So I'm editing a shoot which had a few different light sources (and types, apparently) and it seems I can't get one colour temp/tint combination that works for all the shots I took in the one room. So much harder than I thought! I think I've answered my own question but curious to see what others think. Details as follows:
- shoot: post-birth photos, in a hospital room, lots of skin tones (incl newborn, who was quite pink) and white blankets etc
- light sources - combination of fluoro/tungsten (or warm-coloured fluoro?) From memory a lamp on top of the cupboard and a big hospital light on a big arm from the ceiling. I pointed both at the ceiling/wall (white/neutral coloured) to minimise harsh shadows.
- shot RAW.
- editing with Lightroom. Much playing around, ie. working with one image, (using sliders as well as the pen), thinking I have it right, synching the lot only to find that another looked all wrong.
- I have settled between 3500-4000K and Tint between 20-30 (does this sound about right??). Synched now in groups of images shot in the same spot and from the same angle.
So I'm assuming that the issue is that shooting in different parts of the room and from different angles means slightly more or less of each type of light (and influence of wall colour etc) each time. I'm also thinking with all the white in a hospital room the colour tints are more noticeable than they would be in a room with more colour etc.
Anyone got any tips? I have spent hours editing already!! Certainly a learning curve and I will be able to work much more quickly next time I hope!!
Not knowing exactly what the composition is and what your problems are, you can always "paint the white balance" with the Adjustment Brush to your hearts content, just like you would paint any mask, in any number of places, in any number of variations.
@frankhymus Thanks Frank. I do think though, for a shoot of 89 photos (after sorting) this is probably not a particularly realistic solution. It's also not a composition problem - it's just that the white balance that suits one photo (or group of photos) does not suit another.
@aliha surely the easiest way would be to get a set of colour balance cards. Take a photo of the cards in the lighting then shoot away. When you process set you colour temp from the card photo and sync across those photos.
@chippy1402 Thanks Peter, not a bad idea either. Thinking practically though I'm not sure it would be appropriate in a birth setting (birth photography being my aim) to be traipsing around a room with colour cards and shooting them from all angles … Interestingly, using the WB selector pen on the white blankets I found the result far too cool, and even using it in the shadows I found I wanted to warm the tones a little more again, so maybe it's a taste thing.
Perhaps my question should be more along the lines of, what colour temp/tint settings do people find most complimentary to skin tones under these types of lights?? Am I in the ballpark??
@aliha interestingly with white sheet there is a certain amount of fluorescing material in detergents that make them whiter that white hence the colour balance issues! However you only need a single frame in the light for the complete series to contain the white card. It might even make you look a real pro to explain why it's needed :-)
You can get a lens cap white balance tool just fit set custom balance and remove and away you go less of an intrusion?
Oh just forgot don't forget that calibration of monitors and white point of you monitor will also affect your perception of what is white I feel a mine field starting :-)
I have found the presets balance the WB in the overall RAW image quite well - but I have not had any with wildly differing light sources. try the gradient filter & balance the WB in each area?
@chippy1402 Haha yes I often wonder about the screen … esp when adjusting exposure … I like to turn screen brightness all the way up when i'm working but is that a bad idea??? Interesting re detergents, I'd believe that … And no, bad idea to draw attention to the "pro photographer" in a birthing room! … my point about traipsing around the room is because of the original issue - that the light seems to be different colours in different parts and from different angles in the room, so taking a single frame at one point would not be sufficient. Lens cap tool sounds interesting, I might have to look into that!
@aliha to get consistent colour you really need to calibrate your monitor and set the white point correctly you may find that some of your issues are with that rather than mixed lighting. Most lighting I would have thought in a hospital would be fairly cold fluorescent lighting mixed with daylight? I wouldn't have thought it would cause huge problems.
Again the only real advice would be to take one reference photo so you knew the withe point then sync all from that room then tweak as required but that comes with the caveat that your monitor was calibrated. Which I would advise you do if you are thinking of getting photos printed with any kind of consistency.
This has been a fscinating discussion to read! I would suggest scoping out a hospital room that may be unoccupied in advance to get your prework in (like a wedding photographer does) and make notes based on that if you plan to do this as a regular gig. I have a friend who worked exclusively with a newvorn photo company that visited hospitals for the same purpose. I'll ask what she did. @chippy1402 I have two monitors and one is newer and the other old. I don't ever know what the final image will look like because of those differences (I use side by side monitors for all kinds of work--not just photography) Any advice? I'm not as advanced as thisdiscussion is but I've come a long way in actactually knowing what you are talking about!
@darylo I'm in the same position as you and have one old monitor and a sparkly new wide screen job.
Two monitors is no problem if you can get your hands on a calibration device, provided your graphics card has individual LUT ( Look Up Tables ) you can then set up individual profiles for both monitors. As an alternative you could also do what I have done and use two graphics cards!
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Perhaps my question should be more along the lines of, what colour temp/tint settings do people find most complimentary to skin tones under these types of lights?? Am I in the ballpark??
You can get a lens cap white balance tool just fit set custom balance and remove and away you go less of an intrusion?
Oh just forgot don't forget that calibration of monitors and white point of you monitor will also affect your perception of what is white I feel a mine field starting :-)
http://www.jilllevenhagenphotography.com/2013/05/06/lightroom-editing-babies/
I have found the presets balance the WB in the overall RAW image quite well - but I have not had any with wildly differing light sources. try the gradient filter & balance the WB in each area?
Again the only real advice would be to take one reference photo so you knew the withe point then sync all from that room then tweak as required but that comes with the caveat that your monitor was calibrated. Which I would advise you do if you are thinking of getting photos printed with any kind of consistency.
Two monitors is no problem if you can get your hands on a calibration device, provided your graphics card has individual LUT ( Look Up Tables ) you can then set up individual profiles for both monitors. As an alternative you could also do what I have done and use two graphics cards!