Better Photos

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

Just planning my annual trip to the Bristol Exhibition. Over the years, I have had little success with photos taken inside, mainly because the lighting gives all my efforts an orange "glow" which spoils the detail. Last year, I took a small digital camera which proved useless inside the 3rd hall. This year I would like to use an SLR but do not know which filter(s) to buy for correcting the orange colouring.

Can anyone with camera expertise help with choice of filters.

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

Digital slr or film, Ray ?

If digital, no filters are required as the white balance can be set to suit the lighting conditions. Take a piece of white paper as a reference & set a custom white balance by taking a picture of it (you would have to refer to your camera manual for the specifics) under the lighting conditions at the venue. If your digital pictures from last year just have a colour cast, this should be correctable with a photo editing software package (Photoshop, Photoplus etc).

For filters for a film camera, I suspect you would need to know specifically what type of lighting is used in the hall to get the correct value.

HTH

Nigel B.

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

I use a Digital Camera (Both SLR and Happy-Snappy) …. I just either set the Scene Mode or the White-Balance to the setting that matches the lighting …. I don't usually have any problems then.

In fact in most cases the Auto-White Balance on the DSLR gives perfect results …. (I just set the White balance to be sure)

Dave

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Ray

Is this a digital SLR that you will be using? If so you must set the white balance to suit the lighting in the hall. If it is film then all is not lost but you will need to adjust the colour balance in a post capture image processing program – this would also work for your digital images from last year. If you go down the filter route from memory ( it's a long time since I used them!) an 80A filter is used to correct for daylight film used under tungsten light . I don't recall just what the lighting is at Bristol but there is more info. on filters here

I do find photography at exhibitions very difficult with lots of people about and problems with isolating the bit I want. All a case for post capture processing I fear ( which I do enough of already!).

I always go to Bristol – I really like this exhibition and each year it seems to get better!

Good luck

Norman

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I use an old digital for photos and upgraded it years ago so it could take 500 photos on an outing

Cameras don't always get the light right since they don't have a 10 terrahertz real time computer (known as the brain) to compensate

I would then take 5 to 10 photos of each shot from lower ground level to upper ground level and sort things out when I got home, discarding 90%

The limited aperture of a camera lens means a lot of light variation in situations where we don't even notice a difference

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

As I'm going to the Bristol show for the first time this year perhps some of the photographers could display a few of their pictures from last year to give me an idea of what to expect.?

In a few years perhaps we will see 'streetview' like tours.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi again Ray

Here are a couple of images I took at Bristol a few years ago showing the effect you describe and then the same image processed in Adobe Lightroom. I suspect that the lighting at the exhibition is mixed as neither the preset for tungsten nor that for flourescent light were acceptable and I had to create a custom setting. Once done though I was able to apply it to all the images.

Bazyle I will create an album with some pics .( Bristol Exhibition) I really recomend this event – smaller than some maybe but lots to see and a nice relaxed atmosphere. ( It's also a reasonable drive from Devon!).

IMAGE AS SHOT

 

IMAGE CORRECTED IN LIGHTROOM

 

Regards

Norman

Edited By NJH on 13/06/2012 13:23:07

Edited By NJH on 13/06/2012 13:23:29

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Thanks Norman. Some excellent work there from both modeller and photographer. My happy snappy efforts will be more like a rusty chisel to your new Myford.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

OK Bazyle

I have now put a selection of images in my album "Bristol Show". Not terribly good quality I'm afraid, unlike the models which are stunning! Last years show had increased in size and scope quite a bit but there is time to chat with exhibitors, room to move around, a real family feel and plenty of parking. There are a range of trade folk there too – so take your favourite plastic!

N

Edited By NJH on 13/06/2012 14:14:18

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

Thanks to all who have replied. My main camera is an Olympus E410 digital SLR. The photo editing software I have been using is that which was supplied with the camera, perhaps I need to upgrade to a better programme.

Thanks Norman for your photos. I think that in my album there is the same photo of that car but of course uncorrected. Last year I took along a small multipurpose digital camera which I now carry on my belt. It is so handy and produces quite good pictures and video. I will take all your advice and try the SLR again this year and look forward to getting better results.

Bristol is my "local" exhibition. Living in West Wales, I can get there and back in a day. I think this is my sixth year and I still enjoy the visit. Only one sad point was not to see Myford last year.

Many thanks to all for your help,

Ray

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Ray,

Nothing wrong with the Olympus Master software supplied with my E510. Can still get good shots inside.

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

I agree … I have a Olympus E3 and before that a E400 … both work well on Auto White Balance in "P" Program mode, and the latest version of the Olympus software works fine. (I do tend to use Photoshop though).

Dave

[The Merry MillerParticipant @themerrymiller]

Welcome to the Olympus E510 club Kwil, nice to see another member whose got taste

Len. P.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Thanks Len, an Olympus fan right the way through from the OM1 to date.

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

My main camera is an Olympus E410 digital SLR

Pages 49-51 in the E410 manual (the on-line version from the Olympus website) describe the whie balance function & how to set a custom white balance.

I use a Pentax K20D, which is set in a similar manner.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

In my digital experience (with compacts only) the 'auto' whitebalance setting works for 90% of situations, but the one exception is that I find I get better results under cloudy skies with the whitebalance set for full sunlight.

My 00 gagugealbum pictures show an interesting artefact – poor colour balance with the subjects lit by fluorescent tube overhead, but diffuse natural light from the right. I autocorrected them and the artificially lit bits have gone to a more natural tone, but the diffusely lit shadows have gone very blue!

Neil

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Ray Lyons on 13/06/2012 16:39:37:

Thanks to all who have replied. My main camera is an Olympus E410 digital SLR. The photo editing software I have been using is that which was supplied with the camera, perhaps I need to upgrade to a better programme.

If you want a better editing software and don't want to spend a fortune download GIMP. Iy's free and will do everything that expensive packages will. Takes a while to learn though.

Russell.

[Rob keevesParticipant @robkeeves73950]

Im not a camera expert, but the orange tinge to the light source in the picture looks to me, to be sodium discharge lamps, as used in most street luminares and found in large halls. Very efficent but what a horrid colour temperature.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

I can't remember if it's sodium or mercury vapour lighting in the BEC halls. Many DSLR's have an auto white balance setting which compensates for most lighting situations. If you set the camera for a particular light source e.g. tungsten or fluorescent then use flash this can add a colour cast into the image i.e. if using flash set the white balance to auto or flash.

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Hi everyone
Thank you all for your lovely comments about our Bristol (Thornbury) show yes the sodium lighting is a problem and has been mentioned to me for a number of years. Please look at our web site for last years pics. You will find me either lurking on the club stand helping young people to make something, hospitality room or the bar upstairs. I am only a ghopher (you know go for this go for that) and in no way involved with the organising of this event.
Please look at
**LINK**
I would love to meet all fellow ME colleagues that contribute on this forum.

Look forward to meeting everyone

Bob Thomson.

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

Hi Ray,

I'm coming in rather late here, and certainly go along with the above comments about colour balance etc.

What I thought would be of use to you, goes something like this :-

Many a picture is spoiled in low light conditions due to camera shake, where the image is smeared, and there being a limited depth of field, at wide aperture. Having a uniform amount of light usually produces a nicer result, but …

There are two solutions which come to mind. The first is the use of flash, and the second (in a tight environment such as an exhibition hall), is to use a monopod, or better still a tripod. The latter is rather cumbersome hence the idea of using a monopod. If neither of these are possible, then propping the camera on something more rigid can work well.

With flash however, camera shake is (usually) not a problem, unless the camera has software for balancing the flash output with available light. Then you get two images. A sharper one from the flash, and a secondary image from the available light. Without a steady hand or something to support the camera on, these two images can appear separate.

Although a flash image can be very much sharper, the fall off in light intensity varies with the square of the distance, so that detail closest to the camera is illuminated more brightly than detail further away.

I have found the best results with flash is to have the flash unit off the camera, held out at arms length and somewhat above the subject. A bit tricky at first, but worth the effort.

There are other factors, but I think that will be enough.

Good luck,

Sam

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

Hi All,

Sorry I have been out until now, trying to get some work done before the forecast storm. It has started raining now so back indoors.

Thanks for all your help. On looking at my camera now I find that my white balance is set on auto. I left it there believing that it would adjust for any light, so still learning. I will look at my pictures taken at previous shows and see if I can filter out the orange.

Ray

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

I just leave my camera set to auto white balance and the whites seem to come out all white.

I'm using a DAZ 27z – it did say "Whiter than white" on the box…

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