White balance for photographing Christmas lights?

5 months 2 hours ago #758839 by Spencer Posey
I'm heading out on Saturday to photograph Christmas lights, which is the best white balance to use for getting lights showing the best?   


,
4 months 4 weeks ago #758847 by Hassner
What I do in difficult lighting is to shoot a white card now and then. When processing the RAW image, I click with the white balance prompter? on the card. Whenever you change location, you will have to reshoot the white card. 

Because you have all the colours of the rainbow, I will shoot on daylight settings, because you want the breakaway from natural light to make your shot colourful. 


This person is a posting maniac and deserves a #1 badge!Top Poster
No one kicks up there feet next to the water cooler better than this person.  Top poster - LoungeLounge Guru
Photo Comments
,
4 months 4 weeks ago #758866 by LensofNature

Hassner wrote: What I do in difficult lighting is to shoot a white card now and then. When processing the RAW image, I click with the white balance prompter? on the card. Whenever you change location, you will have to reshoot the white card. 

Because you have all the colours of the rainbow, I will shoot on daylight settings, because you want the breakaway from natural light to make your shot colourful. 


How is the daylight setting different from natural light? Bluer or more orange?


,
4 months 4 weeks ago #758873 by Spencer Posey
Thank you for the answers.  Now I'm not very experienced so never done white card before.  how is that done? 


,
4 months 4 weeks ago #758881 by Razky

Spencer Posey wrote: Thank you for the answers. Now I'm not very experienced so never done white card before. how is that done? 

A white card is for exposure, NOT white balance! I've always used daylight-balanced transparency film for night street scenes, fireworks, holiday lights, &c. Just did a digital comparison of my lights, 3200K versus 5000K - I still prefer daylight-balance. I won't pretend to be qualified to recommend anything for you, though - you ought to be able to run your own comparisons and choose for yourself what you prefer. Last year I photographed over 100 local residential scenes on Velvia-50 - starting next week I intend to cover marinas from Chula Vista to Oceanside, Southern California, with a DSLR. This is an exciting time of year for photography - good luck with your project!


,
4 months 4 weeks ago #758915 by Hassner
I know what a white card is used for, but I used it very successfully for photographing historic paintings. 
Film was easy.

I used the white mount board, because a friend had a framing shop. An A6 size is big enough, fits easily into a camera bag. Hold it in the first pic so it fills 20% more or less of the pic. 
Then you just click on the card with your white balance prompter, hoping your processor has one. I use Photoshop, so it is one click in RAW. Then I set the rest of the pics the same colour setting. 


This person is a posting maniac and deserves a #1 badge!Top Poster
No one kicks up there feet next to the water cooler better than this person.  Top poster - LoungeLounge Guru
Photo Comments
,

817.3K

241K

  • Facebook

    817,251 / Likes

  • Twitter

    241,000 / Followers

  • Google+

    1,620,816 / Followers

Latest Reviews

The Canon EOS R100 is an entry-level mirrorless camera introduced in 2023. But just because it’s an entry-level camera doesn’t mean it’s a bare-bones camera. Find out why in this review!

Apr 22, 2024

Nikon’s retro-looking Nikon Zfc is anything but retro. Under its classic body is a host of features and amenities that make it a worthwhile compact mirrorless camera for 2024.

Apr 15, 2024

The Canon EOS R50 is one of the newest R-system cameras from Canon. Is it worth your money? Find out all the details you need to know in this comprehensive review.

Apr 10, 2024

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II is Sony’s flagship mirrorless zoom lens. As such, it’s loaded with features and has a top-shelf build quality that makes it a top pick!

Mar 27, 2024

Latest Articles

Using leading lines in photography helps improve the composition by drawing viewers in and leading their eye from the foreground to the background. Explore some fine examples of this in this guide!

Apr 24, 2024

The Insta360 has one of the best lineups of action cams and 360-degree cameras. With these Insta360 accessories, you can elevate your photography and videography game!

Apr 24, 2024

Creating impactful photos of landscapes depends on many factors, not the least of which is your talent behind the lens. This guide explores other elements required for the best product.

Apr 23, 2024

The Canon EOS R100 is an entry-level mirrorless camera introduced in 2023. But just because it’s an entry-level camera doesn’t mean it’s a bare-bones camera. Find out why in this review!

Apr 22, 2024

Are you ready to upgrade your camera? Before buying new, you might consider the value of purchasing used gear to save money.

Apr 18, 2024

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a micro four thirds camera released in 2020. It’s an entry-level system along with the OM-D E-M5 Mark III. Use this guide to determine which one is best for you!

Apr 17, 2024

Blue hour photography might not be as well known as golden hour photography, but it is every bit as good a time to create epic images of landscapes. Learn how in this quick tutorial!

Apr 17, 2024

Nikon’s retro-looking Nikon Zfc is anything but retro. Under its classic body is a host of features and amenities that make it a worthwhile compact mirrorless camera for 2024.

Apr 15, 2024