Auto(?!?)... White Balance

[Richard Brooks]

Sorry to bring this minor problem up but i noticed on another thread (Sorry forgot where so can continue) but a few of you advanced users used Auto White Balance taking sports pictures and maybe even the thread continued you used Auto White Balance at night games? ... I ask as i DID use Auto white balance especially at night games but with the cheap flood lights i work under at my sports venue i found when i got home one picture would drastically differ from the next as i kept up with play? In the end i dialled in a my chosen balance as to wheat looked right then when i got home adjusted my first picture and batch corrected the others.

I thought what i was doing was OK but as i said previously was very surprised to see a lot of you do not and set the camera to Auto? I'm clearly missing a trick so could i ask if someone could point me in the right direction as to why please? Huge Thanks

 

[Kodiak Qc]

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Basically, the main point here is NOT WB rather the light used at the event location.

If you are pretty sure that the stadium lights are all the same and working well, there
will be little colour shift during the whole event. So, you can stay on AUTO WB and
batch the fist picture tweak to the rest.

However, If different light sources are used and/or are not all performing at the same
level, there will be some colour shifts. The problem then is which WB to choose? The
solution is pick one that is closest to the type of light used and hope to have some
jerseys or else the are white (or any neutral grey) that you may use as target for your
eventual correction.

These corrections, since the takes were at different places under the different lights
during the event can not be batched really … so it is going to be a bit tedious in PP.

 

[Photodiva]

I've found that floodlight cycle different colour shifts, and therefore setting a custom white balance isn't a lot better than AWB. It is a bit tedious, but I will often tweak the color balance in pp.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

White balance is a thorny issue. Especially when the lights come on during a game. They will change colour temperature as they warm up for at least 15 minutes.
At the same time the Day light is fading which can have just about any colour.
As good as auto white balance is these days. it can not guarantee a matched set of photographs. Custom balance is no better in changing conditions.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

I've found that floodlight cycle different colour shifts, and therefore setting a custom white balance isn't a lot better than AWB. It is a bit tedious, but I will often tweak the color balance in pp.

Custom balance is no better in changing conditions.

Changing light conditions or having two different WB zones in shoot has always
been a nightmare since day one of colour photography… film or digital. With the
later one there are better means to correct that if you are shooting RAW as this
grant the wide latitude of the WB scale. That does not, however, take away the
tedious part of the work.