Skin Tone White Balance

reverenddude · 03-23-2014, 01:06 PM

In Aperture, there's an ability to choose a "skin tone" white balance and then use a dropper to select some skin in the photo. Does LR5 have a similar option? I can't find one specifically like that in the WB menu, at least that I can tell from the titling.

I was messing with some photos I took, yesterday, of a baby and that skin tone WB dropper in Aperture is AMAZING. But, with K-3 PEFs, Aperture is so slow.

If I find something similar, I'll post it. Otherwise, thanks, y'all. :-)

bar_foo · 03-24-2014, 08:33 PM

Not exactly. There's a "soften skin" brush (negative clarity, for smoothing, not changing color balance), but you can make your own to change temperature, saturation, and clarity.

**Miguel** · 03-24-2014, 09:28 PM

Originally posted by reverenddude

In Aperture, there's an ability to choose a "skin tone" white balance

Now I'm curious. . .this sounds like a great feature, but, um, whose "skin tone" are we talking about here? Is the tool equally effective on the skin tones of non-pinkish flesh?

M

dcBear78 · 03-25-2014, 02:14 AM

Sounds like a great feature. Lightroom only has the tool to select middle grey. I bought a $5 set of cards from eBay and take a test shot with the person holding them first to nail my white balance.

---------- Post added 25th Mar 2014 at 07:53 PM ----------

Here you can see K-3 auto WB on the left. Then using the cards to pick middle grey for the right. The auto WB is actually not too bad.

reverenddude · 03-25-2014, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by Miguel

Now I'm curious. . .this sounds like a great feature, but, um, whose "skin tone" are we talking about here? Is the tool equally effective on the skin tones of non-pinkish flesh?

M

My boyfriend's family is Mexican and the baby has a darker complexion, at least in comparison to my casper-like skin. It matched him very well. When I get home, I'll post a picture.

To be honest, I haven't even tried it on pinkish skin. I'll try that in the next few days also.

wildman · 03-27-2014, 06:15 AM

Originally posted by dcBear78

Here you can see K-3 auto WB on the left. Then using the cards to pick middle grey for the right.

Out of curiosity I WB it using PS CS6 just to see what it would do.
It looks like PS shifted the color balance towards the green side a bit.
Speaking only of skin tone alone it looks a bit more "natural" to my eye - not so unrealistically warm. glowing and cute.

Den · 03-29-2014, 09:31 PM

On the above two images most likely somewhere between the two would be more correct. Leastways that's what I see on my monitor. (left too pink-right too green). On dcBear78's post, the one on the right looks correct to me.

**Kerrowdown** · 03-30-2014, 02:21 AM

Originally posted by Miguel

but, um, whose "skin tone" are we talking about here

I thought the same, that must be some kind of software to identify the correct tone for all the many variations of skin colours.

I think until they've perfect that one, I'll continue to use the x-rite Colorchecker Passport where critical colour balance is required. It also works totally seamlessly with Lightroom 5.

dcBear78 · 03-30-2014, 04:23 AM

Originally posted by wildman

Speaking only of skin tone alone it looks a bit more "natural" to my eye - not so unrealistically warm. glowing and cute.

I am in northern Australia and we have just come out of summer. This kid also has tan lines from her swimming suit so the "unrealistically warm" is actually very accurate to the real thing.

03-23-2014, 01:06 PM	#1
reverenddude Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 34	Skin Tone White Balance In Aperture, there's an ability to choose a "skin tone" white balance and then use a dropper to select some skin in the photo. Does LR5 have a similar option? I can't find one specifically like that in the WB menu, at least that I can tell from the titling. I was messing with some photos I took, yesterday, of a baby and that skin tone WB dropper in Aperture is AMAZING. But, with K-3 PEFs, Aperture is so slow. If I find something similar, I'll post it. Otherwise, thanks, y'all. :-)

03-27-2014, 06:15 AM	#6
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by dcBear78 Here you can see K-3 auto WB on the left. Then using the cards to pick middle grey for the right. Out of curiosity I WB it using PS CS6 just to see what it would do. It looks like PS shifted the color balance towards the green side a bit. Speaking only of skin tone alone it looks a bit more "natural" to my eye - not so unrealistically warm. glowing and cute. Last edited by wildman; 04-16-2014 at 04:15 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
People Skin Tone Issues	atupdate	Post Your Photos!	8	03-21-2013 05:54 PM
Skin Tone Software?	Rupert	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	5	09-06-2010 04:43 AM
Skin color/tone correction Help Needed!	jpzk	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	15	06-06-2010 07:56 PM
More Skin Tone Burning Questions	mitchkramez	Pentax DSLR Discussion	23	01-01-2008 05:03 PM
Auto white balance vs. daylight balance outdoors.	fevbusch	Pentax DSLR Discussion	7	02-18-2007 03:04 PM

03-24-2014, 08:33 PM	#2
bar_foo Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 108	Not exactly. There's a "soften skin" brush (negative clarity, for smoothing, not changing color balance), but you can make your own to change temperature, saturation, and clarity.

03-24-2014, 09:28 PM	#3
Miguel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Near Seattle Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,743	Originally posted by reverenddude In Aperture, there's an ability to choose a "skin tone" white balance Now I'm curious. . .this sounds like a great feature, but, um, whose "skin tone" are we talking about here? Is the tool equally effective on the skin tones of non-pinkish flesh? M

03-25-2014, 02:14 AM	#4
dcBear78 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Gladstone, QLD Photos: Gallery Posts: 823	Sounds like a great feature. Lightroom only has the tool to select middle grey. I bought a $5 set of cards from eBay and take a test shot with the person holding them first to nail my white balance. ---------- Post added 25th Mar 2014 at 07:53 PM ---------- Here you can see K-3 auto WB on the left. Then using the cards to pick middle grey for the right. The auto WB is actually not too bad.

03-25-2014, 10:10 AM	#5
reverenddude Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 34 Original Poster	Originally posted by Miguel Now I'm curious. . .this sounds like a great feature, but, um, whose "skin tone" are we talking about here? Is the tool equally effective on the skin tones of non-pinkish flesh? M My boyfriend's family is Mexican and the baby has a darker complexion, at least in comparison to my casper-like skin. It matched him very well. When I get home, I'll post a picture. To be honest, I haven't even tried it on pinkish skin. I'll try that in the next few days also.

03-29-2014, 09:31 PM	#7
Den Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Washington (State) Posts: 929	On the above two images most likely somewhere between the two would be more correct. Leastways that's what I see on my monitor. (left too pink-right too green). On dcBear78's post, the one on the right looks correct to me.

03-30-2014, 02:21 AM	#8
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,819	Originally posted by Miguel but, um, whose "skin tone" are we talking about here I thought the same, that must be some kind of software to identify the correct tone for all the many variations of skin colours. I think until they've perfect that one, I'll continue to use the x-rite Colorchecker Passport where critical colour balance is required. It also works totally seamlessly with Lightroom 5.

03-30-2014, 04:23 AM	#9
dcBear78 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Gladstone, QLD Photos: Gallery Posts: 823	Originally posted by wildman Speaking only of skin tone alone it looks a bit more "natural" to my eye - not so unrealistically warm. glowing and cute. I am in northern Australia and we have just come out of summer. This kid also has tan lines from her swimming suit so the "unrealistically warm" is actually very accurate to the real thing.