White balance woes

MattCMattC Registered Users Posts: 24 Big grins
edited January 3, 2006 in Finishing School
Heya,

I was recently browsing through my photos from our high school's production of The Matchmaker. While shooting however, one thing I neglected to take into consideration was my 300D's white balance setting - so most of my photos turned out very yellow under the stage lights. As the sound designer and board op, I had more important things to worry about at the time - like nailing my cues :D

Anyways, here's one photo in particular thats giving me a hard time to fix in photoshop:
IMG_4661.jpg

Anyone care to give it a try? For what it's worth, the scene was lit with 3200K Halogen lamps from the front and top with light pink gel filters on the front (Rosco 33?)

Thanks!
Matt Carpenter

Comments

  • nokout3839nokout3839 Registered Users Posts: 75 Big grins
    edited January 2, 2006
    Right, im a noob but I thought Id have a go.
    I just did two curves adjustments, one on the red channel and one on the RGB channel.

    Red - Input: 45 Output: 55
    RGB - Input: 75 Output: 56

    Im pretty sure I went too far but I hope it looks a bit more natural. I was also wondering if you wanted to achive extra warmth with the filter or are you using it to combat the particular lighting?

    (I am not sure on posting other peoples images, I hope this is the right way to do it, feel free to correct me if im wrong anyone)

    Cheers, Nigel

    All care but no responsibility

  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    nokout3839 wrote:
    Right, im a noob but I thought Id have a go.
    I just did two curves adjustments, one on the red channel and one on the RGB channel.

    Red - Input: 45 Output: 55
    RGB - Input: 75 Output: 56

    Im pretty sure I went too far but I hope it looks a bit more natural. I was also wondering if you wanted to achive extra warmth with the filter or are you using it to combat the particular lighting?

    (I am not sure on posting other peoples images, I hope this is the right way to do it, feel free to correct me if im wrong anyone)

    Cheers, Nigel

    Nigel....the down lights being pink are to help keep the people and set from washing out, and to help keep looking alive.....too much front "white" light and all of a sudden everything disappears, totaly washed out......Glad to see it wasnot BROADWAY PINK....Yuuuk!
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    Matt...What do you think of this, first is orignal...2nd is the post one CS Lab

    50808696-L.jpg




    this is the one I worked on in PS-CS LAB
    50808769-L.jpg

    I could not get the tablecloth any better...but that is caused by the harsh front lights....Source 4's - 750 watt or what were you using for front lights??

    Good comp tho.thumb.gif
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • Mike LaneMike Lane Registered Users Posts: 7,106 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    About 1 minute. Convert to Lab and do some magic... (may be too green. Is the boy's jacket green or black?)

    50814090-O.jpg

    The curves.

    50814928-O.png
    Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.

    http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,245 moderator
    edited January 3, 2006
    Hi Matt. Welcome to Dgrin. Great to have you here.

    I don't use PS, but with an older version of PSP I got this:
    stageplay.jpg

    The tool I used in not included in PS. This is a one-click solution that usually works well, as long as one selects the correct area on a pic.
    color_correct.gif

    Otherwise, you probably have a color balance correct tool in PS with a color temperature slider. You could try 7000-7500, strength=30, with Remove Color Cast box checked, if those values relate to your editor. It looked the same to me as the above.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • nokout3839nokout3839 Registered Users Posts: 75 Big grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    Aaaaahhhh...
    ART SCOTT wrote:
    Nigel....the down lights being pink are to help keep the people and set from washing out, and to help keep looking alive.....too much front "white" light and all of a sudden everything disappears, totaly washed out......Glad to see it wasnot BROADWAY PINK....Yuuuk!

    Thanks, all making sense now. I was thinking that the filter was on the camera, not the stage lights.

    Cheers

    All care but no responsibility

  • MattCMattC Registered Users Posts: 24 Big grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    Thanks everyone for your helpful insight. The modifications do look less harsh :D

    In regards to Art's comment, we were indeed using source 4 instruments in the FOH positions, as well as 1000 watt par64's for down light
    Matt Carpenter
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    MattC wrote:
    Thanks everyone for your helpful insight. The modifications do look less harsh :D

    In regards to Art's comment, we were indeed using source 4 instruments in the FOH positions, as well as 1000 watt par64's for down light

    Of course no electrician hardly ever runs the lights at full (100%) so That will change the color temp drastically also.

    I prefer to shoot under colored lighting as opposed to "white" lights that are changing power.....

    Keep up the good work....thumb.gif
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • HeldDownHeldDown Registered Users Posts: 255 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2006
    Matt,
    Go to your LD and find out what gel colours he was using. Then take a WB off a setpiece you know is white (you should probably be able to find a reference in the props.)
    These will give you 2 points of external reference -- the third will be your memory. Try doing the curves in RGB instead of LAB, as RGB is more akin to theatrical lighting.
    Also, a board op shouldn't be taking pictures, they should be running the show :P
    imageNATION
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