How to set RAW white balance w/ PhotoShop?

[DrDave]

I'm new to u/w photography (and PhotoShop). Reading this board, I've seen people suggesting using RAW for ultimate flexibility. That makes sense and I've tried that. However, my problem now is figuring out how properly to set the white balance in Photoshop CS using the RAW image file. So far, it seems easier to set it manually with my camera (Canon PowerShot S60), but that can't be right. Can anyone offer tips, or refer me to a tutorial?

Thanks loads,
Dave

 

[hermosadive]

I found this by putting "photoshop white balance" into Google for you, here's the top link. Hope it helps.
http://www.bairarteditions.com/pages/tutorials/photoshop/colorbalance.html

 

[RonFrank]

I'm new to u/w photography (and PhotoShop). Reading this board, I've seen people suggesting using RAW for ultimate flexibility. That makes sense and I've tried that. However, my problem now is figuring out how properly to set the white balance in Photoshop CS using the RAW image file. So far, it seems easier to set it manually with my camera (Canon PowerShot S60), but that can't be right. Can anyone offer tips, or refer me to a tutorial?

Thanks loads,
Dave

When I pull in a RAW file with PS, the first thing I get is the RAW conversion tool. This has sliders for WB/Exposure/Hue/Saturation/Tone on the first page, and two tabs that allow for stuff like sharpening, and Level's adjustments.

This is CS, so if you are running PS7 you will have to use the Canon tools to mess with RAW files.

 

[ChillyWaters]

When I pull in a RAW file with PS, the first thing I get is the RAW conversion tool. This has sliders for WB/Exposure/Hue/Saturation/Tone on the first page, and two tabs that allow for stuff like sharpening, and Level's adjustments.

This is CS, so if you are running PS7 you will have to use the Canon tools to mess with RAW files.

I have yet to try photoshop. But I hate those dumb Canon tools -- way to freak'n slow. Photos look great, but damn they take a lot of time to convert them all.

- ChillyWaters

 

[Azotomix]

When working with PS CS2 in Raw format. I either play with the preset choice (Auto, Daylight, cloudy, flash…) but what I saw lately is that with the White balance tool (Top right) and playing around the picture finding a white spot (most of the time there is something white in the picture) colours comes out nice.

After I play with Exposure, shadows, brightness…

 

[DrDave]

Great suggestions - thanks. I'll give 'em a try this weekend!

Dave

 

[kevreid]

The best money I have spent on anything photo related to date is the book "RealWorld Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS". I bought a copy on Ebay for about $10. If you plan to shoot in RAW, you need this book.
I don't use CS, I use Elements 3 but the Raw converter is similar. What I'm able to do in the Raw conversion has totally changed my editing time and I think the results.
As a general statement, the advise Azotomix gave about finding a white spot and clicking there with the eyedropper is good (I like white spots on a subject fish, their teeth, underside, white of an eye). Have the highlights and shadows indicators checked and you can run up the exposure and shadows until you start to see red for highlights and blue for shadows.
Give it a try and let us know how it works.

 

[RonFrank]

is NOT a WB option. This is done in Levels, and if one has a white balance of 3200K (tungsten) and it should have been 6500K (daylight/cloudy) one will NOT get good WB by using the white/black/grey-point adjustment as nothing will be white to begin with.\

This is the curse, and wonder of PS. There is SO much flexibility it's difficult to understand it all, harder to learn to use it, or when to stop.

In addition things like Whitpoint adjustments will make a huge difference right up until they don't. IOW's minor WB corrections are possible only becasue the WB is really not off by much. However WB is a rather tricky thing. Keep in mind the color temp is not the only factor. Tungesten at 3200K is filtered very different vs. Florescent at 3200K. So color temp is not the only factor coming into play here.

 

[kevreid]

is NOT a WB option. This is done in Levels, and if one has a white balance of 3200K (tungsten) and it should have been 6500K (daylight/cloudy) one will NOT get good WB by using the white/black/grey-point adjustment as nothing will be white to begin with.\

This is the curse, and wonder of PS. There is SO much flexibility it's difficult to understand it all, harder to learn to use it, or when to stop.

In addition things like Whitpoint adjustments will make a huge difference right up until they don't. IOW's minor WB corrections are possible only becasue the WB is really not off by much. However WB is a rather tricky thing. Keep in mind the color temp is not the only factor. Tungesten at 3200K is filtered very different vs. Florescent at 3200K. So color temp is not the only factor coming into play here.

We are talking about the Raw Converter, not the editing program. The eyedropper in the converter is for setting white balance unlike the eyedropper in levels.

 

[ChillyWaters]

I'm new to u/w photography (and PhotoShop). Reading this board, I've seen people suggesting using RAW for ultimate flexibility. That makes sense and I've tried that. However, my problem now is figuring out how properly to set the white balance in Photoshop CS using the RAW image file. So far, it seems easier to set it manually with my camera (Canon PowerShot S60), but that can't be right. Can anyone offer tips, or refer me to a tutorial?

Thanks loads,
Dave

Okay, I finally tried Photoshop CS2 today, and I have to say that it's RAW conversion SUCKS compared to Canon's Raw Converter. Perhaps I just don't know how to handle it, but I couldn't get anything even remotely close to what Canon's software would give me!!!

Although Canon's software is slower, the white balancing you can achieve out of it is way better (using the eye-dropper tool -- just like you can do with Photoshop).

Go to Canon's site and download it. Then use Photoshop _if_ you need any additional touchups.

Actually just went to their website and they don't have the Raw Converter listed under the S60, but it was still under the S30. Check it out:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=DownloadDetailAct&fcategoryid=322&modelid=7489
click on 'download software' and then 'Raw Image Converter for Windows.'

Cheers,
ChillyWaters