Problems with white balance

[diverrick]

Hi I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about my white balance problems. When I use my white slate to white balance, I end up getting alot of red in the picture. I asked a UW photo pro about this last week, and he said it must be operator error. My screen on my camera does not show corrected WB views, So I can't look at the monitor to be sure the color is correct, and even if I could, what would I do to correct for it? I used all sorts of different angles with the slate to the sun, to see what difference that would make, it made no changes at all. I was wondering maybe a slightly different color slate? I get the same red shift when I use the sand for WB reference. Any ideas.

 

[diver 85]

I just started using white balance last summer(went to digital then after 12 years of 35mm) and had the same problem with my white slate...I finally just started 'shooting' the sand or very light colored coral & seems to work---see my pics below in sig, probably half shot with white balance evaluated......The whole time in the back of my mind I was thinking the same ie operator error....don't know but I will keep up with thread, thanks for asking.......

 

[PlanetMarz]

Hi I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about my white balance problems. When I use my white slate to white balance, I end up getting alot of red in the picture. I asked a UW photo pro about this last week, and he said it must be operator error. My screen on my camera does not show corrected WB views, So I can't look at the monitor to be sure the color is correct, and even if I could, what would I do to correct for it? I used all sorts of different angles with the slate to the sun, to see what difference that would make, it made no changes at all. I was wondering maybe a slightly different color slate? I get the same red shift when I use the sand for WB reference. Any ideas.

If you shoot in RAW, it doesn't matter how what your White Balance settings are... adjust the WB in Lightroom, DPP or Camera Raw and you are good to go.

 

[diverrick]

I tried the RAW setting but my computer doesn't recognize it, so i lost a bunch of pics during that experiment. Plus it takes a shXX load of memory. i am still in that stage where I don't know how to make thumbnails out of my giant high def pics, so i can send them via Email..

 

[PlanetMarz]

You need software that accepts the camera raw plug-in - i.e. photoshop elements, lightroom, CS3, etc. At the entry level, I highly suggest that you purchase a copy of LightRoom (adobe) - that will give you the ability to perform basic edits, color corrections, etc. as well as the camera raw plug-in. Simply transferring pictures in raw format to your computer does not corrupt or delete them - you must have deleted them or they are still there but not recognized.
AND
you spend a lot of time with expensive gear capturing images that you may never have a chance to duplicate - why on earth would you choose a "lossy" image format like jpg?

 

[AndyT]

Which camera are you using? Also, once you have set the white balance are you remaining at that depth or ascending a few meters?

 

[randini]

Are you using the flash or a strobe? If you WB in a blue (or green) UW environemnet, then add white light from a strobe (i.e. with red) when you take a picture, the photos. will come out red.

 

[PlanetMarz]

Simply white balancing a photo will not make it red - I take that back, it is possible, but you have to mess it up pretty good.

Here (White Balance: Digital Imaging: Glossary: Learn: Digital Photography Review) is a pretty good explanation if you don't know what white balance actually does.

If you are using a strobe, shooting RAW and post-processing with DPP, CS3, LR, etc. AND you have color corrected your monitor, your images can look just like they did when you shot them (depending on your Post skill level).

 

[MM4]

How do you white balance underwater ? Because I have the feeling that if I do it before diving, I will still get a saturated blue picture. I also wonder if the setting will remain if I switch to video mode in my digital camera.....

 

[AndyT]

You do a WB underwater the same way you would do it on land. Just point the camera at something white or grey at the depth you will be taking photos at.

Some cameras will retain the setting in movie mode - I have done this with my 7070, works great !