# Homemade Lightbox, D7000, White balance question



## bmilcs (Mar 25, 2014)

Hey folks,

Here is a shot from my lightbox. I'm using auto white balance and as you can see, it's not doing the trick. Any tips on how to correct it?




Thanks!


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## tirediron (Mar 25, 2014)

Place a known white or 18% grey white balance target in the shot and correct to that.


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## bmilcs (Mar 25, 2014)

Here's with the PRE white balance setting after taking a full framed pic of the white poster board.

Something isn't right...


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## 480sparky (Mar 25, 2014)

I see your problem:

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D7000
Lens: 35.0 mm f/1.8
Image Date: 2014-03-25 19:23:25 +0000
Focal Length: 35mm (35mm equivalent: 52mm)
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure Time: 0.010 s (1/100)
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
White Balance: Manual
Flash Fired: No (enforced)
Orientation: Normal
Color Space: Adobe RGB (1998)
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
*Creator: Ken@KenRockwell.com (858) 453-2099
Copyright: P O Box 8778 LaJolla CA 92038 USA*
*Comment: (c)KenRockwell.com (858) 453-2099*
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)

:mrgreen:

That said, you need to use an eyedropper to correct the white balance with your software.  The image is also very very flat in terms of contrast.  You need to adjust the black and white points.


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## bmilcs (Mar 25, 2014)

I don't want to have to do it with my software . I didnt do any editing aside from shrinking it.

I thought I could achieve a white background without processing it.


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## tirediron (Mar 25, 2014)

You can...  buy this.


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## bmilcs (Mar 25, 2014)

tirediron said:


> You can...  buy this.



I really don't have the time to read an indepth book on lighting. I took up photography very casually - to improve my e-bay, shave of the day shots on a shaving forum and so on. I appreciate the input but I'm looking for a basic how-to kind of answer .


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## Ysarex (Mar 25, 2014)

You need to use your camera's custom white balance setting and you need to set WB from a target placed in the same light as your subject. Use a white Styrofoam food tray for the target.


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## bmilcs (Mar 25, 2014)

Ok. So shooting blankly at the white poster board won't do it? It has to be an object?


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## bmilcs (Mar 25, 2014)

Wow I'm an idiot.

I didnt realize how powerful and easy the eyedropper thing is. Holy cow that's awesome. Thanks!!!


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## Robin Usagani (Mar 25, 2014)

Or why not just use a preset wb?  That is a lot better than using the eye dropper or auto WB.  The thing is, most of your light is from a flash (I assume).  I would just set my wb to either sun or flash.  I probably would set it to flash.  When I shoot a portrait, I like to use sun wb preset with my flash.


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## sk66 (Mar 26, 2014)

It looks more like a metering/lighting issue to me.
You're photographing little reflective things on bright white... the camera is going to want to underexpose by ~ 1-2 stops.

This is the first image with only pushing the exposure 1 stop.



But if your lighting is constant (predictable) why are you using AWB when SOOC images is your requirement?


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## bmilcs (Apr 4, 2014)

sk66 said:


> It looks more like a metering/lighting issue to me.
> You're photographing little reflective things on bright white... the camera is going to want to underexpose by ~ 1-2 stops.
> 
> This is the first image with only pushing the exposure 1 stop.
> ...



Not sure what you mean by this?

I tried using the PRE wb feature and it was turning my images even more blue. Not sure why. I made sure to fill the entire frame with white posterboard when I took it.


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## MOREGONE (Apr 4, 2014)

Yes, the photo is under exposed. That is the most obvious thing to me. If you're shooting in an Auto mode use the exposure compensation button (+- symbol) to increase the exposure (allow more light in). Hold the button down, rotate the dial, release.

EV Compensation Explained - Digital Photography School

White balance looks fine enough to me.


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## Scatterbrained (Apr 4, 2014)

Take a picture of the blank white paper.  Use the picture to set the cameras custom white balance.  Change the white balance setting to the custom white balance.   Now you have your white balance.   Now to get the exposure (assuming the lighting is constant). Turn on the highlight warning.  Take a picture.  Bump up the exposure till the blinkies start to show up.   That's a quick and easy way to set this up for e-bay purposes.


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## sk66 (Apr 5, 2014)

bmilcs said:


> sk66 said:
> 
> 
> > It looks more like a metering/lighting issue to me.
> ...


If the image is underexposed it will appear "bluer"... IMO, that's your main problem. As for the WB setting, you can use a reference image of the white paper as "pre" (custom WB) or one of the settings in the camera that matches your lighting.


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## Scatterbrained (Apr 5, 2014)

sk66 said:


> bmilcs said:
> 
> 
> > sk66 said:
> ...


 Underexposure shouldn't make the image appear "blue".   A white sheet of paper, underexposed, should simply be grey if the WB is correct.   The blue comes from the incorrect WB, something that is hidden by boosting the exposure.


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## bmilcs (Apr 5, 2014)

Scatterbrained said:


> sk66 said:
> 
> 
> > bmilcs said:
> ...



That was what my understanding of it was.


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## sk66 (Apr 5, 2014)

Scatterbrained said:


> Underexposure shouldn't make the image appear "blue".   A white sheet of paper, underexposed, should simply be grey if the WB is correct.   The blue comes from the incorrect WB, something that is hidden by boosting the exposure.


Yes, but neither of the example images measure particularly blue... especially the first image. I used "bluer" as that is how the OP referred to it.


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