I learned ALOT today with a MODEL

[NoUsername]

Okay so I have been shooting quite a few models recently with mixed results. Nothing too good and nothing too bad. However today I discovered something, something very very special. My camera has 5 different modes of White Balance braketing and I used it for the first time. WOW WOW WOW. I will post up some pictures in a few days from the shoot, but I can tell you right now that a good white balance setting can make a HUGE difference. The skin tones looked beautiful. Enough of my gloating.....but just remember guys, give that white balance button a try, it can work wonders.

ps- you guys are probably laughing because you knew all along about white balance but i just discovered it so cut me some slack.

[CC]

heres more on them...



http://www.warmcards.com/

[NoUsername]

great link candid camera. i think i just learned even more, lol. thanks

[Gramps]

Here's yer bone CB, I have 6 auto white balance setting's on the
8800 nikon...and that was a great link CC...I'm working on it...
It can only get better.... :)

[Shark]

I don't understand the white balance thing either.

[the boss]

when shooting models, custom white balance. Go to your local camera store and get an 18% grey card or bring a clear peice of white paper

[NoUsername]

I am starting to like my D2X now more. On the D70 there is only a 3 stage white balance bracket but on the D2X it has a 3, 5, 7, and 9. Has anyone tried shooting candids with adjusted white balance settings ? Is that how you guys get the flesh tones so nice ? DAMN, how come no one told me about thi earlier. This is the greastest thing since sliced bread.

[thirty2]

ISeaU2 white balance is always important, I would like to hear how you set up your cam. I have never used a grey card, but nikon dslrs allow you to take a picture and have the camera use it to select a white balance setting based on that pic. Is this a good way to set it? I know I am slacking on this part of my photography so any tips would be helpful guys.
Thanks,
32

[greatphotos]

ISeaU2 white balance is always important, I would like to hear how you set up your cam. I have never used a grey card, but nikon dslrs allow you to take a picture and have the camera use it to select a white balance setting based on that pic. Is this a good way to set it? I know I am slacking on this part of my photography so any tips would be helpful guys.
Thanks,
32

From what I understand, that's the best way to do it. What some also recommend is playing around with the WB settings, for instance, using the Nikon cloudy setting on a sunny day will give you a very warm shot.

I normally shoot on Auto and then tweak in photoshop later. If a beach shot looks too cool, then I can warm it up a bit later. I think where WB settings become crucial is when you are shooting with flash indoors. It's best to set your WB for Flash in those cases. Just remember to change it back after you're done.

But yeah, you guys are right. WB can make all the difference! I prefer to concentrate on sharpness and exposure, cause I can always fine tune the pic later :p

[CC]

also...if you shoot RAW.....


you can play with the white balance in your editor

[NoUsername]

I was using the white balance bracketing mode and then choosing which ones look best.

[The Nightshade]

About the RAW stuff with a little how to do it:
http://www.lonestardigital.com/shooting_raw.htm


Pretty the same thing like the link from CC about grey cards AND RAW workflow:
http://www.rawworkflow.com/products/whibal/index.html

[thirty2]

Thanks for all the information guys. Now its time to go try it out. :smile:

[greatphotos]

The warmcards link from CC is good. Here's another link I found, it's a lot cheaper but maybe not as many options? I don't know.

http://www.pictureflow.com/products/whibal/index.html

Not sure how much of the frame you'd have to fill when using the custom white balance settings on DSLR's. The above cards are pretty small.

[nobody]

I kinda like the idea of shooting RAW and editing THAT way, since I have that option now - I think I'm gonna give it a try! But I DO remember hearing something about buffering and file size concerns shooting RAW . . . anything special that I should be aware of?

[CC]

I kinda like the idea of shooting RAW and editing THAT way, since I have that option now - I think I'm gonna give it a try! But I DO remember hearing something about buffering and file size concerns shooting RAW . . . anything special that I should be aware of?



buffering i asume is how long the image takes to write to your card in your camera?

I would suggest using RAW for a shot you know is worth the effort and not merely shoot and run.....

I would save RAW's for those shots I know will be classic ones.....where you have time to really get a great shot in.

Also, if you have a cam with a newer chipset, it will capture large files faster than in the old days...( last week? lol)

some cams shoot RAW and JPEG simultaneously, but that is a matter of settings on your camera.


Files sizes is easy...just have many large cards available.....


files sizes with high MP cams should not be an issue if you many of them.


you gotta know how much ammo you have.

[Mort]

I think the buffer refers to how many shots you can take before they are written to the card. For example,on my Nikon D100 I can shoot 4 nefs one right after the other, than I have to wait as they are written to the card and the buffer is cleared. Jpegs is 7 or 8 I think.