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... (
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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.