Custom white balance with strobes?

[Lucy7]

I am very new to studio photography, and I'm wondering if it's possible to do a custom white balance with strobes? I'm using Alien Bees, sometimes adding in a SB-24, and I shoot with a Nikon D700. I am familiar with how to set a custom white balance.

Right now I am using a small space in the basement. I set my lights, meter, set my camera settings in full manual mode, and then take a couple test shots, then tweak as needed. So, if custom white balance is possible with strobes, at what point in my steps would I set it, and how?

Thank you! This forum is really great.......I am finding so much great information here, and I haven't been able to stop reading!

[Steven G Webb]

After you set up the lights, but before you shoot your first subject exposure.

Place your target on your subject spot and go for it.

Steve

[quantumhelp]

A Custom White Balance (pre-sets in Nikon parlance) can be done with ANY light source. You photograph a piece of bright white paper and what you are basically doing is telling the camera "This is white - make it white".

[E]

You can set your white bal. using any light source, including studio flash. I use a target that is white, gray, & black. Using the histogram I set exposure setting the three spikes where they should be. This last exposure shot is then used to set the white balance. Yes the three "colors" in the target work fine for setting the white bal.

[Joe M]

Lucy i too own the very same gear as you. I sometimes use the lightning bolt in WB for strobes. So try that. Alternately i have a calibrated test target made by PhotoVision. It's a 14 inch popup size, Black, Grey White. Very convenient to take along. Indoor or out.

joe

[kgphoto]

Read your manual to learn how to set White balance for your camera. Use as neutral a target as possible, I prefer the Whi-Bal card over any fabric target, but to each their own.

[deluco]

Originally Posted by Lucy7

So, if custom white balance is possible with strobes, at what point in my steps would I set it, and how?

...AFTER you set the correct exposure. Then you set your white balance. Different camera systems and your taste may require that you set the white balance with either a grey target or white. Generally, setting Custom white balance with grey will result in warmer skin tones, and setting it with white will give you cooler tones. My camera system (Fuji S5 Pro) gives me the most accurate skin tones with a white reflector. Also, in my case the Strobe setting on the camera gives me the same white balance as Custom, so I just use that for my studio setup. I haven't had to set custom since I discovered that.

I suggest that you set your correct exposure, then try different tones to set the white balance. Also try your camera's strobe and daylight presets. See what you like the best.

Here's a link to the digital target I use. I use the target side for setting the exposures, and the white side for setting the white balance.

Photovision 34" One Shot Digital Target DT34012 B&H Photo

[Lucy7]

Thank you everybody, I appreciate the help, and my apologies for the delay in responding. Busy week.

I did a little practicing with this over the week using the info here, and I think I have it figured out. Setting it on flash is too warm for my taste, and setting on daylight with the lights seems to be just a bit to cool, which is why I wanted to give a try with custom. I'd rather try to get it correct in camera vs fixing it in pp if I can.

[Steven G Webb]

Lucy you may be able to tweak the preset. If after you select the preset, continue to hold the WB button and adjust the SubMenu wheel (The one opposite the one you use to select the WB) you'll find it will make +/- adjustments. You can cool or warm each preset to taste.

Steve

[kgphoto]

If you white or gray targets are in fact neutral, there shouldn't be any differnce in white balance. That is why I recommend the Whi-Bal Card because each individual target is tested before being shipped to in sure it falls within specs.

As far as studio settings, realize that the type and age of modifier (umbrella, softbox, etc.) will influence the white balance so using a target to get it back to a real neutral and then adjusting to taste will insure consistency of the look of your photography.