white balance
03-18-2008, 06:42 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kansas city, Missouri
Posts: 2,571
white balance
this is going to sound really stupid but what is the white balance on a camera and also what is the gain setting. i have been trying to find out about itbut couldn't find anything on it
03-18-2008, 10:45 PM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location:
Posts: 675
RE: white balance
White balance is how the cameras imager sees the color white...................as the lighting in your subject area changes so does the color balance and the camera either needs to see the color white manually (via White Balance card) or it will adjust to a preset factory setting that may or may not reflect the true color of the environment.I always,always set the white balance manually and continue to re-adjust it as the lighting changes.
Gain is a setting inmost pro-sumer camera's (and some consumer models) that can be adjusted manually to let in more light in low light conditions.......the more gain the grainier the footage gets.........to me anything over 6db is going to be unuseable footage, but some say up to 12db. Matter of fact I passed on a 128" 8 point this year because I had the iris wide open and the gain up to 12db. and the footage was too grainy in my opinion, so I did not shoot the buck, even though it was a slam dunk 15 yard shot.................
Gain is a setting inmost pro-sumer camera's (and some consumer models) that can be adjusted manually to let in more light in low light conditions.......the more gain the grainier the footage gets.........to me anything over 6db is going to be unuseable footage, but some say up to 12db. Matter of fact I passed on a 128" 8 point this year because I had the iris wide open and the gain up to 12db. and the footage was too grainy in my opinion, so I did not shoot the buck, even though it was a slam dunk 15 yard shot.................
03-19-2008, 06:24 AM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location:
Posts: 675
RE: white balance
It really depends on the camera..........most consumer cams will only allow you to manually adjust the white balance when all other functions are in manual mode as well, however most if not all pro-sumer cams will allow you to manually control the W.B. separate from the other manula settings......And yes the camera has the ability to adjust white balance automatically, but it won't always be true white given the lighting situation. It's always best to adjust white balance manually.
03-28-2008, 05:58 PM
#7
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Top of the world - Barrow Alaska
Posts: 2
RE: white balance
Well that is one way to look at it, but a much better simpler method does exist and it is very handy and easy to understand.
when you get that image opened in photoshop or whatever other method you use to edit your images, or video footage. Some basic understanding of colors and how they work together is essential to learn and master.
Just because you have a high tech computer inside that camera, sometimes it will not yield the results you want. When that happens.. you can easily color correct any image, just by knowing a few basics!!
I am old school .. .. FILM ! but these same rules still apply and by knowing these your gonna easily save yourself a lot of frustration, at times!!
In photography .. .. in the darkroom and on the finished print. There are only six colors !
Red Green Blue are the primary colors, they each have opposites or secondary colors.
The Opposite of Red .. is Cyan
The Opposite of Green is Magenta
The opposite of Blue .. is . Yellow
In photoshop when you have an image open and you go up to the top menu 'Image > adjust > color balance.
a window opens, and these same relationships are on that slider page
R - C
G - M
B - Y
In the darkroom, when a finished print was too yellow, you would have to add yellow to the filter pack to get rid of that yellow ! (have I got you confused ) ?
If a print was too blue.. you would subtract yellow to get rid of that blue !!
Photoshop makes it much easier to understand and put into practice..
In other words, you do the opposite of what you see in your final print or image!
Lets say that I have a circular piece of cardboard such as you get when you order pizza.
If I take that circle piece of cardboard and divide it into 3 sections,
Red, Green & Blue paint is applied to each section.
Now if I take and spin that circle very fast.
with a pin or pencil in the center..
what COLOR will you see ??
Black is not a COLOR.. !! Black is the absence of ALL color(s).
The Presence of ALL color(s) is white !
therefore you will see white !!
This can also be illustrated using lights. real lights .. or lights in a 3D program.
I will take 3 lights and aim them towards a common center point.
A red light, a green light, and a blue light. Notice where they all merge.. the color white is shown and visible and the overlapping areas clearly show the secondary colors also !!
The only time you might get confused is when you mistake and correct for cyan when the photo is really blue.
and again, if that print is realy blue and you correct for cyan you will never get the correct results.
Look. in the neutral areas, for shadows. in white, or grey, what color is in excess?? correct using the opposite of that color and your whites will pop and your greys will be grey!! it just takes a little practice !!
Learning to use colors and their compliments is essential to learning the Art of Photography.
Usnig colors in Juxtaposition with each other, produces the most pleasing results !!
when you get that image opened in photoshop or whatever other method you use to edit your images, or video footage. Some basic understanding of colors and how they work together is essential to learn and master.
Just because you have a high tech computer inside that camera, sometimes it will not yield the results you want. When that happens.. you can easily color correct any image, just by knowing a few basics!!
I am old school .. .. FILM ! but these same rules still apply and by knowing these your gonna easily save yourself a lot of frustration, at times!!
In photography .. .. in the darkroom and on the finished print. There are only six colors !
Red Green Blue are the primary colors, they each have opposites or secondary colors.
The Opposite of Red .. is Cyan
The Opposite of Green is Magenta
The opposite of Blue .. is . Yellow
In photoshop when you have an image open and you go up to the top menu 'Image > adjust > color balance.
a window opens, and these same relationships are on that slider page
R - C
G - M
B - Y
In the darkroom, when a finished print was too yellow, you would have to add yellow to the filter pack to get rid of that yellow ! (have I got you confused ) ?
If a print was too blue.. you would subtract yellow to get rid of that blue !!
Photoshop makes it much easier to understand and put into practice..
In other words, you do the opposite of what you see in your final print or image!
Lets say that I have a circular piece of cardboard such as you get when you order pizza.
If I take that circle piece of cardboard and divide it into 3 sections,
Red, Green & Blue paint is applied to each section.
Now if I take and spin that circle very fast.
with a pin or pencil in the center..
what COLOR will you see ??
Black is not a COLOR.. !! Black is the absence of ALL color(s).
The Presence of ALL color(s) is white !
therefore you will see white !!
This can also be illustrated using lights. real lights .. or lights in a 3D program.
I will take 3 lights and aim them towards a common center point.
A red light, a green light, and a blue light. Notice where they all merge.. the color white is shown and visible and the overlapping areas clearly show the secondary colors also !!
The only time you might get confused is when you mistake and correct for cyan when the photo is really blue.
and again, if that print is realy blue and you correct for cyan you will never get the correct results.
Look. in the neutral areas, for shadows. in white, or grey, what color is in excess?? correct using the opposite of that color and your whites will pop and your greys will be grey!! it just takes a little practice !!
Learning to use colors and their compliments is essential to learning the Art of Photography.
Usnig colors in Juxtaposition with each other, produces the most pleasing results !!
03-28-2008, 06:19 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Eastern Oregon
Posts: 104
RE: white balance
Majik,
Do you know you're dealing with a bunch of rednecks here? (that is supposed to be funny). You ought to post a link to your web site so these guys can see the amazing images you have.
Greetings from Anchorage! I've seen your photos and knowledge posted on the Alaska Outdoor Forums.
Ken
Here's a link: http://www.majikimaje.com/
Hope you don't mind. I just happen to really like your stuff.
Do you know you're dealing with a bunch of rednecks here? (that is supposed to be funny). You ought to post a link to your web site so these guys can see the amazing images you have.
Greetings from Anchorage! I've seen your photos and knowledge posted on the Alaska Outdoor Forums.
Ken
Here's a link: http://www.majikimaje.com/
Hope you don't mind. I just happen to really like your stuff.
03-28-2008, 06:35 PM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Top of the world - Barrow Alaska
Posts: 2
RE: white balance
well I sure appreciate your kind words.. I just don't know where to post this in this forum !!
Each time I post this unique photo essay, I type it all out by hand, the only two chapters I copy & paste are the info on polar bears and what is an Iglu!!
thanks again for your endorement !! (blushing) !!
Each time I post this unique photo essay, I type it all out by hand, the only two chapters I copy & paste are the info on polar bears and what is an Iglu!!
thanks again for your endorement !! (blushing) !!
