Fixing wrong white balance

[agent006]

I took a few shots today at Prescott, and being a bit of a numpty i was shooting on auto mode, which also forces you into using auto white balance. As a result,all the red cars are pink in the photos. The other colours seem to be fine.

Is there an easy way to sort this out?

[simpo two]

If you have PhotoShop, Auto Levels (Ctrl/Shift/L) is very good at correcting WB.

If that doesn't work try Image/Adjust/Colour Balance and poke it about manually.

[agent006]

Hmmm, got a copy of 6 somewhere, i'll dig it out and have a play.

[YarisSi]

How do you do this on a film camera?

[simpo two]

YarisSi said:

How do you do this on a film camera?

You choose the film for the job: daylight film for daylight and flash, and tungsten film for tungsten lighting (avoids the orange cast). As far as I know that's it, but you then have the uncertainty and variability of the developing and printing processes, either one of which can add an unwanted colour cast if not done properly.

NB: WB was never a problem; it's only with the advent of digital that people seem to be worrying about it. I leave my D70 on Auto WB all the time and it's fine.

>> Edited by simpo two on Monday 2nd May 10:01

[GetCarter]

White balance bracketing (either side of auto) covers all bases. (I'm not *usually* that keen mind).

Steve

[V6GTO]

simpo two said:

I leave my XXX on Auto WB all the time and it's fine.

Glad I'm not the only one!

Martin.

[GetCarter]

V6GTO said:

simpo two said: I leave my XXX on Auto WB all the time and it's fine. Glad I'm not the only one! Martin.

XXX

[V6GTO]

GetCarter said:

XXX

I don't like swearing in public

Martin.

[simpo two]

GetCarter said:

White balance bracketing (either side of auto) covers all bases.

But then if you shoot RAW, you can fix WB 'at source', so that you could save the bracketing for exposure instead?

[GetCarter]

simpo two said:

"But then if you shoot RAW, you can fix WB 'at source', so that you could save the bracketing for exposure instead? "


Indeed... (don't you get sick of beng right) which is why I use exposure bracketing and generally rely on auto WB. Just thought I'd throw into the mix that one can WB bracket... and it *does* make a difference.

Last week had terrible trouble with some VERY bright flowers... exposure all over the place/ auto wb just couldn't cope... it was only after arsing with various wb temp functions that I got 'what it looked like'

Not in any way the best pic ever taken... but this *IS* what it looked like, and I have to say that the camera and I argued over the matter for some time.

As you have mentioned... 'Mark one eyeball' should really set the rules, not some bloke in R&D in Japan in 2003.

[GetCarter]

...and remember that I haven't got Photoshop on this laptop, so I have to put the work in 'up front'.

[simpo two]

GetCarter said:

Indeed... (don't you get sick of beng right)

The trick is to keep quiet if I don't know the answer

[joust]

Picasa 2 has WB correction.

www.picasa.com/index.php?tid=Y2NpZD0zNzY3

Written by the Google team, and it's free.

J

[poah]

if you've taken in jpg then you can use (photoshop CS) photofilter (either cooling or warming) and or curves to correct the white balance. if it's taken in RAW then it's a cause of correcting the kelvin temp using the scale.