HS Football Lights White Balance
I got so many fewer decent shots last night - of course its because we are again under the lights. It was pretty dark, and many of my shots have a greenish tint. I miss being able to shoot during the daylight and use f8. The relatively small DOF and slower shutter combine to make accurate focus and clear shots difficult. I shot many at ISO3200, but even then shutter speeds of 1/320 is about as fast as you can get away with.
I used AWB, should I have considered another?
How can you look up at the type of lights in the varied HS stadiums and know? It would be best to take test shots, but you are only there one game, so you have to just go with what you think best.
Thoughts?
I used AWB, should I have considered another?
How can you look up at the type of lights in the varied HS stadiums and know? It would be best to take test shots, but you are only there one game, so you have to just go with what you think best.
Thoughts?
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The best way to use it is to go onto the field and put the ExpoDisk on your lens and shoot toward where you will be shooting from. (sidelines) --- But usually the game starts with daylight fading, then the lights come on, so you don't have the above option.
So, just put the ExpoDisk on your lens and take a shot at the field. Use that shot as your Custom White Balance per your camera's requirements. This method was used in the pic below.
These shots were @ 3200 ISO on a field with really crappy lighting.
Hope that helps you out some...
I got a translucent white lid and would like to try that next week. Would you set it with pointing it at the lights or at the subject on the field?
Z
The only recommendation I could/would make is to shoot in RAW format. It gives you so much more control to fix things after-the-fact. I actually shot an entire game with my camera set to -2/3 exposure compensation (I was wearing glasses and couldn't see the little logo at the bottom of the viewfinder). Threw them into PS, batch raised the exposure, saved about 90% of them. As cheap as memory is getting I can't see a reason not to shoot in RAW if your camera supports it.
As for this pringles can idea, can you post a link of what you're talking about - I'd like to see it, I've never heard of such...
And great shot on that original post
"Your decisions on whether to buy, when to buy and what to buy should depend on careful consideration of your needs primarily, with a little of your wants thrown in for enjoyment, After all photography is a hobby, even for pros."
~Herbert Keppler
Subject on the field...
I've read all those post also and can't say if the coffee filters/pringles lid work well or not. I spent the money on the ExpoDisk and have been very pleased with it.
Not saying the others won't work, I just don't know about them.
You can also do like the other poster suggested and shoot RAW, I do but I like to have the WB correct anyway.
I'm going to throw this idea out there and see what kind of response it generates ....
But, in my experience, you cannot set an accurate white balance for high school stadium lighting for every shot. The lights cycle and, in between one frame and the next, you could (and probably will!) see a different color cast because of the cycling lights. And this is something that you can try yourself to either verify it or disprove it: At your next game under the lights, rip off about 5 or 6 frames, then go back and look at them. My guess is that you'll see a "color shift" between some of the frames.
I used to try to set an accurate white balance .... now I just use AWB and shoot RAW and set a white point in post. And if you're shooting JPG, you could also "fix" that color cast in post using Channel Mixer in PS .....
I also like to have the color balance "correct" to begin with ... but I submit to you that, under high school stadium lights, the "correct" color balance shifts with almost every frame you shoot.
Atlanta, Georgia
Photos at SportsShooter
I'm not convinced about the lights cycle being a big WB issue. All the lights are not going to cycle at the same exact time, and if each pole has say 8-10 lights & lets say 4 poles that's upwards of 40 lights that are cycling at completely different times.. Could be a WB issue, but I doubt it. But, curious Randy will do some testing and find out... without the ExpoDisk.
As to your methods, they work also, and if that works for you, that's great... But in my opinion that's not the only, nor best way to do it. I'm not an ExpoDisk salesman, but if you'll look up a few replies to the two pics I posted you'll see that they are in completely different lighted areas (meaning, one in the direct focus of the lights, the other on the sideline outside of the direct light). The QB is in hard light with hard shadows on the field, the other kid is on the sideline almost without shadows.
Same ExpoDisk WB setting taken ONCE when the lights came on. Your mileage may vary, but to me the WB looks plenty good on both. Set it once and forget it.
It's not the end-all-be-all, but for me it's works pretty good.
BTW, as the name implies, it's great for setting Exposure also. As in strobes, off camera flash (speedlights), etc...
Take my input for what it's worth... If it helps, use it. If not, don't
I've been listening to this podcast lately and really like it:
http://www.tipsfromthetopfloor.com/
If you go to their forum and search "pringles" you'll see lots of discussion on using a pringles can lid or a coffee filter as an expodisc. I dont think you even need to register.
If you also search www.dpreview.com you'll find he same discussion, but with a lot of chaff to wheat ratio. (lots of crap, not a lot of really good info. Am I the only one that thinks DP review has gone down hill lately?)
Also, it has been discussed a couple times here on dgrin, and a search will find those few posts as well.
Now, alas, Pringles has changed their lid, so I bought a peanuts can that looks like about the same top. I think i'll try it Friday night and I'll report here. I would just get an expodisc, but dont really have time - and I am curious if this works.......
Z
PS: Thanks for the nice shot comments. Funny, but I always think my shots stink, then after a few days they grow on me and I like them. That one looks ok to me now!
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/576284/0 (actually, this thread references the discussion below) ......
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=20873
Good reading and good examples .....
Atlanta, Georgia
Photos at SportsShooter
Cecil:
Thanks for the links, I found them very interesting! I guess in the final analysis there isn't much we can do about lousy lights at HS venues except shoot more....
Z