Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (
More info?)
"Larry" <larrylynch3rd@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.1c96310a4ed35e17989734@news.individual.NET...
> In article <cuYWd.15620$3t3.9741@fe2.columbus.rr.com>,
> sligojoe_Spamno@hotmail.com says...
> > beaver wrote:
> > > I want to get some good shots of city streets at night using an
> > > OlympusC5000z.
> > >
> > > I've got the streets, regular nightimes and the camera however it
> > > seems that whatever settings I use the image is getting flooded with
> > > yellow from the sodium lighting. When I try to correct them
> > > afterwards (PS7) there is simply not enough blue channel content to
> > > get a balanced image
> > >
> > > any advice would be very welcome
> > >
> > > as you've probably guessed...newbie!
> > >
> > > thanks
> > >
> > > B
> >
> > Those lights are almost impossible to make look normal. There are
two
> > parts to the problem. First they are very yellow, but even more
important
> > they are very limited bright line, which means they don't emit a full
set of
> > colors, only a few. If they don't emit blue light, then anything blue
will
> > turn out as black.
> >
> > There are two kinds of those lights as well. There are high
pressure
> > (more reddish orange) and then there are low pressure (very yellow) In
> > either case you can try using your camera's white balance to correct,
but
> > don't expect perfection.
> >
> > You can also decide that it is not a problem, but an opportunity to
> > produce images making use of the unique properties of the lights and not
try
> > to make them look "normal."
> >
> > If the situation allows, you may want to try using flash. It may
work
> > in some situations. You can also try using filters, but again don't
expect
> > too much.
> >
> >
> >
>
> I have that problem in one of the horse areans I shoot in. On cloudy days
> and at night it is lit by old fashioned vapor lamps (the blue/green type
that
> looks like "Mercury Vapor Lamps"), which have a terrible spectrum,at least
> until they have been on for an hour, during which the spectrum changes as
the
> lamps warm up, and I must use several different "manual white balance"
> settings depending on where I am in the area, and how much light is coming
> from the lamps.
>
> It can be a nightmare, when people are wearing bright colorfull custom
made
> clothing, and the colors arent "spot on" in the print.
>
> After losing several sales due to "color matching" problems Ive learned to
> use Manual White Balance a LOT! (I carry a neutral grey card, and a white
> card in the big pocket in the back of my "shooting vest" and just drop it
in
> the light, do the balance, and "hope for the best", usually it works).
>
> If your camera doesn't have a "Manual" white balance setting, I would
sugest
> you shop for one that does, if you wish to correct this particular
problem,
> or continue the project you have started.
>
> My other solution is to shoot B&W under those lights, but it sometimes
takes
> a LOT of convincing to get a customer to believe what they REALLY want is
a
> B&W print, (and its usually a PITA for me to get it done).
>
>
>
>
> --
> Larry Lynch
> Mystic, Ct.
Many thanks to all of you, I will digest those answers that I can
understand, ponder the rest and go experiment again. I do have manual
settings on the c5000z and also a manual white balance. I will post a link
here to the next batch just in case someone else is going to encounter the
same situation in the future
again, thanks to you all
B
/www.colorpilot.com/cp_examples.html
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