Blue cast..

[Walj]

Hi ALL,

I have below picture taken this morning at Waterfront near my house. It was captured with 5D Mark II and EF17-40 wide-angle lens attached with filters of Lee Big Stopper, Tokina circular PL, Lee sky blue 3G and Lee 3ND G H; Fixed on tripod; cable release; with setting in B shutter at 1.45 mins and manual whitebalance color temp of 10000K; ISO 100. PP with CS5 & NIK plugin. I wonder if the result looks fine or otherwise? Also my question is how I could get rid of the blue cast problem esp when using Big Stopper filter? Need some experts to advice on this. Others, your c & c would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks in advance:

[Colin Southern]

Hi Walad,

Are you shooting JPEG or RAW?

What software are you post-processing in?

[Walj]

Hi Walad,

Are you shooting JPEG or RAW?

What software are you post-processing in?

Hi Colin,

Thanks for your prompt response. FYI, I will never miss shooting in RAW and hardly JPEG. The software I used is Photoshop CS5 with NIK plugin

[John 2]

Hi Walad. Don't know why you have used the Sky Blue 3G. You tend to get a blue cast over the sea anyway and a UV filter will help. Also some big stoppers push the image out to the blue anyway. I bought a lens cap that has an opaque white window in the front and it allows you to create an automatic in camera custom white balance with your filters in place. I would expect your 5D Mk II to have this facility (I use Nikon). However I don't know how you might use this with Lee filters. As for your image, I think you have more of a Cyan cast than blue. Just try a global adjustment in Image/Adjustments/Colour Balance and reduce the cyan content and perhaps a little blue also.

[Walj]

Hi Walad. Don't know why you have used the Sky Blue 3G. You tend to get a blue cast over the sea anyway and a UV filter will help. Also some big stoppers push the image out to the blue anyway. I bought a lens cap that has an opaque white window in the front and it allows you to create an automatic in camera custom white balance with your filters in place. I would expect your 5D Mk II to have this facility (I use Nikon). However I don't know how you might use this with Lee filters. As for your image, I think you have more of a Cyan cast than blue. Just try a global adjustment in Image/Adjustments/Colour Balance and reduce the cyan content and perhaps a little blue also.

Great! I think could be I had overdone my editing / post-processing. You are right! in that case more to cyan cast instead of blue.. Brilliant idea to use an opaque lens cap for whitebalance control. I don't have to grab this since I have ExpoDisk whitebalance filter I bought sometime ago.

[pnodrog]

You loaded the camera up with filters, set WB to 10000K -Why? What effect are you after or what are you trying to achieve? I assume you wanted a long exposure time to smooth the sea but what else?

[Walj]

You loaded the camera up with filters, set WB to 10000K -Why? What effect are you after or what are you trying to achieve? I assume you wanted a long exposure time to smooth the sea but what else?

To look more natural Paul instead of too much blue cast. Anyway, I managed to make it. I think the problem was I had overdone my editing / post-processing.. In that case not blue cast but cyan cast instead as John 2 mentioned. LOL!

FYI, the different between Daylight whitebalance and color temp whitebalance as follow (both images are original from the camera without any editing except resize):


Big Stopper with Daylight whitebalance (caused blue cast)


Big Stopper with Color temp. at 10000K (looks more natural without blue cast)

[Walj]

The following shots I did over last weekend also with same setup and only Lee Big Stopper I wish to share with all out there for c&c. Thanks in advance:


01


02


03


04

[AB26]

Tokina circular PL, Lee sky blue 3G and Lee 3ND G H;

Hi Walad,

I am no filter expert and I may be missing the bus now.
What I understand about filters and digital photography is that except for polarizing, ND and UV all coloured filters are mainly for use in B&W photography.
You need not use filters for colour photography as you can enhance the colour in camera.

Convert this image to B&W and see the magnificent result!

[pnodrog]

It seems to me your sky blue filter and your WB 10000K are fighting each other with no effective advantage. I have always tried to work with no more than two filters and tend to use filters only for exposure control or polarising effects. Using warming , tobacco, blue filters etc is virtually a thing of the past for me.

I do not think the problem has much to do with post processing.

[Walj]

Hi Walad,

I am no filter expert and I may be missing the bus now.
What I understand about filters and digital photography is that except for polarizing, ND and UV all coloured filters are mainly for use in B&W photography.
You need not use filters for colour photography as you can enhance the colour in camera.

Convert this image to B&W and see the magnificent result!

Hi Andre,
Thanks for the feedback. I'll convert to B&W once I have the opportunity. Good tips!

[Walj]

It seems to me your sky blue filter and your WB 10000K are fighting each other with no effective advantage. I have always tried to work with no more than two filters and tend to use filters only for exposure control or polarising effects. Using warming , tobacco, blue filters etc is virtually a thing of the past for me.

I do not think the problem has much to do with post processing.

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your feedback. You are right I shouldn't used the sky blue filter. Anyway, I remember in my earlier process was ok after I made some adjustment to the color balance - I meant the blue was looking acceptable before but along the way I didn't realize I did something until the cyan appeared to be overdone.

[pnodrog]

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your feedback. You are right I shouldn't used the sky blue filter. Anyway, I remember in my earlier process was ok after I made some adjustment to the color balance - I meant the blue was looking acceptable before but along the way I didn't realize I did something until the cyan appeared to be overdone.

Just keep in mind cyan overdone maybe red underdone.

[Walj]

Just keep in mind cyan overdone maybe red underdone.

Good tips Paul. Wonderful! Thanks a mill.

[Walj]

Hi Andre,

I found this image and converted to B&W but not sure if that is your standard?:



Your are right! the b&w picture looks more interesting compared with color.. Thanks..

[AB26]

Hi Andre,

I found this image and converted to B&W but not sure if that is your standard?:

What do you mean by my standard? My B&W is crap! Ask Donald and Phil (dubaiphil) about B&W.

Now playing around a bit with contrast will make it much better. Sorry Walad I downloaded this image and enhanced the contrast after converting to B&W - that is why I know.

Great shots, you will do great B&W images.