Mysore Palace (PS white balanced image added)

[thereisnobeginning]

First is manual white balance and second is auto white balance pl. note this camera has hybrid dedicated sensor that actually measure temperature of the light. What is your opinion which one look good.

It seems all those who replied prefer the second image. In my case, though I can't pinpoint the exact cause, the second appears more "natural", whatever that means.

It bears mentioning, while it may be obvious to some, that the two images have not been taken from the same position. The second is taken from a position which is to the right, relative to the first. More of the scene is visible on the left boundary, and since it is illuminated from the left, the floor appears more reflective,

Just for curiosity, do you have the actual temperature numbers for the two?

[ISO]

Just for curiosity, do you have the actual temperature numbers for the two?

Thanks thereisnobeginning

Unfortunately no, because first image was WB by clicking on the neutral part in my opinion i.e. grey tile.

Second image is straight AUTO WB that reads camera WB by defaults.

I don't know if there is any method to determine WB temp. All I know is in manual WB you can select temp.

That said, tonight I will try more accurate WB in PS by finding out exact grey portion for sampling WB. Lets see the result.

[ISO]

I took the first image which was WB by clicking on grey portion (not very accurate) and now by using PS determined exact grey potion and WB by curve grey eye dropper tool



Result is similar to second image, that means camera has done good job of WB in artificial light

[Hemant Joshi]

Just adding same location photo--which i clicked using Sony a6000 as well as Samsung cell phone  Ultra wide mode.. d

[bitublack]

Of the original pair, I like the second one more, but the reasons are:
- slight difference in composition (central line of symmetry is more vertical),
- exposure level (2nd is brighter, 1st is a little underexposed).

But since this thread is about WB, I would definitely prefer the colours of the first one. I find the slightly warmer tones of the 1st more pleasing.

I am not sure, but it looks to me that these images were clicked at different times. Is this correct? If so, that may have a bigger impact on white balance assessment than actual camera settings.

[ISO]

Abhishek your observation is correct. They are two different photo of slightly different location.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think that if it is about white balance, there are two questions: which is right, and which is aesthetically nicer.

If the white balance is wrong, then the colours are wrong. Does that make the photograph "wrong?" If its purpose it to be a record, then... yes. If not, then the photographer is free to use any setting to give any effect that he or she wishes.

Is it "correct?" Only the person taking the picture, or another who knows the place well, can tell. Are white things white in the photo? That is a good start. 

Colour temperature is a pain in the neck. At the only venue I visit in these covid times, there is a mess of lighting and different colour temperatures on different people on and of the stage. I have tried using a grey card, but when it can change as a person moves their head, it is not that useful.

I can have a group pic of carnatic musicians with skin tones ranging from grey to orange. Not even easy to change in editing. Different people, different complexions, reflect different lights, so, despite have snapped pics there for hundreds of concerts now, there is no fixed answer. I cannot even use the white of a guy's vesti, because the temperature at stage level is different to that at face level.

It's a nightmare. Or, an interesting learning experience! In editing, I usually go for a mildly warm look, because otherwise people can easily look dead! But my ideal would be for every person to have the skin colour that is their skin colour

There are light meters that read out degrees-K. All I know is that they do exist, but are far beyond the means of amateurs. Although, yes, my Sony camera, when setting a custom setting, will give me a reading when pointed at a grey card.

[ISO]

Thad

AFAIK, if you are working with PS, you can find out true grey, white and black point of the photo. You can neutralise them using curve and blending mode to color. That gives fairly accurate WB.

All camera struggle finding WB in mix lighting. This camera has dedicated sensor that actually measure temp of the light and set WB. Most of the time it is accurate.

[Thad E Ginathom]

AFAIK, if you are working with PS, you can find out true grey, white and black point of the photo. You can neutralise them using curve and blending mode to color. That gives fairly accurate WB.

I'm working with GIMP. My problem is that sometimes there just isn't a right colour temperature for a photo: different lights on different people.

Yes, I am editing jpegs in GIMP. If I worked with raw, then, even without the "usual" Windows graphics tools, Rawtherapee can control stuff a lot more powerfully. I wish there was a Linux version of Capture One, but... In my dreams!

My aim is to get peoples' complexions right, or at least good!

[Bharat Varma]

Use grey cards in the actual shoot?