Please help, prevalent red in shot

[Coll]

Hi all, I've had some problems with some of my shots in that they come out astoundingly red! The shot here is an example, taken at about 20 feet, I set the white balance at the same depth. I use a Canon SD630 in it's WP-DC3 housing, no external strobes or anything, but other times I get perfectly colored shots. I know I can fix it in a photo editing program but I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong? When I set the white balance, I have a white slate I bring with me and I have the picture take it's white balance setting about 4" from the slate. Thanks for your help!

 

[M_Bipartitus]

You mention that the slate is 4" away when you WB, are the objects you are photographing the same distance away?

 

[oly5050user]

you are using the internal flash on the camera..By manually setting white balance and using the flash on a close subject(1'' to 4') it would throw you off and you get the exposure you are getting.Shut off the internal strobe or set white balance on automatic and use strobe..not both.
White balance adjustment is for what the camera "sees" at the time you make the adjustment.Fire the strobe and now you have a different light source, that gives you false colors.

 

[randini]

Turn the flash off. When you white balance you're adding red that has been lost. Then, when the flash shoots, you're adding white light (with red in it) into the picture. Notice how in the very back (where the flash didn't reach) the color looks about right.

 

[herman]

Manual white balancing is used when you use NO flash or strobe. I see backscatter so you are using the internal flash, turn the auto white balance back on or turn off the flash. Remember that flashes/strobes put out white light, when you use manual white balance you are adding back red to make up for the red lost at depth in the ambient light but if you use any kind of flash you are starting with correctly colored light and then forcing the camera to add a huge amount of red to the photo. Looks like the shot would have been pretty good if the white balance would have been in auto.

 

[Jim Ernst]

You beat me to the punch Oly5050.
You can't use the the flash and manual white balance.

Why are you using manual white balance, and not using auto white balance, Most Photographers now days use the Auto white balance, At least I know I do!