Reduce color temp a specific amount across all images

[David Lake Photos]

Hey Guys,

I have recently switched to shooting my real estate work to the Nikon D750.  I love everything about it (especially the ridiculously clean ISO), but it really gives a heavy yellow/orange tint to interiors.  I realize this often caused by the interior lighting of homes not being white in the first place.  It is a major slow-down to my workload to custom WB (eye-dropper) every single image.  I often find that a flat 500-600 drop in Temp (towards blue) makes the images just right.  Since I shoot auto WB and RAW it is not a big issue, just a time waste.  Typically every room has different lighting and paint, so I cannot set a flat color temp for the gallery and start working.

Is there any way in LR to "subtract" a specific amount of temp from every image.  I have tinkered and tried everything I can, but no luck.  Syncing does not work, because it simply matches exactly the WB settings, not the changes from default.  Thanks for reading, any ideas greatly appreciated.

[john beardsworth]

There is no way to specify the amount, but Quick Develop's WB buttons work incrementally.

[David Lake Photos]

Thanks for the reminder John, but this does not really save me any time from using the eye-dropper.  Also I do all of my adjustments in the Develop module, so I am only in the Library module when using the gird (I don't use the filmstrip, don't like the lost real estate at the bottom).

[richardplondon]

Have you tried fine-tuning the Auto white balance option in your camera menu? (Amber-Blue equates to Temp and Magenta-Green equates to Tint)

If all of the photos you take are turning out too warm for your taste, so far as Auto WB is concerned, then you can do something about that directly - affecting both Raw and JPG.

So far as Raw is concerned, whatever modified WB metadata results from this in-camera fine tuning, should then transfer through to Lightroom whenever the photo's set to "As Shot" (though not when you set the photo within LR to any other WB option, including LR's own 'Auto' WB setting.)

[David Lake Photos]

Hey Richard, this is a good idea that I may be able to use.  Problem is that I don't really know until I get back to my studio how much adjustment I will need.  Every home I shoot has different lighting, wall color, etc.  These thing affect the color of the white balance differently.  Often I need -400 Temp, other times it -700.  So I would like to be able to do the adjustment in LR.  But I will keep this in mind, and maybe even give it a try.  I just need to remember to switch back to default WB when I go outside!  Sounds like camera presets time.

[JP Hess]

Have you considered creating a couple of presets that reduce the color temperature at different levels? If one preset doesn't work then you can apply the other one.

[David Lake Photos]

Thanks for the idea Jim.  I am trying to limit the number of develop presets, AS THIS IS KNOWN TO BE A BIG SLOWDOWN ISSUE IN LIGHTROOM.  Apparently LR builds the tiny preview (top left window for every develop preset you have.  I have recently removed about half of my my "don't ever use" presets and LR has gotten much faster in the Develop module.

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

Is there any way in LR to "subtract" a specific amount of temp from every image. 

You could use the Relative Adjustment plugin.

[David Lake Photos]

Thanks John.  I am marking this as the correct answer as it does exactly what I need.  I would expect this feature to be built into LR, but for ~$18 it will do the trick and save me a bunch of time.  Plus it has some other features that look intriguing.

[olivias90538382]

I'm 5 years late to responding, but I'll add this info here in case others are seeking this answer. 

In the Library Module, under Quick Develop, ensure all of the images you'd like to change are selected.

Look down to the lower right hand corner and see the Sync button.

Click the tiny button to it's left, black and white squares, and see the Auto Sync become enabled.

Only with Auto Sync enabled will your relative adjustments be applied across all selected images.

Again: in the Library module, Quick Develop -- NOT the Develop module.

So quick and easy! (And no need to buy that Relative Adjustments plugin.)

[Bart3298571874av]

Thank you for this info! This should be implemented into the develop module instead of being hidden in the library. All the best!

[richardplondon]

I believe latest update includes an easy option to select the entire image for applying 'local' adjustment - this has always been possible (with a graduated filter) but only by manual means. Having a mask for the whole image, one can then apply local adjustment 'as if' global, including White Balance temperature and whatever else.

Local adjustment always works as plus or minus change, regardless of whether it's being applied to a Raw image or to a JPG image (or whatever). Any method which relies on raising or lowering the Basic panel Temp numbers will AFAICT struggle to deal with a mixed set of images - where some express their Temp values as plus / minus, and others as Kelvin degrees. Plus 10 will not produce the same visual change in these cases, furthermore adding (say) 10 produces a different amount of perceptual change, at different points along the Kelvin scale. Local adjustment seems to bypass this difficulty quite well in my experience though especially for WB, the inherent differences of editing from Raw and JPG picture indormation cannot be eliminated. Results will necessarily be merely similar, and less so at the extremes of tone or hue.

With AutoSync one can add such a mask onto many images together or else this can be synced onto those by name (very helpful to name such special purpose masks IMO) after the fact. Or include that mask with its saved adjustment in a user made preset.

This apprach doesn't tinker in any way with the extant (varying across images) Basic Panel settings for Temp etc. Unlike the action of a relative preset, it stays separately updatable or else completely removable leaving everything in Basic just as before. As a bonus: this way you can go on to subtract areas of the picture from receiving this overlaid "relative look", within the Masks panel.