There is a misunderstanding that has come to light that I would address and discuss. The issue relates to the in-camera White Balance that is set when your camera was converted by Life Pixel. Somewhere along the way the misunderstanding has occurred and people believe that when a camera is converted we set a magical, mystical, Master Custom White Balance that can be used until the end of time.
Uhhhh, . . . . . . no.
There is no such thing.
In fact, the White Balance that we set when your camera was converted to Infrared was a test, and we never expected you to use that White Balance to shoot with.
Let’s talk about the in-camera White Balance for a minute.
What’s it for? If you are shooting in RAW, does it affect the RAW file?
NO, ….. no it doesn’t.
What it does is affect the way you Preview the RAW file. And that’s the key. The in-camera White Balance is used to help you get the correct exposure.
A Custom White Balance is something you will want to set depending on the shooting situation you are in.
I have found four basic scenarios for setting WB. These will cover most of the shooting situations you find yourself in.
Scenario 1
When shooting an organic scene, use organic for a White Balance.
Example: When you are shooting a landscape, use grass, trees or other foliage as a WB reference image. It is important to note it is not the color green that is important, but rather the way the Infrared light reflects off the organic material. Dormant, brown grass can also be used for WB balance, and in Fall leaves work rather well also.
Scenario 2
When shooting an inorganic scene, use something inorganic for a White Balance.
Example: When you are shooting a cityscape, consider using something in the image, like concrete or blacktop for a WB reference image. When shooting a landscape in a location without foliage, try using rock or stone as a reference image.
Scenario 3
When taking and IR portrait, use the subjects skin as a White Balance reference.
Example: Use any area of skin as a WB reference image.
Scenario 4
When all else fails, use a grey card.
Example: Getting a good WB in a snow scene is challenging. Snow reflects so much light, it over powers the sensor. A standard grey card will do the trick.
I hope this clears up the misunderstanding about the in-camera White Balance that was set when your camera was converted.
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Dan Wampler
Dan Wampler is a digital artist from St Louis, MO. Having been interested in art and photography since childhood, he spent most of adult life working for Kodak and in the portrait photography industry. A student of the works of Ansel Adams, Any Warhol, and David Hamilton, Dan attempted to keep a wide range of artistic style.
As an early adopter of digital imaging, he found it gave him a way to completely incorporate art and photography. Began shooting Digital Infrared in 2004, and had first camera converted in 2006. His work has been seen in numerous gallery shows, is featured in an iTunes app. He produces Infrared and natural color digital art for sale and teaches his post-production techniques online.
Dan is LifePixel's Creative Director, social media manager, lead blog author, main workshops and training sessions instructor. His images appear in this gallery and throughout the website.
If you have a topic suggestion or request feel free to shoot him an email at danwampler@lifepixel.com
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I recently purchased a Canon 5D Mark II camera body in which I plan to have converted to Full Spectrum or IR (not sure of which one to go with yet).
I pretty much understand getting the custom WB for the specific type of photo that I’ll be taking. My question relates to post processing. From what I have read it sounds like you need to shoot in RAW versus jpeg (I have yet to use RAW).
* Is this true?
Also does Luminar AI work well with Full Spectrum and IR RAW images?
Thanks,
Tom
Tom, I suggest shooting RAW and using the RAW editor made for your camera, in this case, Digital Photo Professional. It is free software from Canon. I cannot suggest using Luminar AI.
I have a full spectrum conversion on an OM-D E-M5 II. For in-camera WB, do I set different custom color temperatures for each of my Visible Bandpass, 590 and 720 filters? If so, what is the recommended setting? I understand that in-camera WB will not affect my Raw capture.
Hi Bill,
I too shoot a full spectrum conversion. I set a WB on a grey card and then don’t worry about it. The WB in the camera doesn’t alter the RAW, it just alters the way you preview the RAW file. Keep in mind when you are talking temperature, that is referring to the Kelvin scale which applies to the visible light spectrum, not the IR and UV spectrum and doesn’t apply to IR or UV.
Hi,
Great advise…
My question though…Someone at Life pixel once told me that WB should be set according to which conversion was performed{650,710, 830, etc}.
Is this true?
Best,
Billy
Billy,
The scenarios I suggest will work for each type of Infrared. Keep in mind, the White Balance you set in the camera does not after the RAW file, but rather the way you preview that RAW file in the camera. The real White Balance is set when you convert your RAW file into a Jpg, or a Tiff.
Hi Dan, I received my Super color 590nM converted Nikon D600 today. Thank you! Really looking forward to using it. I started experimenting with the custom white balance setting. I’ve used green grass, a white card and a gray card with 60mm f1.8 macro and 24-70mm f2.8 zoom and shutter speed from 1/125th to 1/30th 200 ISO normally at f8. I have yet to get the camera to provide a “Good” indication confirming WB is set. ( +/- 20 attempts) However, a couple of my tries did seem to make an acceptable adjustment to the exposed image. Any thoughts based on your Nikon conversion experiences?? Thanks Jim K
Hi Jim, In some cases Nikon cameras can be challenging with regards to setting a WB. Remember if you use the RAW editor made for your camera, in this case, Capture NX-D the WB in the camera is not that big a deal because you will be able to set a final WB before you convert the RAW file.
Boa tarde, Dan Wampler
Tenho duas câmeras convertidas na LifePixel. Uma Canon Eos-M (720nm) e uma Canon 450d (590nm). Ainda conservo o White Balance como veio da LifePixel.
Gostei muito do seu artigo sobre o assunto, porém, ainda não tenho coragem de mudar as configurações. Gostaria que você fizesse um passo a passo abrangendo os quatro cenários, ok?
Ficarei muito grato.
Atenciosamente,
Francisco Menezes.
Ola franciso,
Cada fabricante de câmeras tem um procedimento ligeiramente diferente para o Balanço de Branco, mas todos envolvem a captura da imagem e, em seguida, o uso da imagem como uma referência de Balanço de Branco. Espero que isso ajude.
Looking for camera setup information for using a mirrorless camera that has been converted to IR. Is using a grey card for WB always going to be a good first step? What other issues do I need to address in using a A-6300 converted for IR (720) B&W only. Expecting Camera back from LP in 1 week so trying to prepare as much as possible prior to its arrival…..THANKS~!
HI Mark,
The information in the article gives you White Balance suggestions for four different scenarios that should cover most all of your shooting situations.