X-Rite photo

Date Created: 9/14/2009   Date Modified: 4/11/2019

-White Balance in a Raw Workflow

Setting a consistent white point in a set of images also reduces editing time in a Raw workflow because there’s no need to individually adapt white points for each image. But the real power of Raw format is the selection of in-camera custom white balance or in-software white balance, and the flexibility to alter images without destroying original image data.

While some users wait to adjust the white balance sliders or click on various near-neutral objects to get the balance they like in the software, the results are not consistent. This becomes even worse when shooting an event like a wedding where the lighting changes from one location to the next, yet the entire event should have a consistent feel. ColorChecker Passport makes color consistency a breeze. Simply use the target to set the white balance in your software; then apply the same white balance to all of the images that were shot under those same lighting
conditions.

Keep in mind, even if you are using custom DNG profiles, you will still need to do a custom white balance each time you change to a different lighting condition. This custom white balance can be performed in-camera before shooting, or afterwards in your Raw editing application.

When shooting Raw with the ColorChecker Passport, you have the ability to set the white point in your Raw processing software for added creativity. The ColorChecker Creative Enhancement target includes the White Balance patch as well as patches for warming portraits and warming or cooling landscape images. Simply shoot the Creative Enhancement target in each new lighting condition and use the patches to warm up flesh tones in portraits or add richer blues and greens in landscapes.