Issues taking photos of traffic lights

Joshua A · 04-06-2014, 02:44 AM

So guys, I have an issue. My father and I have had great luck with our Pentax DSLR's, but have had issues recently when trying to capture the green light coming of traffic lights. The light in reality is green, whereas the colour from both my K5 as well as my fathers K3 is bluish white. Any idea what is going on?

**kiwi_jono** · 04-06-2014, 03:06 AM

I have seen similar effects and for me it has been the green light was over exposed (the lights are relatively bright so that motorist can always see them) to the point that green channel is saturated out and residual red etc light is sufficient to mix to white light (if that makes any sense?).
As an experiment try applying 2 or 3 stops negative exposure compensation - I think you will find that green is now green.
Apart from perhaps HDR techniques I don't think there is an easy answer.

Joshua A · 04-06-2014, 03:14 AM

Well, just to be sure, while I was taking the photos I had exposure bracketing on set to 1.5ev sets for 5 exposures, and I am seeing the same effects

Deedee · 04-06-2014, 03:57 AM

What white balance are the cameras on? What do you point your camera on while shooting your pictures? What metering mode the camera is on?

Is it a new problem or you just discovered it?

Have you reset your camera to take care of the situation? It has helped me sometimes.

Cheers!

p38arover · 04-06-2014, 04:33 AM

Are the traffic lights incandescent lamps behind a green glass lens or are they LED?

Na Horuk · 04-06-2014, 06:09 AM

It would really help if you posted a photo or two, with intact exif.
And do you shoot raw or jpeg? The jpeg processing mode may affect this

DeadJohn · 04-06-2014, 07:40 AM

This is in Australia? Here in USA I've never had a big issue with green traffic lights, even LED lights. LED lights tend to emit a narrower band of light frequencies than incandescent bulbs and can overload one color channel. I wonder whether Australia uses a different tint of green.

Are you taking closeups of the light? Too much green in the image might be throwing off white balance. Maybe set your camera to capture DNG (or DNG+JPG) so you can adjust white balance later if needed.

adwb · 04-07-2014, 12:15 AM

Hmm, I will try in the Uk and report back

reeftool · 04-09-2014, 05:15 PM

A lot of newer traffic lights are using LED's and that may be the cause. I haven't taken any traffic light shots recently but a lot of LED Christmas lights throw some really strange color casts that aren't too pleasing and I haven't found a white balance setting that helps much. A lot of custom motorcycles and cars use LED lighting to dress them up at night but they are difficult to photograph. The new traffic signals are very bright. You can easily see them even when the sun is directly behind them but they don't appear to be as bright as they really are. That doesn't make much sense, I know but I think the camera is seeing light that the LED's put out that aren't visible to our eyes. Some manufacturers are labeling their lights as color corrected. There was a thread about this issue in the forum a couple of years ago and someone posted a very good technical paper on the qualities of LED light.

04-06-2014, 02:44 AM	#1
Joshua A Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 273	Issues taking photos of traffic lights So guys, I have an issue. My father and I have had great luck with our Pentax DSLR's, but have had issues recently when trying to capture the green light coming of traffic lights. The light in reality is green, whereas the colour from both my K5 as well as my fathers K3 is bluish white. Any idea what is going on?

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04-06-2014, 03:06 AM	#2
kiwi_jono Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,437	I have seen similar effects and for me it has been the green light was over exposed (the lights are relatively bright so that motorist can always see them) to the point that green channel is saturated out and residual red etc light is sufficient to mix to white light (if that makes any sense?). As an experiment try applying 2 or 3 stops negative exposure compensation - I think you will find that green is now green. Apart from perhaps HDR techniques I don't think there is an easy answer.

04-06-2014, 03:14 AM	#3
Joshua A Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 273 Original Poster	Well, just to be sure, while I was taking the photos I had exposure bracketing on set to 1.5ev sets for 5 exposures, and I am seeing the same effects

04-06-2014, 03:57 AM	#4
Deedee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 307	What white balance are the cameras on? What do you point your camera on while shooting your pictures? What metering mode the camera is on? Is it a new problem or you just discovered it? Have you reset your camera to take care of the situation? It has helped me sometimes. Cheers!

04-06-2014, 04:33 AM	#5
p38arover Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Western Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,084	Are the traffic lights incandescent lamps behind a green glass lens or are they LED?

04-06-2014, 06:09 AM	#6
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	It would really help if you posted a photo or two, with intact exif. And do you shoot raw or jpeg? The jpeg processing mode may affect this

04-06-2014, 07:40 AM	#7
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,833	This is in Australia? Here in USA I've never had a big issue with green traffic lights, even LED lights. LED lights tend to emit a narrower band of light frequencies than incandescent bulbs and can overload one color channel. I wonder whether Australia uses a different tint of green. Are you taking closeups of the light? Too much green in the image might be throwing off white balance. Maybe set your camera to capture DNG (or DNG+JPG) so you can adjust white balance later if needed.

04-07-2014, 12:15 AM	#8
adwb Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bristol UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,636	Hmm, I will try in the Uk and report back

04-09-2014, 05:15 PM	#9
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	A lot of newer traffic lights are using LED's and that may be the cause. I haven't taken any traffic light shots recently but a lot of LED Christmas lights throw some really strange color casts that aren't too pleasing and I haven't found a white balance setting that helps much. A lot of custom motorcycles and cars use LED lighting to dress them up at night but they are difficult to photograph. The new traffic signals are very bright. You can easily see them even when the sun is directly behind them but they don't appear to be as bright as they really are. That doesn't make much sense, I know but I think the camera is seeing light that the LED's put out that aren't visible to our eyes. Some manufacturers are labeling their lights as color corrected. There was a thread about this issue in the forum a couple of years ago and someone posted a very good technical paper on the qualities of LED light.