Macro issue with beige shades

[newtex]

Hi everybody

Was wondering if someone could help me out. I'm not particularly clued up with photography so please go easy on me!

I'm using a HS10 to take some photos of various colours of knitting wool (in macro mode).

Colour reproduction is pretty important, and on the whole I'm pleased with the images, although some shades need a little tweaking here and there.

However one shade I'm having trouble with is a light beige shade. I don't know if it's me that's going mad, but the images seem to be more red at the top and greener at the bottom:

http://s11.postimg.org/js7bjyfsj/DSCF7098.jpg

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

[Deleted member 34016]

welcome to the forum, I have no knowledge of the camera you are using, so bear with me

I think its a (WB) white balance problem, are you able to alter this within your camera :shrug: aslo lighting of the subject is very important

I opened your posted image and adjusted the WB - is this closer to the actual colour- it may well be your camera is not up to the job -unless you use a dedicated Macro lens





Les

 

[Phil V]

There's a different hue to the light (WB doesn't change across a frame - but it's struggling to find 'normal' here), what are you lighting them with?

Ensure that you're lighting with a single colour light source, wither windowlight or artificial, but look out also for items close by that'll reflect coloured light onto the object.

 

[newtex]

Hi

Thanks for getting back to me. The edited picture you posted seems to enhance the greens and reds even more - it should be one uniform shade across

I've been setting the white balance manually. Re lighting I have been using two lights I bought off ebay

Here's a picture of the white paper I'm using to set the WB :

http://postimg.org/image/61zk67ofr/

which again seems a bit shady

 

[troutfisher]

Before I put my ex colourists hat on and start to wax lyrical could I ask the end use of the photographs please.

Chris

 

[Phil V]

Hi

Thanks for getting back to me. The edited picture you posted seems to enhance the greens and reds even more - it should be one uniform shade across

I've been setting the white balance manually. Re lighting I have been using two lights I bought off ebay

Here's a picture of the white paper I'm using to set the WB :

http://postimg.org/image/61zk67ofr/

which again seems a bit shady

I'd be interested in a pull back shot of the area, I'll bet your answer will be staring out at you from it.

 

[HoppyUK]

Was it fluorescent light and a highish shutter speed?

The key to good colour is really the quality of the light. With that sorted, you should be able to get accurate results with any camera and careful post-processing.

 

[newtex]

The photos are used to send to potential customers (we buy and sell wool). To be 100% honest it's not so much an issue from that perspective as most customers will have physical samples sent prior to ordering anyway, it's more of a point of curiousity, I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong or if it's just a physical limitation of the camera I'm using.

Here's a shot of the surrounding area:

http://postimg.org/image/6ta75mz3t/

(the windows to the left and right are just into another room which is always in darkness, they don't face outdoors)

 

[Deleted member 34016]

Im guessing now its the e bay lights

have you tried to light the subject using natural light ?

Les

 

[Phil V]

The photos are used to send to potential customers (we buy and sell wool). To be 100% honest it's not so much an issue from that perspective as most customers will have physical samples sent prior to ordering anyway, it's more of a point of curiousity, I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong or if it's just a physical limitation of the camera I'm using.

Here's a shot of the surrounding area:

http://postimg.org/image/6ta75mz3t/

It's not pulled back enough, I need to see lights and windoes (if appropriate).

But as Richard said - are you using flourescent lights? they can colour cycle so you need slow shutter speeds to get a solid light colour from them.

 

[newtex]

The bulbs inside the lights just have the following printed on them:

"SET PHOTO
135W 5500K 220V/50Hz
Tri-Phosphor Ra>92
Photography Special"

There are fluorescents in the room although I switch those off before taking any photos

Unfortunately we are in a warehouse with no windows so we don't have the luxury of natural light!

 

[Deleted member 34016]

The bulbs inside the lights just have the following printed on them:

"SET PHOTO
135W 5500K 220V/50Hz
Tri-Phosphor Ra>92
Photography Special"

There are fluorescents in the room although I switch those off before taking any photos

Unfortunately we are in a warehouse with no windows so we don't have the luxury of natural light!

5500k (Kelvin) is the temp of Daylight- according to what Ive read- can you not shoot outside or use off camera flash

Les

 

[Phil V]

The bulbs inside the lights just have the following printed on them:

"SET PHOTO
135W 5500K 220V/50Hz
Tri-Phosphor Ra>92
Photography Special"

There are fluorescents in the room although I switch those off before taking any photos

Unfortunately we are in a warehouse with no windows so we don't have the luxury of natural light!

Try with one light at a time, with daylight balance set, I'll bet they're different colours

 

[HoppyUK]

The bulbs inside the lights just have the following printed on them:

"SET PHOTO
135W 5500K 220V/50Hz
Tri-Phosphor Ra>92
Photography Special"

There are fluorescents in the room although I switch those off before taking any photos

Unfortunately we are in a warehouse with no windows so we don't have the luxury of natural light!

They're fluorescent bulbs, though if intended for photography they should have reasonable colour for most general subjects. Certainly not guaranteed though, and this is a very colour-critical application - there will still be a colour cycle that will show at high shutter speeds (assuming a scanning-type shutter, either electronic or mechanical). This is my best guess. And some colours may be missing from the spectrum, or reduced, and that will show no matter what.

The other thing is the environment that will tint the colour of spilled and reflected light. The trick there is to use a neutral background and position the lights quite close so that any spilled/tinted light becomes insignificant.