700K for some older systems.

Bottom line...focus on the speaker, ignore everything else. And don't allow WB to change while you are shooting.

User ID

If I recall it as yellow then I make it yellow.
If I recall it as white then I make it white.
I just dont see the point of your question.
It has the earmarks of a strawman issue.

Wedding work is always a bogus topic here.
Absolutely NO ONE who seeks tech advice from the clown car should be entrusted to
shoot "Her Big Day".

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Get yourself a Calibrate (ex XRite) color checker.
https://www.amazon.com/Calibrite-ColorChecker-Passport-Photo-CCPP2/dp/B0973HSH3V/ref=asc_df_B0973HSH3V/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=533316397902&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11780795858589076781&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061095&hvtargid=pla-1432926361342&mcid=cf98669370513606a3dfa499a8bbc8ac&gclid=Cj0KCQiA67CrBhC1ARIsACKAa8R3gJen-3Fn58ehi3A2q0CKUtIAo_dgdV25Ed4OGViJrVUl2HrpaJkaArZhEALw_wcB&th=1

Take one exposure of the card, and use it for white balance.

SHWeiss

This method will find the 50% gray in your photo

https://fstoptraining.com/accurately-correct-white-balance-using-photoshop/

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

The person up front appears to have a white shirt on. Use that.
If there is a bride in a white dress use it.
In a space with mixed colors choose what is important and let the rest fall where they may.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

That article begins with this sentence: "This is a little-known method that will allow you to accurately achieve the correct white balance...."

Actually that's a very well-known method that's been around for decades and was entirely debunked decades ago.

WDCash Loc: Milford, Delaware, USA

Thanks Larry.
Good advise

WDCash Loc: Milford, Delaware, USA

That looks a bit complicated but also looks like a great ps learning exersize.
I'll giveth a try with my example photo later today.
Thanks very much