White balance question: I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows...

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

Shoot from a different angle where the sun is on your back

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

White balance is to correct color cast. You are speaking about exposure and dynamic range.

White balance: https://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance/

Dynamic range: https://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-dynamic-range-photography/

.

bleirer

No, white balance is for making sure you don't have an unwanted color cast over the picture, yours is an exposure problem from a backlit subject. Though white balance can be affected since the subject is in shade.

https://expertphotography.com/backlighting-photography/

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-metering.htm

Usually your matrix or evaluative meter can handle it, but if your subject is too dark in the picture you could use exposure compensation or you could spot meter on the subject, or your camera might have a special mode for backlit subjects.

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

Linda From Maine wrote:

White balance is to correct color cast. You are speaking about exposure and dynamic range.

White balance: https://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance/

Dynamic range: https://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-dynamic-range-photography/

.

Very helpful Linda,
Thanks!

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

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

No. This is a case of too wide a contrast, not white balance. The only way I know to take care of this is to set the camera to shoot raw, read the highlight with your camera's spot meter, and add 2 stops to the reading. This will minimize the blowout. Then in post processing diminish the highlights and open up the shadows with the adjustments provided in the raw converter.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

No the WB setting has nothing to do with it, its the exposure settings that control that!

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

Shoot raw and set your WB in post. I would be more concerned and use a polarizer for the reflection!

khorinek

I would shoot in Manual Mode and adjust settings so they are under exposed to account for the sun.

Silverrails

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

Not Sure, as I am a relative " Newbie" of almost 3 years now, but might a Polarizing filter be of any assistance in this particular situation??

bleirer

khorinek wrote:

I would shoot in Manual Mode and adjust settings so they are under exposed to account for the sun.

I think the brighter sun being metered from behind the subject would make the subject darker, so wouldn't one increase exposure to compensate? I see you have the RP so you probably do what I do and let the exposure simulation tell me which is the right direction ...Meter? I don't need no stinkin' meter!

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Linda From Maine wrote:

White balance is to correct color cast. You are speaking about exposure and dynamic range.

White balance: https://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance/

Dynamic range: https://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-dynamic-range-photography/

.

khorinek

bleirer wrote:

I think the brighter sun being metered from behind the subject would make the subject darker, so wouldn't one increase exposure to compensate? I see you have the RP so you probably do what I do and let the exposure simulation tell me which is the right direction ...Meter? I don't need no stinkin' meter!

You are correct. It's too early in the morning. I like the Mirrorless Cameras just for this type of setting. You can see exactly what you are getting through the EVF before you take the photo. I still use my 5D Mark IV for sports and such and when I do I miss the EVF feature of the RP.

autofocus Loc: North Central Connecticut

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am going to a car show this afternoon (3pm to 5pm). Classic, hot rods, etc. circle around the street. I often have a spot where I face the sun and it blows out some of my shots. Will putting WB to Sun do enough to help me with this?

Shoot low and close, shoot the details. Most cars have wonderful details to shoot..walk around the cars, you'll find them.

autofocus Loc: North Central Connecticut

bleirer wrote:

I think the brighter sun being metered from behind the subject would make the subject darker, so wouldn't one increase exposure to compensate? I see you have the RP so you probably do what I do and let the exposure simulation tell me which is the right direction ...Meter? I don't need no stinkin' meter!

yes, correct