Why use a Preset?

Using a white balance preset is a great way to achieve accurate color with your digital camera.  Many times a digital camera can give you incorrect color in your images, and using this technique is one way to solve this problem.  If you are unclear about white balance or, if your camera has this capability, please read my post from last week.

The time when a preset is most useful is when shooting indoors, simple because the lighting is less likely to change in this setting.  It can be used outdoors also, but for a short time since lighting will change frequently due to clouds, sun moving in the sky, etc. The preset is used often by studio photographers where the lighting is fixed.  For the amateur photographer, the preset can be used to solve the problem of getting terrible color casts in your digital photos that are hard to fix in post.

How to, step by step:

First, you will need a grey card.  Found in most photo labs, a grey card is usually about the size of a piece of paper and is a solid color photographers call “middle grey.”  This color is very important to black and white photographers, but is also the key to getting precise color with your digital camera. Note:  Middle grey is also what your light meter in your camera measures to get accurate exposures in b&w or color.

Next, find and frame your photograph.  You need to be at the point of ready to push the trigger before you set your preset white balance.  For the next step you will need to have an assistant.  This may be the person you are photographing or someone else or even a soda can to hold your grey card upright.  Have your assistant hold the grey card where the main focus of the image will be, for example, the face in a portrait.  Get you camera ready to take a full-frame photograph of the grey card (this means there should be NOTHING else in the frame of the camera except for the grey card.  If you see anything in the background or around the edges of the card you need to zoom in or get closer.)  If you are having trouble focusing on the card, just flip off your auto focus, focusing on the grey card is not important.  Also, make sure you are not casting a shadow on the card, as this will disrupt your preset.

Now, you can set up your camera for the preset.  Each digital camera is different and I highly recommend reading the manual for your specific camera model.  Go into the menu and select “White Balance.”  You should be given some options to select, follow down to preset 1.  Select this option.  At this point you should be able to select “preset ready” or something to that effect and the camera will allow you a short time to take a picture of your grey card.  It is very important to have everything ready BEFORE you do this last step or else you will mess up and have to repeat everything again.  Make sure that any flashes, strobes, lights, etc. go off when you take a shot of the grey card, if the lighting is not accurate when you set the preset, it will not be accurate in the photos you take with it.

Once your preset is set, use it to take some pictures.  Then, try using the AUTO white balance in your camera to take the same photographs.  Download them onto your computer and compare the results, you may be astounded!  Good luck and I hope this tip can help you get better, more accurate color with your digital camera.  Please post your photos, I would love to see your results.

Now get out there and shoot!

- Catherine Bligh, http:///www.cblighphotography.com

Read on next Thursday for “The Perfect Portrait.”

All images ©2006, Catherine Bligh, Photography and may not be used for any purpose or on any other website without permission.