Probably, although my photography skills are so bad I don’t know for sure. However, if, instead of using Auto Levels, you go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Levels, you’ll see that the levels of a photo can be used by selecting white point, gray point, or black point. Ergo, somebody like me assumes that means the white balance was off in the original shot.
Now this oughta generate some discussion! 🙂
Sorry George I did see you question intended to add my 2¢ and then got tied up. I suspect what it means is that the algorithm that Elements uses for white balance and the one you camera use are different. Which one is correct? Which one do you like?
FWIW I know in the digi I have a strong red source will throw the white balance into a tail spin. Knowing this I can compensate for it.
g.
Most of the time PE2 corrects ‘correctly’, but it does get fooled. If you are seeing dramatic hue changes (as I have seen with some of my frames) I would think it’s being fooled. Simply ‘undo’ and manually adjust.
Here is a little trick to see how much the "Auto Level is a slave to its algorithm. Open a new canvas and place a gradient across it "Red, Green" is a good one. Then hit AutoLevels <Shift> + <Control> + L now elements has picked a whole new rainbow for you. If you think that is the end do it again. It will settle in but … it is a tool and should never be taken as gospel.
g.
Anyone figure out an easier way to pick the rigth color in an image to pace the "gray point" dropper without too many trial-and-error tries?
Shan
Beth, your approach will work fine for lots of images. I’ve also made extensive use of the ‘Soderman Slide’….where you open each of the channels in the Levels Adjustment Layer and individually adjust the sliders for the black and white points…usually quite successful in balancing the image. 🙂
It is probably not correct, but this is the way I prefer and it usually works for me. After opening an image I make copy layer, apply auto levels and use the slider to check what I like best. I flatten the layers, make a new layer and repeat the same procedure for auto colours. Within just only about 20 seconds I can correct >95% of my images. Yesterday I had to correct 264 images this way and I finished within a little over an hour.
Leen
Well, I’m not sure I was suggesting an "approach" at all! George asked if Auto Levels and white balance were related, and I was just pointing out that Levels was the area in which changes could be made from a white, black, or gray point. I also told him my answer would generate discussion, and it did! 🙂
Beth, I think we’ve proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can get a discussion going on any topic under the sun!
🙂
I think we’ve proven that humans prefer to socialize in the privacy of our own caves. Amen to that !
