What/where is the best, easiest place to add warmth back to the coolness created by a polarizing filter? I'm shooting with a Nikon D70. Will the camera automatically adjust for it if I shoot with auto white balance or should I change the color temperature in the camera manually...or should I adjust for it in PS, particularly if I'm shooting raw.
Patrick, the polarizer should be neutral and will not create coolness. Some polarizers are tinted (e.g. the so-called "warm polarizers") and those effects will likely be negated by the camera when using AWB.
Either way, you can start "warming up" the image either by explicitly setting the white balance appropriately or by setting it in the raw converter (the latter will give you much more control). You can then tweak further in your editing software.
Actually most polariser do have a blue cast to them although very slight it is, Singh Ray brought out the Warming polariser for that exact reason. To neutralise the effect of using a polariser and to bring back the natural colour. One of the reason when I had mine stolen I have gone all out to find another original Singh Ray Warming Polariser.
With digital though using any polariser will make not a difference as you can just adjust the white balance later or adjust the colour balance. Would be careful if water is in the image though not to change the water colour ie, water looks to warm.
For my eye, there's quite a bit of variation in color castes from one brand to the next. In my experience B&W/Schneider are the most neutral, and I seem to get a slight warming caste with Hoya. Other brands I've tried seem to render green or blue.
As for correcting after the fact, I use a variety of Photoshop strategies ranging from Hue/Saturation to Color Balance to the eye droppers in Curves or Levels, all based upon having your monitor very well calibrated. Without that last bit, achieving neutral colors is about like a dog chasing its tail- a very short tailed dog.
Discussion
3 repliesThanks for any help!
Patrick
Either way, you can start "warming up" the image either by explicitly setting the white balance appropriately or by setting it in the raw converter (the latter will give you much more control). You can then tweak further in your editing software.
Guy
With digital though using any polariser will make not a difference as you can just adjust the white balance later or adjust the colour balance. Would be careful if water is in the image though not to change the water colour ie, water looks to warm.
As for correcting after the fact, I use a variety of Photoshop strategies ranging from Hue/Saturation to Color Balance to the eye droppers in Curves or Levels, all based upon having your monitor very well calibrated. Without that last bit, achieving neutral colors is about like a dog chasing its tail- a very short tailed dog.