# Target Neutral?



## Harrzack (Nov 10, 2007)

Looking for a little clarification on "Picking a Target Neutral" when setting White Balance:

Can you select ANY color as long as the RGB values are identical or very close? Or should it be something gray? If so - what are the ideal values to look for?

I would think any color, as long as it's RGB values are equal should suffice, but I may be missing something...  :lol:


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## Kiwigeoff (Nov 10, 2007)

I use anything neutral which is usually some tone of gray.


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## Victoria Bampton (Nov 10, 2007)

When picking a target neutral, you want to be picking something that SHOULD be neutral grey, not that is already though...  usually lighter rather than darker works best too.


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## Mark Sirota (Nov 12, 2007)

Harrzack;281' said:
			
		

> Can you select ANY color as long as the RGB values are identical or very close? Or should it be something gray?


If the RGB values are identical, then it is gray (or white or black).

You should click on something that _should be_ gray.  You don't go around looking at the values, you look for something that should be gray (snow, paper, a white shirt, etc.) and click on that.

However, you need to be careful about this.  Remember that white objects will take on a color cast if they get reflected light from another object -- so a glossy white hat outdoors under a clear blue sky should probably look slightly blue, not white.

Also remember that you want to choose something bright for the best accuracy, but not so bright that any of the channels are clipped.  Check for this both before and after clicking.

Last, this will be tougher in noisy images (high ISO, especially).  Chroma noise can trick you -- not every pixel of a white shirt will be a shade of gray.


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## Harrzack (Nov 13, 2007)

Mark Sirota said:


> If the RGB values are identical, then it is gray (or white or black).
> 
> DOH!   I <really> did know that -- just had a lapse of consciousness with all the LR features I'm trying to absorb.  Tks!


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