An ideas on adjusting custom white balance...

[wade_thompson]

<p>Sometimes I only bring one lens to a sporting event... and sometime it's a 85mm to greater.<br>

Since it's impossible sometimes to get a white object to fit in the shot to set a custom white balance I was wondering if there were any tricks of the trade to get around this?<br>

I shoot a Nikon D200 (FX) and there is often no wall or anything white enough to work.</p>

<p>Any ideas or do I just need to start bringing a low mm lens and a white card?</p>

 

[glen_berry]

<p>Have a look at an ExpoDisc - it's easy to carry and fits over the end of your lens.</p>

[shoppix]

<p>#1 - set WB to Auto and shoot RAW<br>

#2 bring a white pc of copy paper, tape to a wall and shoot<br>

#3 buy a WB card at local camera shop or online<br>

#4 most lights in a gym change color and intensity, some more than others so you wil still have to fix the WB in post. Again, shoot auto & RAW, and majority will be closer to correct. Fix/adjust more, if necessary, any that willl be printed in 'post'.</p>

 

[John Crowe]

<p>I've not had much luck with WB choices in three different DSLRs. I have the best luck using Auto and RAW and changing the colour balance in photoshop.</p>

[hal_b]

<p>I tuck a piece of white printer paper (the good stuff, 96 White or better) folded up into quarters in my camera bag (so it's only 5 1/2 x 4 1/4" and opaque). I hand-hold it and shoot it at arm's length or closer with the lens defocused. This gets me probably 98% of the way to perfect color, and alot better than Auto WB in tough situations.</p>

[wade_thompson]

<p>oh, I thought out of focus would not work. if it's that simple, then duh.. I'll try it.</p>

<p>thanks</p>

[ben_goren]

<p>Wade,</p>

 

<p>What matters is that the gray card is evenly illuminated by the same light as the subject.

Indeed, having the image out of focus is good, as it applies a gaussian blur to any surface

irregularities on the card.</p>

 

<p>But permit me to take a moment to <strong>MOST STRONGLY CAUTION

<em><big>AGAINST</big></em></strong> using “white” paper for a white balance. White paper

quite simply isn’t. Period, end of subject. And it makes a <em>miserable</em> white

balance target.</p>

 

<p>Instead, get a $10 Kodak Gray Card. It’s an excellent gray balance tool, probably second

only to the $50 WhiBal. And you’ll only notice the difference between the two if you’re

doing colorimetric work, in which case you’ll be building ICC profiles and don’t need

somebody like me to explain it all to you. It’s an even better bang-for-the-buck photographic tool than the Nifty Fifty.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>I'm sure that Wade's approach is the best but if you're in a pinch, use a white piece of paper. </p>

<p>I was at an indoor basketball game today in a gym that I have not been to before. I had trouble setting the WB using any of the modes so I found a white piece of paper (actually a flyer promoting the gym's basketball camp!) and used it to manually read the white balance. Of course everyone around me probably thought that I was a bit crazy "taking a picture of a white piece of paper". It worked great and got me out of the pinch. </p>

<p>However after reading Wade's reco, I am going to purchase the Kodak gray card and start carrying it with me. Either way, I recommend learning how to set WB on your camera. I have a D90 and the technique is quite easy to master.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

[rayt]

<p>If you use RAW there is no need to set white balance. The white balance information is only stored with the RAW file to give the RAW processor a start and for the camera image display (which is a JPG conversion). I always use RAW. When I get to a venue I photograph a digital target in the same light and leave the camera on auto WB. Later in post processing I balance all the images to that target. If I don't have my digital target I use anything white, paper, uniforms, etc. If I can find something white in an image I can get the color balance very close to what it should be.</p>