[Ufkkrxcq]

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[Lapsinuibense]

My point, Ricky, is that it is not the gray card that renders color accurately, whether digitally or film. If it were true, then one would not need to match the film with the light source, and white balance would be unnecessary.

What happens if you use a gray card under florescent lights, without fixing the white balance for that light source. Will you get accurate color?

One of your sources clearly states: "The grey card is put into the image so that the light falling on the subject also falls on the grey card. The white balance reading is taken from the card..." (Emphasis mine)

None of your sources negate that concept, so sorry, Ricky. my statement that the gray card doesn't really have anything to do with rendering color, as such, stands. It's white balance, whether with a gray card or a white card, that determines color accuracy.

I didn't check Wikipedia, but if it leaves out matching film to light source and white balance, it certainly is incomplete.

[Ufkkrxcq]

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[Ufkkrxcq]

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[Lapsinuibense]

Certainly there is a big difference between what I term as "taking" a picture (camera) and "making" a picture (computer). Certainly using a neutral gray in Photoshop RAW or jpeg using the RAW setting in Photoshop will help with color correction after the photo has been made by the camera.

My discussion was about "taking" the picture. Not everyone has Photoshop, so I chose to keep that aspect of image-making pretty much out of my comments. I only brought in the sliders concept because I think that is fairly common to image-editing programs.

Perhaps we do have a misunderstanding. But I stand by my statement that in "taking" a picture, the gray card controls exposure and white balance controls color. That is the essence of that quote. Light "quantity" is measured by the meter, using a gray card; light "quality" (or color) is controlled digitally by how the camera sensors "see" the light, or white balance.

[Ufkkrxcq]

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[Lapsinuibense]

Let us not lose sight of the fact that not everybody's camera does RAW, and not every image editing program can import every RAW format. Not even Photoshop, unless you always have the latest upgrade. Remember that Nikon's RAW format is somewhat different from Fuji's which is all not the same as Canon's, etc., etc.

Let us not lose old knowledge just because we have new.

[Ufkkrxcq]

Dot, you don´t need a expensive camera, a RAW program or photoshop to correct the color with the help of a grey card.

You can do this with a JPG or TIF image almost as good, using a cheap grafic program (PSP or PhotoLine) or even freeware (Gimp, ....). If your camera makes RAW but you won´t pay money for Adobe Lightroom (or others) there exist RawTherapee as a very good freeware. RawTherapee works with nearly every RAW file.

Working with RAW makes life easier, because you can use the full information of the chip not only the 8 bit of a image file. That´s all.

I don´t have a DSLR, LightShop or PhotoShop. I use the RAW program that came with my camera, PSP as grafic program and some freeware tools for the rest. I prefer to spend my money for orchids than an expensive camera and software collection.

[Dxwlxqvg]

Wonderfully clear, Dot!

[Dxwlxqvg]

Thanks for that link! I love to dive back into this stuff!

[Dxwlxqvg]

Ricky, I think Dot has addressed the basic issues very well for people who aren't skilled with their cameras or photographic software. Your mention of the freeware is nice for me (a knowledgeable photographer who isn't yet applying her knowledge to her flower images) to know, though! I'd much rather spend money now on orchids and greenhouse equipment than on more software!

[Relsenlilky]

I thought this had been discussed in a thread somewhere, but I can't find it.

Can someone tell me how to take a decent shot of a red or purple bloom with my DSLR? Thanks in advance!

[dselectronics]

Unfortunately Joanne I don't have (and am waiting with you for) the miracle solution!!!

In practice what I try to do is getting a lot of pics of the blooms from different angles and with different light conditions: flash/natural light (with some sun if possible) and then finally hope to be able for at least one of the pics (sometimes with a little help from my photo software) to show a reasonably near to reality coloring !!! Jean

[Ufkkrxcq]

You can use a grey card and adjust the white balance in your RAW or grafic program (sometimes it´s called color balance). That´s your only chance, but if parts of the flowers color are outside of the color space of the camera chip the picture will never fit.

I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Image-...4349830&sr=8-6

Hold the grey card near the flower (this part of the picture you will cut away later) like on this picture:

[Symnunidanimb]

That's a great picture Ricky. I think red and purple flowers require more light than for any other color. I'm still experimenting with this, I bought a couple of 85W compact 5000°k lamps but I need more red flowers to really test them. I only use a small digital Canon camera.

[ZIZITOPER]

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[easypokergonj]

Oh well, one has to ask stupid questions too:

Sorry for my ignorace, but what does that grey card do? Would you "white balance" the grey card, to fool the chip?, or how does it work?

[Paladin]

Sometimes I mesure the white balance with a white card. The pic are always in NEF (RAW) and sometimes I adjust in Photoshop. And sometimes I do both...

With reds, I always underexposed the pic since I want to catch details of the flower.


Shiva: I think Ramon is right. I had Power Shot Canon a few years ago and there was a white balance fonction.

[Thorwaywhobia]

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[Symnunidanimb]

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