p.1 #1 · White balance - what's considered correct?
Showing my newbie stripes here, but when you shoot an evening reception that has a lot of candlelight/warm light, do you WB everything until the white tablecloth looks white, even though when you saw it in the room it had a yellow cast? I find that when I tweak it too close to proper white the room looks lit in a way that is far from the actual atmosphere. Is WB a personal preference/style thing in this case?
p.1 #6 · White balance - what's considered correct?
In mixed lighting, I will typically balance to a reference true (or close to true) white or gray, then warm up to taste. In the situation you mention, for instance, using a reference gray card will typically give you lighting that's much cooler than what everyone experienced. Yes, the bride's dress will be nice and white, but people will tend to notice (well, some might) that the colors aren't quite what they experienced.
To answer your subject line, though, when it comes to WB and color, "correct" equates with "pleasing." There's no formula, but rather, you tend to balance for effect and mood. Hope that helps!
p.1 #7 · White balance - what's considered correct?
If it's lit by candle light, you probably don't want to correct it to the point it's technically correct...if a place has atmosphere, keep some of it. If the people look *too* orange, you might want to pull it back a bit. Even in broad daylight, I like to keep my WB just a tad on the warm side of "accurate"...I like my people to look nice and warm and happy. Color temp has a big affect on how we perceive a picture, and digital cameras have a tendency to render WB on the cool side when left to themselves.
