preset white balance

[michael_k.1]

Hi,

 

When I shoot an event, I use the same camera for both with and without flash shots. (since I've bought a good

camera, I don't shoot anymore with my backups).

 

Most of the time, the reception take place in two different rooms with fast moving dances. I often switch off the on-

camera flash and switch from manual to aperture to get more artistic shots, then after about one minute, switch back

manual with flash and alternate between the 2 rooms.

 

The problem is, if I set the white balance to custom, I need 4 presets (1st room with flash, 1st without, 2nd with, 2nd

without, 2nd room has often differents ceiling making different light) which seems to me a bit complicate to manage

and easier to forget restoring the good white balance after changing mode ?

 

Is my solution somewhere else than in the automatic white balance or Raw shooting ?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mike

[richard_wang10]

Michael

 

What do you mean by switching off the on-camera flash?

 

Anyway, I don't know how wedding photog's do it, but here's what I do.

 

First I cut up a grey card and paste a big piece on the front of all my lens cap.

 

That's so I always have a grey card on hand.

 

When I get on scene I find someone to hold it and shoot the card.

 

If there's no one around I put it somewhere and shoot.

 

This gives me a reference shot in my photo-stream for every time I change sites.

 

Then when I Photoshop I set the balance for each individual site.

 

Not the cleanest way, but it works for me.

 

Maybe someone's got a more elegant or efficient way.

 

If all else fails just convert everything to black and white.

 

Just kidding.

[summerleif]

What objection do you have to shooting RAW files and using auto white balance?

 

Once loaded into Adobe Lightroom, an entire session of such RAW files can be white balance adjusted, and processed in other ways, in short order.

[robbie_caswell]

I always custom WB. It's simple and fast enough. It saves ALOT more time than the few seconds you lose.

 

Often wondered if I went room to room prior to events and did the reading you described... initially... then scroll to the beginning of your files when they are needed. It just seems more trouble than it's worth.

 

I hate AWB. Get it right in the camera to begin with... IMHO

[robbie_caswell]

I always custom WB. It's simple and fast enough. It saves ALOT more time than the few seconds you lose.

 

Often wondered if I went room to room prior to events and did the reading you described... initially... then scroll to the

beginning of your files when they are needed. It just seems more trouble than it's worth.

 

I hate AWB. Get it right in the camera to begin with... IMHO

[ronald_moravec1]

I would do a custom and reset tot hat for each room using to K scale rather than sun-flash etc.

 

But when it is all said and done, you will screw up somwhere. Two rooms plus flash. Not a chance

 

Auto WB can be mass processed to correct, either all or just the misses .

 

Better have raw files

[picturesque]

Aren't there cameras that store a number of different custom white balances? Anyway, if it is simple enough, why not white balance as you go from place to place--that way you don't get mixed up with more than just a couple of different white balances. Or flip to a pre-set if you know your stay in one room is limited to only a few shots. Or gel your flash and use a K temperature so that the primary light is set and use the custom white balance for the no-flash shots.

[cabbiinc]

Shooting a custom white balance for flash probably wont do you any more good than AWB. A flash with AWB will give you the same results most the time unless you gel your flash to match the ambient. I would shoot a grey card for ambient for each site and correct in post processing.

 

In post processing you will be able to distinguish between those and set the white balance off the grey cards in DPP or photoshop or whatever you use then batch process the shots just before you go to bed or go out to dinner. Shoot it in RAW. Either that or use 2 cameras.

 

I use the ExpoDisc for a shot, put it back in AWB, then refrence the ExpoDisc shot (in post processing) when the lighting looks odd. You can even do the ED shot after the fact. Expodisc does the same thing as a grey card in case your interested, it's just another tool.

[jodygarland]

gel your flash to match room k temp approx and custom wb for the rooms.

[rayt]

Shoot RAW, include a known reference in the first shot in a new lighting venue. Adjust the color later. When shooting RAW the camera white balance has no effect except to give the raw processor a starting white balance.

[timberwulf]

hehe, been shooting RAW so long I've just stopped worrying about the WB while I"m shooting alltogether (except, of course, for taking steps to minimize mixing multiple differently temped light sources were possible).

[William Michael]

If I understand the question: there are two rooms, both lit differently by room lighting. There is dancing in both rooms. You shoot both rooms, moving quickly between them. You shot JPEG only. You shot with and without flash in both rooms. You do not want to use two cameras. I usually always custom white balance, and I shoot in brackets, in each location. So in that regard I agree and usually do what Robbie Caswell suggests, (the premise being, to get it right in the camera).

 

But it seems one major issue is that you are moving between rooms quickly, and deciding to shoot with and without flash quickly, and you are adamant about using only one camera.

 

If this is a correct summary, then IMO a good solution is:

 

1. Shoot RAW + JPEG (or RAW only if you camera does not allow the former).

 

2. Set WB to AUTO

 

Outcomes:

 

a. AWB should be very close to covering all the FLASH shots, in both rooms.

 

b. All the JPEG out of the camera you are satisfied with, then you are: <Finished>.

 

c. If you are not satisfied with the JPEG, then Post Process the RAW data, which is a better protocol than post processing JPEGS.

 

d. If the rooms have coloured lighting then most likely AWB will still have some effect of that lighting, in the `artistic` shots captured without flash: many of these will be fine as is, IMO, but if not, process the RAW.

 

e. Most likely the only investment you will need, is more memory.

 

Comment:

 

Personally, if my understanding of the situation is correct I would work two cameras, one with flash and one without flash (even though I would have a flash MOUNTED on both cameras). And set my white balance on the `FLASH` camera, and use AWB on the NON FLASH camera, and just let the room lights work their magic on those shots, or tweak slightly to taste, as I mentioned above.

 

Reasons:

 

1. Redundancy: back ups in the camera bag or car are not backups IMO.

 

2. Never turning flash on or off, not changing `Av` to `M`: there are many fewer movements just picking up the camera on the short rope or the long rope, and shooting.

 

WW

[michael_k.1]

Thanks a lot to all of you. (as usual... : ) )

 

The idea of shooting RAW+Jpeg is not so bad... I just need to buy a few more cards...

but seems anyway to me the best thing. Flash shoots should not be so bad ...and for special light, I can use the RAW shoots. I often shoot for other photographers than require Jpegs only...

 

William : If I can get the money for another D3, I will maybe go for the ready to pick up D3 backup...

 

Thanks again

 

Mike