White Balance for JPEG's

[manta1900]

I recently "finished"?? a filter to fix White Balance problems of jpeg files. It operates with no controls (no need to search for a grey point or anything else) and I think it does a very good job (IMHO). I need help to test it (alpha test). If you have pics with wrong White Balance and you are willing to help please post them here to fix.

Thanks in advance


P.S. Is it a good idea for a filter? (one step color correction with no skills)? Cause I'm planning to sell it... (not to all that will help of course)

[manta1900]

Send me an e-mail (manta1900(a)gmail.com) if you want to be a beta tester (getting an altered version).

[Littlecoo]

Here's two with dodgy white balance (heh... from a dodgy camera) as is just shot n cropped.

[skydog]

Here is one...

[manta1900]

Nothing else done...

[recrisp]

Manta,

Here's one that is 'supposed to be' silver colored, but it came out blue.
It's not a shot I did, but a friend makes these bolts, and he took this shot, and wondered if I could make it look better, and I like the idea of a quick fix in helping others like him.
(I don't know how to attach images, so I put it on my site)

http://4dw.net/crisp/21mmtest.jpg

Randy

[Littlecoo]

Good results Manta If your filter can acheive simple, consistent and accurate results like this I reckon it would be a great time saver for batch jobs also. Are you just focusing on jpegs or will this algorithm work with other image formats?

[Gary]

.. on my monitor and using CS2.

[manta1900]

Originally Posted by recrisp

Manta,

Here's one that is 'supposed to be' silver colored, but it came out blue.
It's not a shot I did, but a friend makes these bolts, and he took this shot, and wondered if I could make it look better, and I like the idea of a quick fix in helping others like him.
(I don't know how to attach images, so I put it on my site)

http://4dw.net/crisp/21mmtest.jpg

Randy

After the filter.... (I hope this is the orig color)

[manta1900]

Originally Posted by Gary

.. on my monitor and using CS2.

Nice and creative observation gary....
Only skydog can tell us which is closer to reality!!
If it's yours... than I will have to take many new things under consideration.


Thanks for your time

[manta1900]

Originally Posted by Littlecoo

Good results Manta If your filter can acheive simple, consistent and accurate results like this I reckon it would be a great time saver for batch jobs also. Are you just focusing on jpegs or will this algorithm work with other image formats?

Thank you Littlecoo for your encouragement.
I hope with your help (who else than you can know color better?) to make it perfect.
It will work with all nkown image types (I made a CMYK version too and it works also).

[recrisp]

Originally Posted by manta1900

After the filter.... (I hope this is the orig color)

Manta,

I think this is pretty good actually, for a 'one hit' thing, it can come in handy, especially for people that do a lot of stuff, and since it's for a .jpeg, not many will want to print masterpieces from it.
In other words, I think that you have something here, although I haven't seen the bolt that was used in real-life, it's close enough that it'd be good for people that are in a hurry, or ones that don't do this much, and it'll work.

I like it fine, and in certain situations it'd save time I think.
You may have a winner here .
I do see room for color-correction of course, and tweaking for contrast etc., but this is a great start in my opinion, you have to start somewhere.

Thanks Manta,

Randy

[Cameraken]

Hi Manta

Your results seem to be an improvement

Are you using FM (Filtermeister)?

Ken.

[skydog]

The picture is of my son (www.clayross.com).

Manta...I would say your skin colors looks very good and close to my son's. The pic is rather dark. I like the light of Gary's photo: it is truer to the light (lamps) in the room at the time.

[manta1900]

Recrisp,

Thank you for your good words. As for exposure (not brightness) and contrast I have made another filter that you actually don't lose any valuable information of the image in the process.

Cameraken,

Yes cameraken I'm using filtermeister.

skydog,

The filter trys to preserve the original exposure of the picture (substacting the tint color error). I attach the picture with my other filter I mentioned to recrisp that corrects the exposure closer to what the sensor would do (no tweaking to contrast since it preserves it)!

[skydog]

This filter looks useful...

[manta1900]

I have a little question for you (maby more like a poll)....

What is more appealing to you:

1) Individual filters that are doing clearly what they say (and can be used in batch)
2) Something like "photo control panel" that you can adjust almost everything you want on a photo (colors, lighting, contrast, sharpening, noise....)
3) Smart packages (e.g. lighting package (exposure and contrast), color package (white balance and color fine tuning)....)

[recrisp]

Manta,

Since you plan on selling these, if you don't something that is either, cheaper, better, or is just so cool that people
need it, you'd probably be better off selling it as a 'quickie' type filter.
What I mean is that there are a bunch of filters, programs, etc., out there that are really used by the masses, and
most I think make what they have a program, or 'more' than a filter, so a quick and easy filter may be better to do.
If you take Paypal maybe, that would also intice people that want to try it, and if it's inexpensive, all the better.

So, if you can top what is already out there, I say go for it with all of the gusto you can, but if it's not, I'd go with the
simplest and quickest version you can, you might sell a lot cheap, rather than a few expensive.

I personally think that alot of people 'play' with photos, and would love to have inexpensive tools to do that, at least
on the forums, not that all here or anywhere else are all newbies, but I think you should start at the bottom and
work your way to the filters, etc., that do a lot more.
If they're good, word will get around and you will start to have a following, and in time you'll be where you want if
the product(s) is any good.

Anyway, I'm not sure if that's the answer, but maybe it'll help some.

Randy

[manta1900]

Thank you recrisp for your advise. I am planning on making individual filters for users with no skills that produce "close" to professional results with cost down to €10 each.
I just need an advise from people that know photography and filters better than anyone (that's why I prefered you) .

Anyone that will beta test and/or give advises will get them for free .

[recrisp]

Manta,

I don't have as clue as to how much "€10" is, (I'm in the U.S.) but if it's inexpensive, it should sell O.K., I would think.
I can see a use for it, I know that a lot of people don't understand white balance, and if this gets close, (and it looks to work good) it can help those that need a quick fix.
I'd personally use it for web images for sure, something that isn't going to be viewed by professional photographers, just to make the image look good, without going through a lot of trouble.
It may work as good as anything else, most professional images are usually tweaked somehow after white balancing, so after all of the tweaking, it should look pretty good, if not great, I would think.

I tried to show a friend yesterday about balancing color, he sees that his images were too yellow, but doesn't have a clue as to why, or how to fix it, so that kind of customer is where this will help alot.

Thanks Manta,

Randy

[manta1900]

Recrisp,

For the price you asked in dollars is $12.65. If you want a beta version to test just send me an e-mail (manta1900(a)gmail.com). I already gave 2 beta versions for testing to members of RetouchPro. The only limitation is that it draws some lines in the image.

[recrisp]

Manta,

E-mail sent...
Thanks!

Randy