18% grey

[luis_relampago]

Light changes definitely affect the white balance, thats is why you have to do it accordingly to help you in your task either shooting out side or inside, to get better colors on your pictures you need to do it. Cameras have a good AWB but you can get better results using your 18% gray card and custom WB. Thats my humble opinion.

[3n-Out]

I use a 77mm expodisc and love the results from it. It is easy to use and always available as it hangs around my neck. So yes, on a typical outside shoot I may take 10-20 white balance shots to make corrections to light and the time of Day is important too. Like 10am light isn't as intense as 1:00pm light. According to my camera anyway..

[DangerouslyMoody]

Thanks guys!! This helps a lot! I will be practicing this weekend!! :)

[kenw]

a grey card was originally used for exposure. WB is a bit of a johnny-come-lately, and while a grey card will work, the 18% part is of no consequence to the WB setting. The fact that it is color-neutral is the important aspect for WB setting.

Like white, grey has no color tint. Neither does true black, but it's kinda hard to use....

You can easily and correctly use a white object for white balance. The trick is to define "white" adequately and without any color tint. And it must not be so under/overexposed as to create false colors. It's trick but highly doable.

Since most photographers already have a grey card, and it WILL work just fine for WB as well as exposure, the grey card wins by default.

And just because you shoot in RAW doesn't mean WB is not an issue. Some things even RAW cannot fix.

[ngoduyviet]

Wayne, that was funny heheh. I remember my frustration the first time learning about 18% gray and all that.

If I don't have a gray card ready, I normally just find a white napkin or something white to base my WB on, works for me most of the time.

[luis_relampago]

Viet,
The old napking trick. I have used the bride wedding dress it self as a white source, with some WB shift alteration, it can make a great image have a nice color balance.

[trahanw]

Great Topic...thanks for the post.

[studiocygnet]

Originally Posted by luis_relampago

Viet,
The old napking trick. I have used the bride wedding dress it self as a white source, with some WB shift alteration, it can make a great image have a nice color balance.

And then there's the old "meter off the concrete" trick, because concrete is usually close to 18% grey, as long as it's not that white concrete.

[110240]

http://super.nova.org/DPR/ this guy can explain it better than me.

[venchka]

One more: The palm of your hand and add 1/2 to 1 stop depending on your particular palm. YMMV.

[Jeff Lane]

For what it's worth, the back cover of the user's guide that came with my Nikon D80 is nearly completely white, and just big enough to be a handy white surface for the WB setting procedure described in the book itself. Since I'm new to all this, that dadgummed book is always in my camera bag anyway, so why not use it?

[mdparthum]

A WhiBal Card is great for this as well.

[TexIndian]

Like Wayne mentioned above, your light meter tries to make its subject turn out 18% gray, or midway between black and white. The classic example is the person standing in front of a bright sky. A typical averaging meter will under-expose the shot and the subject is almost black. The meter sees mostly sky and tries to make it mid-tone. Same thing in snow. If you don't have a gray card, old concrete or grass works fairly well, or your hand as mentioned above (depending on complexion, etc, you may need to experiment to find the proper compensation for skin).

[Rson]

I found that the Expodisc around my neck interfers with my gold chain and diamond encrusted "$"

I like a good ole white bal card.

WhiBal White Balance Gray Card Video Tutorial by Michael Tapes

[humminboid]

Exposure is one of the confusing parts of photography. My opinion, and worth just exactly what you paid for it.

Ansel Adams invented the Zone System. Really confusing!

In the Darkroom ages, Life and other photogs in Korea metered off their palm, and opened up one stop to achieve what was considered "proper" mid-tone skin balance.

To achieve close exposure, meter green, healthy grass (you Texas guys do have grass, don't you?) for a proper mid-tone.

All meters are set to universally read a mid-tone value. It will render a white horse gray, and a black horse gray.

To bring the color to what you want, for snow , light colored scenes, or white horses, increase exposure 1+ stops. Dark objects, decrease exposure 1-1 1/2 stops.

I just bought an expodisc, which I haven't had opportunity to use yet, and I have an 18% gray lens cleaning cloth that I can meter, and set my color balance with, should I ever feel the need.