Project 3: Gray Card

A digital gray card is a flat card that is a neutral gray (18%) used to produce a more consistent and correct white balance for your images. Essentially an 18% gray card takes the light reflected off of the gray card into consideration and between the camera and the computer can figure out which colors of light are being reflected off of the card, and are able to make adjustments using a custom white balance.

It is really simple to use a gray card, simply just take a photo of your object/subject holding the gray card, setting your exposure in camera correctly when photographing this image. Then remove the gray card from your object/subject and continue shooting in the same lighting conditions making sure not to change any of your settings.

Once you get to the Post Processing of your images Aperture and Lightroom make getting the correct white balance of your images super easy! Simply go to your developing section in either or, set your exposure and setting that you want for your first image that has the gray card in it, then use the eye dropper in the white balance section to sample from the gray card and tada! Beautiful white balance, then just apply this setting to the rest of your photos in this set and you have a set of images with the proper white balance.

If you would like to read more about a gray card be sure to check out this awesome review on gray cards here: The Digital Picture: Gray Card Review


Also if you are interested in purchasing a gray card check out this company: RM Imaging


Check out some of these images I took using a gray card: