Using A Grey Card - Lastolite School of Photography

Monthly Tips & Tutorials from Lastolite
Lesson Ten
Using A Grey Card
Make exposure and colour balance nightmares a thing of the past using a simple
accessory like an EzyBalance grey card.
Key Points
Calibration and control are now synonymous words
linked to digital photography; colour balance and
exposure are both a part of this combination.
Use a grey card to
1 > Correct colour
EzyBalance
2 > Set colour
Firstly an EzyBalance greycard is perfect if you are
3 > Measure exposure
looking to have a consistent 18% tone in an image to
take an accurate exposure meter reading using the
Setting a custom white balance on camera*
cameras own built in metering system.
To make use of this custom camera colour function
1 > Firstly take a photograph of the EzyBalance
reflector near to the subject you are
photographing, making sure that the EzyBalance
is being lit by the same lighting conditions, filling
the frame where possible.
2 > Next select the custom colour balance from the
camera menu, this will ask you for an image to
use as the custom balance. Select the image of the
EzyBalance and press OK.
3 > Finally select the custom colour balance icon on
the camera and your new colour is set.
Shoot Ezybalance
Choose custom balance
Top Tip
Make exposure and colour simple by shooting an Ezybalance each
time you change the lighting setup or location. There is even a water
proof version for when you are scuba diving.
You can also use the custom colour balance
creatively by lighting the EzyBalance with a
false colour. When you follow the same
procedures some weird and wonderful things
can happen.
Secondly the EzyBalance greycard is a perfect tool to
also use for colour balance whether in post production
in the likes of Photoshop or when setting a custom
colour balance on camera.
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Monthly Tips & Tutorials from Lastolite
Lesson Ten
Setting a custom white balance in post production.
Whether you have shot your photographs as a RAW or
a Jpeg file you can use the white balance tool within
Photoshop's Adobe Camera RAW.
1 > Firstly select the photograph shot with the
EzyBalance greycard as well as all the images lit
under the similar lighting conditions.
2 > Now open all these files into ACR via Bridge.
3 > With all the images revealed in ACR select the
EzyBalance photograph, this should be now visible
in the main window.
Some scenes can make it very difficult for the on camera metering
system to give a perfect exposure.
Setting exposure using the EzyBalance
4 > Now select all the other thumbnail images by
If you are finding accurate exposure readings difficult
pressing the select all button.
using the camera metering system and you can get
close to the subject, you can use an EzyBalance to take
5 > Select the white balance tool icon from the
a direct meter reading from, due to its 18% tonal
header menu bar.
range. To use this metering technique:
6 > Click on the EzyBalance. You have now set a
1 > Select a centre weighted or spot-metering mode
neutral 18% colour across all these images.
on the camera.
7 > If you want to add a slight warmth or coolness to
2 > Fill as much of the frame with the EzyBalance as
the images you can use the temperature and tint
possible.
sliders, but to do this you must be working on a
calibrated monitor for accurate results.
3 > If you are using manual mode adjust your
aperture and / or shutter speed to gain the correct
exposure off the EzyBalance
or
3 > If you are using an auto exposure mode like AV or
TV you will need to point the camera at the
EzyBalance and then use the exposure lock facility
on the camera to fix the exposure setting.
* This procedure may differ on some cameras. Consult your user
manual for further details.
As shot on camera
Mark Cleghorn
www.phototraining4u.com
Corrected using ACR white
balance tool.
All text and photography ÇMark Cleghorn 2009. All rights reserved.
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