White balance question - using flash with ambient

Phil V said:
Loads better, not a lot to add to Bobs comments above, except:

The WB is better, but we're erring towards magenta now. It should have been good SOOC when using flash.
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Thanks Phil, interesting point about the WB. SOOC settings looked alright to me but I'm not totally sure my screen is very good so I set them to 5500K and 0 on the green/magenta. Should it have been left as shot?
 
An earlier photo, before I lowered the tripod which was holding the flash/umbrella (which I won't do again...) with the catchlights a bit higher in the eyes.

IMG_2927 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr
 
Phil V said:
Loads better, not a lot to add to Bobs comments above, except:

The WB is better, but we're erring towards magenta now. It should have been good SOOC when using flash.
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Phil - comparison below from the original shot - the only difference is the WB. Would be interested as to which one you (or others) think looks closer to correct WB.

IMG_2969 - WB comparison LR by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr
 
I'm on the iPad, so this isn't critically perfect.
The SOOC looks slightly more natural, however I don't know what the subject actually looks like. I will say though that both these have more natural skin tones than your usual posts, so we're definitely heading I the right direction.
 
Phil V said:
I'm on the iPad, so this isn't critically perfect.
The SOOC looks slightly more natural, however I don't know what the subject actually looks like. I will say though that both these have more natural skin tones than your usual posts, so we're definitely heading I the right direction.
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Thanks Phil, I agree SOOC looks closer, judging from the whites of the eyes. Finley has a little colour to his skin. Wondering if not using sRGB was the thing I was doing wrong before.

How does ACR default WB setting get it right? Have been trying to work that one out!
 
Morbid said:
Thanks Phil, I agree SOOC looks closer, judging from the whites of the eyes. Finley has a little colour to his skin. Wondering if not using sRGB was the thing I was doing wrong before.

How does ACR default WB setting get it right? Have been trying to work that one out!
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On 'phone, excuse brevity.

The first looks a tiny tiny bit orange, the second marginally green. But I'm on my phone, so blame it.

Auto WB is often (always?) done with statistics. Camera manufacturers build up a database of many images and their WB, and devise an algorithm to find where your image fits in.
 
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juggler said:
On 'phone, excuse brevity.

The first looks a tiny tiny bit orange, the second marginally green. But I'm on my phone, so blame it.

Auto WB is often (always?) done with statistics. Camera manufacturers build up a database of many images and their WB, and devise an algorithm to find where your image fits in.
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I can see the first looks orange, I thought that was because he looked like this about 15 minutes before taking the shot, and the face wipe wasn't good enough :)

IMG_2909 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

I can't see the green though, maybe it's my monitor (and iPhone) or my ageing eyes?

ETA: clever how they do that algorithm...
 
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Just take a test shot with a grey card, shoot raw, and batch white balance everything from the grey card shot. At least they will all be consistent then.

Absolute white balance is subjective any way, as I have never met your son.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Just take a test shot with a grey card, shoot raw, and batch white balance everything from the grey card shot. At least they will all be consistent then.

Absolute white balance is subjective any way, as I have never met your son.
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Thanks David, just did this. Quick question for you. Took the grey card shot (well, inside of LowePro backpack) with Finley sat on a black sofa. I then moved him in front of the Christmas tree about 3 feet from initial shot. Have used WB from grey card in all shots, would the change of background need a second grey card shot?
 
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Morbid said:
Thanks David, just did this. Quick question for you. Took the grey card shot (well, inside of LowePro backpack) with Finley sat on a black sofa. I then moved him in front of the Christmas tree about 3 feet from initial shot. Have used WB from grey card in all shots, would the change of background need a second grey card shot?
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So long as the light source doesn't change, then no, it should still be fine. Only if the colour temperature of the light source changes do you need to take another grey card reference shot.
 
Pookeyhead said:
So long as the light source doesn't change, then no, it should still be fine. Only if the colour temperature of the light source changes do you need to take another grey card reference shot.
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Thanks, that's what I was thinking but good to have it confirmed.
 
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