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Archive 2013 · Balancing act...help needed

  
 
eyelaser
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Balancing act...help needed


I'm having the hardest time white balancing this backlit falcon. When I try to use the Light Room presets for daylight or cloudy the bird is too blue. When I use the dropper to get a neutral RBG I get the same result. I even tried using an orange warming filter and that worked a little bit better. The closest I think worked was on the "shade" setting and dialing it back a little. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Eric

1 The Blue Falcon
http://eyelaser.smugmug.com/Nature/California-Dreaming/i-fs877rW/0/XL/XBOT8568peregrine-XL.jpg

2
http://eyelaser.smugmug.com/Nature/California-Dreaming/i-nhZw782/0/X2/XBOT8575Peregrine-X2.jpg

3
http://eyelaser.smugmug.com/Nature/California-Dreaming/i-97X92KL/0/X2/XBOT8572peregrine-X2.jpg

4 I processed this on "shade setting" and then dialed it down a wee bit
http://eyelaser.smugmug.com/Nature/California-Dreaming/i-b9rX48F/0/X2/XBOT8557falconsecretive-X2.jpg



Dec 28, 2013 at 11:40 AM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Balancing act...help needed


Last one looks good. Unless one has a live (or dead) falcon to compare side-by-side with the image, it is pretty hard to determine the correct color balance on the feathers. Some people think a Great Blue Heron has grey feathers, but there is a reason why they have "Blue" in their name. Belted Kingfishers are also a blue-grey, not a neutral-grey.


Dec 28, 2013 at 03:13 PM
KCollett
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Balancing act...help needed


Good looking set Eric. The last one looks fairly warm, like a sunset.


Dec 28, 2013 at 06:10 PM
DonGut
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Balancing act...help needed


I often struggle with the same issue. Sometimes I just process and then dial down the blue colour at the end. That way it doesn't look too warm. In the end, who's to say there is a right way or even a best way. That's half the fun.
Don



Dec 28, 2013 at 06:16 PM
eyelaser
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Balancing act...help needed


Imagemaster wrote:
Last one looks good. Unless one has a live (or dead) falcon to compare side-by-side with the image, it is pretty hard to determine the correct color balance on the feathers. Some people think a Great Blue Heron has grey feathers, but there is a reason why they have "Blue" in their name. Belted Kingfishers are also a blue-grey, not a neutral-grey.

Thanks Tony. It's frustrating getting totally different WB depending on whether I was shooting into the dun or with it behind me.
Eric



Dec 29, 2013 at 01:31 AM
eyelaser
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Balancing act...help needed


KCollett wrote:
Good looking set Eric. The last one looks fairly warm, like a sunset.

I think you are correct Ken. I might have to select just the bird and WB it separately.
Eric



Dec 29, 2013 at 01:32 AM
eyelaser
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Balancing act...help needed


DonGut wrote:
I often struggle with the same issue. Sometimes I just process and then dial down the blue colour at the end. That way it doesn't look too warm. In the end, who's to say there is a right way or even a best way. That's half the fun.
Don

Thanks for commenting on how you do it. I usually don't have a problem if I can find a neutral point....this was so different that I was stumped.
Eric



Dec 29, 2013 at 01:34 AM
David Leask
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Balancing act...help needed


I'm afraid I can't offer any help Eric. Nice shots though. The last one looks most natural to my eye.
David



Dec 29, 2013 at 10:45 AM
chickenrx
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Balancing act...help needed


Tree looks the most "natural" in #1 and too warm in the last. Have you tried cutting the falcon out to a separate layer and balancing there leaving the tree and BG as in #1?


Dec 29, 2013 at 11:46 AM
morris
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Balancing act...help needed


Your subject is clearly backlit so if you want the shaded part to have the correct color then shade WB would be the correct choice.

Possibly something is influencing the color such as flare or a reflection. This is when it gets hard.

Nice captures in any case Eric

Morris



Dec 29, 2013 at 12:51 PM
gregfountain
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Balancing act...help needed


Hi Eric, I don't know if this is any better, but I simply used the black eye dropper on a "Levels" layer in photoshop and clicked on the black part of the Falcon's eye. If you didn't want the image manipulated, PM me and I will delete it, but I figured I'd take a stab at it...

Greg







Dec 29, 2013 at 01:06 PM





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