WB shift after import of RAW files

[erinr87113205]

I've been struggling to figure out why this is happening, and how I can prevent it--

I use a culling program prior to importing into LR. Any RAW file I view there will be identical to the same RAW file once I preview the image in LR, PRIOR to import. Once I import the RAW file, it changes appearance. Someone suggested that perhaps LR is using a JPEG rendering of the image for the preview, and that once it is fully imported, I'm viewing the actual RAW file. I can see that that would affect the image's overall density, contrast and brightness, highlights and shadows, but HERE is the strange part--the white balance shifts. If I shoot at 5880K, for example, the imported RAW file registers at 6100 K +3 tint. Why is my white balance shifting?? I absolutely am not using an import preset, so that's not it--and I'm in sRGB, if anyone wonders that as well. I'm using LR 5, 2012 process, and both the camera and LR color profiles are set to Standard. This only happens when I import RAW files--I just tested with JPEGS, and the image is identical on the back of the camera, in the culling program, in LR prior to import, and in LR after import.

If anyone has ANY clue what might be going on, I would greatly appreciate your input. Color management is such a major pain anyway, but this little quirk is driving me crazy!!

[Jao vdL]

The problem is that White balance is not an absolute scale and there is no standard for this. Lightroom translates from the values in the camera to values that are an equivalent white point in its internal color model. This is nothing to worry about and the white balance values you see in Lightroom are the same as what you set in camera. They just use a different underlying model.

[erinr87113205]

Thank you for your reply! That does make sense, but I suppose I should have clarified that not only is the Kelvin setting different in Lightroom (which you just explained), but the imported RAW image does in fact have a different coloration than the back of my camera, the culling software, the pre-import Lightroom thumbnail, and any JPEG file I might import. Visually, an imported RAW file will appear warmer and more magenta than it's JPEG rendering, or even than it's imported JPEG twin (such as when I shoot and then import in both RAW and JPEG simultaneously). Why, do you suppose, the RAW file will always have a different white balance, not just numerically, but also visually? I can't account for it, and the issue is that I feel the discoloration affects the final outcome of my edited photos.

[Jao vdL]

>Once I import the RAW file, it changes appearance.

This is the second issue. This happens because you are not using the same rendering profile as the camera uses. Adobe standard is a profile Adobe generated. The camera uses whatever you set for picture style. If you shoot a major brand camera (basically Nikon, Canon and Sony), there are camera profiles built in that emulate the in-camera jpeg rendering (the camera shows you en embedded jpeg, it does NOT show you the raw data). Typically what you do is set the camera profile in Lightroom in the camera calibration section to camera standard and you get close to identical rendering to when the camera is in its default setting. I usually set camera standard to the default for my cameras for this reason but you can always change the profile at any time as this is just a creative choice for interpreting the raw data.

[erinr87113205]

I shoot with a Nikon D750. Are you saying, then, that I should experiment with the LR profiles after importing, to see which gives me the appearance I most prefer? The reason behind my choice for Standard is that I had major issues in printing my images at one point--the skin tones were incredibly muddy. Only after digging around the internet for days did I discover that the issue stemmed from the fact that my camera profile and LR profile didn't match. Matching the two resolved my printing issues.

But should I then be using a different profile? And if so, how do I determine which one is most accurate for my camera model?

[erinr87113205]

I should note here that my Nikon D750's profile (called Picture Control) is set to Standard, and my Lightroom Profile is set to Camera Standard. Theoretically, shouldn't those be a match? I am not using the Lightroom Profile called Adobe Standard.

[Jao vdL]

erinr87113205  wrote

I should note here that my Nikon D750's profile (called Picture Control) is set to Standard, and my Lightroom Profile is set to Camera Standard. Theoretically, shouldn't those be a match? I am not using the Lightroom Profile called Adobe Standard.

If your camera is set to standard and you are not using any of the HDR modes in the camera, selecting camera standard should you give very close rendering in Lightroom to the jpeg preview you see on the back of your camera and in most culling software. It should be quite hard to distinguish. If it is not doing that something else is happening. You might have a default setting applied or auto tone or something like that.

[erinr87113205]

Well, I haven't solved the issue entirely, but I have made some progress! Your message about Adobe Standard prompted me to go back and look at my Lightroom settings, and I've realized that when I 'reset' an image after import, LR defaults back to Adobe Standard, instead of staying in Camera Standard. In addition, I think in my effort to ensure that I wasn't comparing an image that already had a preset applied, I was unknowingly removing my Camera Standard setting. And lastly, I've also realized that some of the pictures I'm struggling most with are headshots my friend and fellow photographer took for me with her Nikon D750. I asked her which profile her camera is set to, and it turns out she's got it in Portrait. Changing the LR profile to match gives a closer starting place. I still feel like something is amiss somewhere, but wanted to thank you for your help!! It's better than it was, and hopefully if I keep at it, I'll find the missing piece somewhere.

[Jao vdL]

You can change the state the reset button goes to by taking a fresh raw file and ONLY changing the profile to "camera standard" (for example) and then holding the alt/option key and the reset button willchange into "set Default...". Click that and now resetting an image or new imports will have the other profile as default.