Tweak White Balance in PP while shooting in RAW?

[Kiran Khanzode]

Ok, seems like there's no way to poll....but I guess I could ask this question and get a feel about what you guys do when you shoot in RAW.

1. Do you set your camera to AWB or DWB and accept the image that comes out of your camera (canon/nikon)...and proceed with further PP (sharpness, cloning,framing,cropping) ?

1a. In this case, do you tell yourself, this is the color the camera Gods decided for me, so I will not touch any color temperature to destroy the natural feel (what my eyes saw - even though the image has blue tint, say).

OR

2. Do you change/edit/add/reduce color temperature (in ACR or photoshop) to make your images eye pleasing and warm rather than have that tint ?

Since BPN promotes PP/cloning and other changes heavily, I guess it's fair to ask and know what other photographers do.

Specifically asking to the wildlife photographers who shoot in RAW and in the field.

I know Canon's AWB is pretty bad indoors.

Thanks in advance,

KK

[Jim Neiger]

I almost always use AWB with my 1D3s and rarely change it after converting with BreezeBrowser Pro. Their are occaisionaly times when I think the white balance is off and I will adjust it in PS using curves or levels. This usualy happens in times of low light such as very early or late when the light is extremely warm or sometimes in overcast or shade situations.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I also use AWB as Jim but with my 30D. Then tweak in ACR (if required) when I open in Photoshop. Although most images the WB is not amended at all, but left as it is/was at the time of capture.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Hi Kiran!
In the first place I've never got the idea that "BPN promotes PP/cloning and other changes heavily" and I've been here well over a year. Just because it does often explain what can be done, in my mind, does not mean it is promoting it.
Personally, if anything, I attempt to avoid anything that would require major post-processing solutions, other than minor adjustments of exposure, contrast, and white balance, and fine tune cropping. Extensive cropping indicates framing errors in the field, serious noise indicates improper lighting conditions and failure to follow basic noise reduction protocols (such as using overexposure to reduce noise/signal ratios), excessively relying on cloning indicates failure to keep track of elements showing up in the viewfinder, then releasing the shutter. Of course we all make mistakes, and sometimes it is worth the time to try to fix it in photoshop. Hopefully, as your skill increases, and you have learned how to consistently avoid mistakes, this will be less often. In other words, the goal is to get it right in the camera, and only rely on post-processing "fixes" if everything else fails.
Of all camera adjustments, white balance is the least important, and if you were to ignore one, thats the one. Probably a line or two of code in the RAW data, extremely easy to set in ACR.
That said. I will set it for sunny or cloudy, depending of the weather, but I don't really worry if it is not right.
regards~Bill

[Vivek Khanzode]

I use AWB almost exclusively on 1DIII, but you do have to ensure that the AWB did its job. The only times when AWB is off, is generally very early morning or very late evening (for WL photography).

That said, I do alter it in ACR if I feel there is a need. Bills points are all worth noting down though it takes a lot of practice to get it right.

-- V

[Don Lacy]

I will not touch any color temperature to destroy the natural feel (what my eyes saw - even though the image has blue tint, say).
The humane brain automatically compensate for the cool light that is found in overcast conditions that is why images often appear bluer then what we remember them being when they are captured. Just because a silicone chip does not make this correction at the time of capture that does not mean if you add some warmth to an image you are not being faithful to the scene as you saw it.

[Ed Cordes]

I shoot in AWB most of the time except when I know the light will be stable and I choose the appropriate camera setting. In Light Room I adjust the WB to taste and my memory of the scene. I have learned to check for color cast, but only adjust it out if it improves the image. i.e. if it is a warm sunset I do not adjust to cooler daylight conditions.

[Doug Brown]

I'm in the AWB camp with both my Mark III and my 50D. But I will make adjustments in LR to the WB if I feel it's appropriate.

[Aidan Briggs]

I rarely use AWB with my 50D, and usually set the K values manually. It is more time consuming at first (you have to change the values in different lighting) but once you get the hang of it, it is super accurate, because you decide the color temperature. As a result I almost never change the color temperature while converting.

[Michael Lloyd]

It depends on what I am shooting. For outdoor shots without added light (strobes, incandescent, stadium, etc) I use AWB and if necessary I correct in ACR. For outdoor shots that make use of the above I either custom white balance or in the case of night sports venues I'll pick a color temperature that works. If I can, I base the selection on prior experience the location. If I can't I'll start at around 4500 degrees K and make a note of what the final temperature was when I get the images in ACR. Note that stadium light color temperature an vary by as much as 100 degrees K in a 10 shot burst from a 1DMK3 and much more than that if the timing of the shots hit the peaks and valleys of the light cycle. Indoor shots are almost always custom white balanced unless I'm being lazy... in which case I usually regret not custom white balancing. AWB is pretty good though...