Microstock Photography Forum - General > Lighting
Two Photos Rejected for Poor Lighting/White Balance
EricBullerPhotography:
I just submitted my first photos to Shutterstock and three of the six submissions were accepted. I am happy about that, but I have questions about two of the photos that were rejected (one is attached).
Both of them were shot in my homemade light box and were rejected for "Poor Lighting--Image has exposure issues, unfavorable lighting conditions, and/or incorrect white balance" and "White Balance -- The incorrect white balance setting was used". My light box is a fiberglass bathtub that I cut in half and painted with flat white latex paint. The light source is a single 40w florescent bulb in a 16" galvanized metal reflector, with the light diffused by a white cotton t-shirt (I know, I know, but I live in a developing country in West Africa). The photos were edited in Lightroom 6.
So, based on that, I have two questions:
1. Is there anything I can do in Lightroom to rescue these photos?
2. What do I need to change in my light box setup to improve my results and reduce post-production time in Lightroom?
Chichikov:
In Lightroom, go to the develop module, chose the sampler under the white balance, click on the background on your photo.
Set your exposure, add a little vibrancy/saturation and maybe 5 points of clarity.
(That's all)
__
You also can try to set the WB to auto in your camera
EricBullerPhotography:
--- Quote from: Chichikov on September 13, 2016, 11:14 ---In Lightroom, go to the develop module, chose the sampler under the white balance, click on the background on your photo.
Set your exposure, add a little vibrancy/saturation and maybe 5 points of clarity.
(That's all)
__
You also can try to set the WB to auto in your camera
--- End quote ---
Hmmm... I went to the Develop Module, but I don't see anything called "Sampler" under white balance. I am using Lightroom 6. Maybe there is a sampling option on CC?
Here are the changes I made:
-Dropped white balance from 7350 to 6600
-Increased exposure from -0.20 to +0.70
-Increased clarity from +10 to +15
-Increased vibrance from 0 to +20
-Increased saturation from 0 to +10
I placed my cursor on the white background to see the effect my changes were making on the RGB values.
Before:
R- 79.2
G- 80.7
B-73.6
After:
R- 89.6
G-91.2
B- 88.3
This shows the background data is much closer to 100 in each category, which I would assume is perfect white, so it is a good improvement in that area. However, as you can see from the attached updated photo, it makes the subject look a little blown out (but maybe it's just in comparison to the original edit).
In looking at the RGB data for the white background, it makes me wonder if there is a target I should be aiming for. Does anybody else look at this data when editing light box photos?
Any other thoughts? Advice?
MatHayward:
Good for you on thinking outside the box (no pun intended) to get the shot you want! A bathtub and a tee shirt...use what you've got to get it done. I love it!
Your second sample the white balance looks a bit worse than your first unfortunately. It's very green on my monitor. The sampler tool you are looking for looks like an eyedropper. Select that tool then click on a spot in the image that is white. In this case, click your backdrop. It's not perfect but it will get you more in the ballpark for correct white balance. Adjust it accordingly.
Good luck!
Mat
EricBullerPhotography:
--- Quote from: MatHayward on September 13, 2016, 12:29 ---Good for you on thinking outside the box (no pun intended) to get the shot you want! A bathtub and a tee shirt...use what you've got to get it done. I love it!
Your second sample the white balance looks a bit worse than your first unfortunately. It's very green on my monitor. The sampler tool you are looking for looks like an eyedropper. Select that tool then click on a spot in the image that is white. In this case, click your backdrop. It's not perfect but it will get you more in the ballpark for correct white balance. Adjust it accordingly.
Good luck!
Mat
--- End quote ---
Ahhhh!!! Thanks!
OK, so I did as you and Chichikov suggested and it made a big difference. Both the temp and tint were adjusted, which I think took care of the green (I am stuck using a laptop monitor, but plan on picking up a 24" Dell Ultrasharp when I'm back in the states in a couple months). Anyway, after the improved white balance, I dropped the exposure from +.70 to +.55. I think that is better, but you can judge on your monitor better than me. :D
Thanks a million!
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version