What do you carry for white balance later in processing?

[gurtch]

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Hi all:

When I shot film and did my own dark room color printing, I used to carry a Kodak 18% gray card, and shoot a picture of it in the same lighting conditions as the subject. Later in the darkroom I made test prints until the print matched the gray card which I held along side of the print. This determined exposure and enlarger filtration. When I use my M8 and C1, there is the color picker "eye dropper" which is used to pick out a middle gray to determine white balance. I recently shot some very colorful fishing boats against a blue sky. Nothing in the scene was even close to 18% gray. The actual default representation on screen was actually quite good, but to tweek it's accuracy I really needed a good gray. Do you folks carry a gray card and include it in the scene of a typical shot? What size do you carry? Any particular brand you could recommend that would be small enough to carry in my bag?

Thanks in advance

Dave

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[innerimager]

Hi all:

When I shot film and did my own dark room color printing, I used to carry a Kodak 18% gray card, and shoot a picture of it in the same lighting conditions as the subject. Later in the darkroom I made test prints until the print matched the gray card which I held along side of the print. This determined exposure and enlarger filtration. When I use my M8 and C1, there is the color picker "eye dropper" which is used to pick out a middle gray to determine white balance. I recently shot some very colorful fishing boats against a blue sky. Nothing in the scene was even close to 18% gray. The actual default representation on screen was actually quite good, but to tweek it's accuracy I really needed a good gray. Do you folks carry a gray card and include it in the scene of a typical shot? What size do you carry? Any particular brand you could recommend that would be small enough to carry in my bag?

Thanks in advance

Dave

I use an expodisc. Cover the lens and take either an incident or reflective shot (toward light or subject), it renders an 18% grey. This can be used to click balance all the shots in that light in post, or load as a custom WB in camer. Fast and effective.....Peter

[gesper]

I carry a pocket sized WhiBal (http://www.rawworkflow.com). It's inexpensive and it works fine.

[Mark D]

I use the WhiBal card.

 

The first two are reviews and the last link is where I bought mine.

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/whibal.shtml

http://www.beautiful-landscape.com/WhiBal_Lens_shade.html

 

http://www.rawworkflow.com/products/whibal/index.html

[gurtch]

I use the WhiBal card.

 

The first two are reviews and the last link is where I bought mine.

 

WhiBal Review

Welcome to beautiful-landscape.com

 

WhiBal Gray Card for Digital Photo White Balance - RAW Workflow

Thanks Mark: I read the reviews, and ordered one.

Dave

[johnwolf]

I carry a pocket sized WhiBal (http://www.rawworkflow.com). It's inexpensive and it works fine.

 

I just ordered one a WhiBal pocket size. The tutorial video on their web site is well worth watching, especially if you are new to digital or color balancing in this way.

 

John

[reven]

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I use nothing. For most of the Fine Art Work you don't need correct colours. They should be nice colours.

[SoBeachKid]

I carry the pocket sized WhiBal as well.

[cme4brain]

I carry a pocket sized WhiBal (http://www.rawworkflow.com). It's inexpensive and it works fine.

 

Yes, but using the card requires that the card be in the picture.

[Riley]

i use an 18% grey whenever i remember it

you can get by using a white ceiling indoors

if being a bit judgemental on the strength and mixture of light sources

[wparsonsgisnet]

Yes, but using the card requires that the card be in the picture.

 

If the photog is in the same lighting as the subject, the card can be at the camera.

[sean_reid]

Yes, but using the card requires that the card be in the picture.

 

It only needs to be in a picture made under the same lighting conditions. So, if lighting is consistent, the card can be in frame 1 and the subsequent pictures can be made without it.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean