C-W-B!

What does CWB stand for? Custom White Balance. My focus of the week is using my new calibration target in trying to get perfect true color while watching my exposure. So, today I took the kids to a local lakeside where we like to feed the ducks. I found that setting my CWB using the target created very warm images and using AWB created very cool. I'm stumped. Why? I must work at this more and figure it out. I should be getting clean perfect images using the target but uh, tis not working... I'm still figuring it out. Anyway, I brought todays images up in Lightroom (So, Karly, if you're reading this I'm trying giving it another chance. :) ) Found my exposure to be good in the lighting I was in...high noon total light (no shade). I purposely shot into the sunlight for the backlighting effects and sky blowouts. It was mostly cloudy with occasional sunbreaks and then a big downpour just after I finished shooting!

Here is the last shot of the day. I love my little girls freckles on her nose and cheeks. This shot was CWB and appeared warm to me so I cooled it down a touch. I'm not sure the color is correct but I'm in a funky color mood tonight so I'm pushing the color casts to creative limits. :)


This one I didn't mess with the color so you can see the CWB. See how warm it is? Warmer than I usually like to go with him. He looks kinda wonky in the skin tone...a little say, jaundice? Hm..?


Ok, so this duck is perhaps cross with a turkey? Has a funny red something on his nose/beak. My daughter has taken to befriending this odd brown duck. It followed her all over on the dock and pecked at her begging for more food. She personally fed him an entire slice of bread. She named him "Cocoa" and wanted to take him home. She has already asked when we will go to visit him again. I had a little fun processing this one. Turned the colors a little wild but the bird is pretty much that color.

Here is another shot of our little guy. He is just getting into the habit of putting his hands into his pants pockets. Such a "big boy" thing to do. ;) And he is looking up at an airplane that is just passing overhead and wouldn't you know it I chop off the top of his head?! Otherwise, great shot and focus. I just had to post it anyway. So, I also decided to play with a different style of processing... a light fog/blue haze. Trying for something coastal. :)

Ok, so I was loving the lighting and after I chopped off his head I realized I had to use my foot zoom and back myself up to get my big boy in the frame! Yeah, I was using my prime 135. Here I was about 15 feet from him. It was sure hard to do considering he kept creaping closer and closer to me! I was worried that I would back myself right into the lake.

Now this is something I am working on...shooting wide open with various lenses while on the move and getting both eyes in focus. Um... yah.... need more practice. This one didn't quite make it but was a cute shot nevertheless. Sometimes, you just gotta show your outtakes. So, here's an outtake. Also, CWB color here. Still warm to me. hm...

Alright, I decided to try for a high key image shooting using the main light as sun backlight and the lake as a fill. I used the target for CWB and watched for my exposure. The exposure was pushing to the right side of the histogram. Anyway... I don't think it worked out as the sun started coming out just then and likely the lighting changed from my settings. Grr.. Anyway, I turned this image to more high key and did a fog over it for fun. Trying for a weathered coastal look. yah.. um... time for bed.

Alrighty, that was fun today. Sometimes you just gotta go out and play and see what new things you can learn to do. My mission - master CWB! :)