How to take photo of bottle green T shirt

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think...

Grey card is more for exposure: white card is for colour temperature.

But grey, if a properly neutral grey, will work for both. But with white, our eyes can more easily see that it is, or is not, white.

Put it in the middle of t-shirt. adjust using viewfinder, not lcd screen colour temp until it *looks* white. Or use your camera's auto-custom-setting, if it has it; Sony mirrorless cameras do. Mine will adjust for uneven-spectrum colour cast as well as temperature. 

[Tarun Kumar Ghosh]

Hi Kumar.

I'm mystified by the problem.  I hope one of our fellow Members knows of a good solution. 

Anyway, two things to try come to mind.
1.  I wonder if polarization of the light may affect anything.  Do you have a polarizer, or can you borrow one?
2.  I wonder if ultraviolet might have some play in the result.  A UV filter might make some difference.

Do you have an image to share of this "bottle green" shirt that is coming out blue?

I took one image but how can I insert it in my reply. In the insert image option I was prompted for a link.

[ashutosh1979]

Used different camera but the result is the same. Also place it over white paper , no luck till now. I used my Nikon D 5100.

So the white paper / white balance thing did not help, but what was the result? was  the paper looking white but the t shirt was still blue ??
And what was the result with natural light ??

Now I'm very curious please do keep us posted with whatever your try.

[ashutosh1979]

Hi All,
Just for the benefit of anyone who is confused about white balance with a white card vs grey card vs white paper.

Here is an explanation

Yes as  Thad E Ginathom had said white card is used for white balance whereas grey card
(18% grey exact ) is used for exposure. Both need to be calibrated, so don't go for cheap ones.

Again, he is right to point that grey card can also be used for white balance. Because 1st statement is more valid for SLR or/ and in camera white balance. In case for digital images most image processing software will use white or grey tones( of any darkness) , to set the white balance. So don't need to rush for a "white card" if you have a grey card or similar.

As for using a white sheet of paper, it is hack not a recommended practice, senior photographers ( who can distinguish slight variation in hues ) would not EVER use it. However, for the average joe it would give good enough results which will correct very obvious colour cast. It is hack that will get you to the ballpark, not a "proper" solution.

I hope it clears any doubts regarding this issue. Please do correct above info if required.
Regards
Ashutosh

[Thad E Ginathom]

Our eyes are very sensitive but our brains are very clever. "White" paper, cloth, etc etc is probably almost never actually white in the sense that we are talking about here. In fact, it may be adjusted to look whiter than white. Even washing powders may contain some invisible blue that enhances the "white" of our clothes. We will not see it consciously in most lighting, but check out the pictures of yourself dancing at the club, and see how bright your shirt shines, due to the higher UV in the lighting. Actually, I have some blue streaming lights outside my front door for special occasions, and they light up my cat's white fur too! Our brains adjust for it all.

But that Average Joe... Or just the guy who has no choice or control over the lights and must work with different temperatures just a few feet away from each other, or in different venues. I will take a camera reading from, say, a "white" vesti, it can be better than nothing. It can also be of very limited use as the light at that level can be very different to the light on the faces.

Photographing people, I got this hint somewhere: make the whites of the eyes and the teeth look right. I find that very useful. I also use the Indian Jasmine White Standard: the Jasmine in a lady's hair! lol

Outside of the studio, controlled lighting, or simple shaded daylight situations we must do the best we can. And be glad that we raw allows fairly easy correction!

PS... for a short time after changing white balance in the viewfinder, my brain's adjustment will pause and I can see it when I look direct. But it quickly "corrects" itself

[Nishit Dave]

Always keep some Titanium Dioxide handy. Who knows when it may be needed?