Taking better shots of my tank with my 30D...

[asnatlas]

Here are a few quick shots of my tank... The color is more blue then in real life... These were shot with AWB (I think is the biggest cause) in JPEG, I nomally shoot RAW but didnt want to mess around with the whole RAW processing...

MH only

Actinic+ only

Actinic+ and Blue+

Actinic+, Blue+, and MH

If I set my canon to a WB of "Fluorescent" would that take more accurate shots ?? How about the MHs ?? I have a Whibal 18% gray card, would I be able to have that in the pic and when PP RAW set the WB by selecting that ??

 

[BLKTANG]

HOLEY SHNIKIES,LOOK AT THAT TANK!!!!!!!!!

 

[jwedehase]

RAW is the only way you're going to get fully accurate color representation. Otherwise, I'd manually set the Kelvin temperature to 10000K (in the menu), then set the WB to custom (on the top screen).

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8619247#post8619247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EXPEDITION
HOLEY SHNIKIES,LOOK AT THAT TANK!!!!!!!!!

LOL its only a 600gal display with a total water vol of close to 900gal

Click on my red house for my thread...

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8619301#post8619301 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jwedehase
RAW is the only way you're going to get fully accurate color representation. Otherwise, I'd manually set the Kelvin temperature to 10000K (in the menu), then set the WB to custom (on the top screen).

Would I use 10k or the 14k to match the Ham bulbs ??

 

[Lpabsolute]

I would go with 14K bulbs...

 

[gman0526]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8619550#post8619550 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lpabsolute
I would go with 14K bulbs...

If only his question was not about the actual camera setting..

asnatlas , have you tried manually callibrating the WB on the camera?

Good luck with the "little puddle" , it loks great. :thumbsup:

 

[jwedehase]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8619534#post8619534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
Would I use 10k or the 14k to match the Ham bulbs ??

I use a Canon 20D, and it only goes as high as 10000K, so I assumed that's all you had. Does the new 30D manually adjust up to 14000K? That's awesome, if so! And if so, play with different settings to see what's most accurate.

 

[ssbreef]

1ok max

 

["Umm fish?"]

On the 20D (and I would assume on the 30) you can set a custom WB by shooting something that is stark white in the light of the tank. Take a picture of something white or gray full-frame on an exposure that makes it look gray (not over- or underexposed). Go to the menu, choose custom WB and push set. The last shot you took should be on the LCD. Push set again.

I paraphrased the instructions from Rob Sheppard's _Magic Lantern Guide_ book on the 20D.

 

[MCary]

It depends on what you going for. If you want close to a true color representation, I woudl shoot one shot with your gray card under the lights. Or laminate it and put it in the tank as long as you don't get a reflection. Then shoot raw and use the sample color dropper in Digital Photo Pro. Try setting your white balance to the card. My card has white, gray, and black.

And a strobe is always handy.

Mike

 

[Blazer88]

I've always used "Auto" for my WB (Rebel XT not 30D) and it has come out fine. Are you using RAW?

 

[jack1492]

i can only say one thing....................................... sick tank!!!!

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8619936#post8619936 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jwedehase
I use a Canon 20D, and it only goes as high as 10000K, so I assumed that's all you had. Does the new 30D manually adjust up to 14000K? That's awesome, if so! And if so, play with different settings to see what's most accurate.

You and ssbreef are correct 10k max... I was not thinking when I wrote my past reply...

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8630350#post8630350 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MCary
It depends on what you going for. If you want close to a true color representation, I woudl shoot one shot with your gray card under the lights. Or laminate it and put it in the tank as long as you don't get a reflection. Then shoot raw and use the sample color dropper in Digital Photo Pro. Try setting your white balance to the card. My card has white, gray, and black.

And a strobe is always handy.

Mike

I played around with my Whibal card and I think I got some pretty accurate shots... I will post them in a min...

I have 580ex flash, should I be bouncing that when I take pics of my tank ??

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8630493#post8630493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Blazer88
I've always used "Auto" for my WB (Rebel XT not 30D) and it has come out fine. Are you using RAW?

The 4 shots above were quick and dirty none PP'd JPGs... The shot here are RAW with my Whibal (18% gray card)...

Alot more accurate....

Actinic+, Blue+, and MH

 

[Blue Deuce]

I would only use the flash if necessary. If any thing you might want to set it for a - E/C so as not to give the shot an artifical look but to fill in the shadows that are in the rocks. I would only shoot raw. You have it, use it and post processing time is minimal once you get a work flow set up. Of course doing a custom white balance is advantageous to doing it after the fact but the beauty of raw is the ability it offers you to make changes you didn't get right in the original exposure.