Gray balancing QPcard 101

Instruction for gray balancing with QPcard 101 using the Eyedropper tool in Adobe Photoshop.

1) Place QPcard 101 in the subject. Make sure it is lit by the same light as the main part of the subject.

2) Take a picture with white balance on camera on an appropiate setting (NOT Auto White Balance!).

3) Take the rest of the pictures without QPcard 101.

4) Open the first picture in Adobe Photoshop or other suitable image or camera software.

5) Choose the eyedropper tool and set Sample Size to 5 by 5 Average.


6) Check the gray balance in the gray patch of QPcard 101. In this example it is too blue and a little bit too green.

7) Choose Levels and click on the gray eyedropper. Make shure it isset to neutral by double clicking and checking RGB numbers. Default setting is 128, 128, 128.


8) Now click on the gray patch of QPcard 101. The RGB values will become equal, meaning neutral gray. If the gray patch still seems to have a color cast you have to calibrate your monitor.

9) Save the gray balancing profile by clicking "Save...".

10) Open the other pictures taken in the same light and same white balance setting on camera.

11) Choose Levels and click "Load..." to apply the saved gray balancing profile.

QPcard RAW package

Calibrate your digital camera for RAW shooting using QPcard 201, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Camera RAW (ACR).

In ACR there is a tab called "Calibrate". Here you will find sliders for adjustment of Shadow Tint, Red, Green and Blue Hue and Saturation. Using these sliders you can finetune the color reproduction of Adobe Camera RAW converter. However, it is almost impossible to succeed without a reference color target like the QPcard 201.

Finetuning of RAW can be achieved manually or automatically. The manual procedure is described by Bruce Fraser here http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/21351-1.html

In order to accomplish this with QPcard 201 you need a reference image with RGB values. This image can be downloaded here.

But there is also an automatic way to go. Rags Gardner at http://www.rags-int-inc.com has a Technology department on his site: http://www.rags-int-inc.com/PhotoTechStuff/ with lots of useful information and solutions for digital photographers. Rags has written a Javascript for automatic color calibration with ACR. The script can be downloaded free from Rags site here:
http://www.rags-int-inc.com/PhotoTechStuff/ColorCalibration/

You can read Rags explanation here:
http://www.rags-int-inc.com/PhotoTechStuff/AcrCalibration/

+ Sensor + provides flexibility, choice to photographers

Sensor+ represents some very unusual technology that is completely different from anything we have ever offered before or has ever been offered in our industry.


We now provide two solution families with the P 65+ as our only back in the Sensor+ family and the rest of our backs as part of the XPose+ family of solutions. Learn more about Sensor+ technology and what our two solution families offer by reading the Phase One

Hot, hot news for better capture

Photokina is a great time for us to meet and talk to thousands of photographers over the 6 days of the show. We have a lot to talk about. The P 65+ is here! Finally, we have real full frame capture with 60.5 megapixels of resolution. Phase One is also rolling out our Sensor+ technology with the P 65+ which offers a scaled 15 megapixel output at full frame and double the ISO!


Just as exciting is our first public showing of Capture One 4 PRO. We are very near to releasing our final public version. I am extremely proud that our development team has retained the ability of Capture One to control and balance how digital or analogue an image can look and feel. Capture One 4 PRO actually goes much further with many new tools that push this control in new creative directions. Our expected release date is October 15th and we look forward to your excitement for the many new features and functions.

This month our feature article is a first shoot experience with photographer Drew Gardner and the P 65+ with Capture One 4 PRO. We also announce details about the P 65+ and Sensor+, Capture One PRO 4, our new expanded Phase One digital lens range and finally our newest alliance with Leica.

For many of you who will be at Photokina, we look forward to seeing you!

Peter Eastway - The Versatile Travel Camera

Peter Eastway is rewriting the rules for highend travel photography. Using the Phase One P 45+, Peter achieves results that rival 4x5 film qualty while still having the versatility to shoot hand held. This article is a practical explanation of how images are created on location and what it takes to get the shot.


The extensive experience and knowledge that Peter has, shows through in his real world scenarios. Read the PDF here.

The challenges of location photography

Compact lighting tools, enormous exposure latitude with our Phase One P+ backs, powerful laptops, accurate LCD monitors and portable generators have transformed shooting locations into full production studios. The Phase One 645 Camera platform has been designed with the growth of location work in mind. With our product announcements before and at Photokina, we will add to the travel and on-location photographer's arsenal of tools!



This month we feature an article about rethinking the location kit by Peter Eastway, a review of the Phase One 645, P 45+ camera solution from Digital Photographer magazine and an article featuring Jens Honoré and his location work in Africa with micro banking group MYC4.

More and more in our industry are starting to understand that the point of photography is the subject, not the equipment, software or post-production. For Phase One, focusing on capture has been a key to our success. Our tools are designed to enhance a photographer’s workflow so that the moment and look of an image stays as unique as possible.


Henrik Håkonsson, President and CEO, Phase One

Capture One 4: The beta is out – what is next?

We build software on the latest technologies and containing the features that are essential to obtaining superior image quality. On top of that, we take pride in offering a simple and logical user interface and an efficient workflow.

Having launched the beta version of Capture One 4, we now continue to chase bugs and improve features, such as extended camera support and optimized speed on all computers.

In addition to the broad input provided by photographers trying out the beta software, we are working together with an expert panel of photographers in the finalization of Capture One 4. This is of course a continuous work and it means that an improved release candidate will be released later this year and upon thorough testing we will launch the final version of Capture One 4.

We asked photographer Nick Wilcox-Brown to test Capture One 4 beta and share his impressions. You can see the result in the article below .

Realize, We Are in a Service Industry!

Featured photographer Vanessa Gavalya, owner of Vanessa Gavalya Photography, Texas, USA

It’s important for photographers to realize that we are in a service industry. We are artists, but if your goal is to make money as well, you have to provide great customer service and understand how to market yourself. Fantastic images have to be a given.



Personally, I photograph mostly people and love working with people. With my subjects, I try to show off what is lovable or alluring about that person... even if it’s a grumpy business man. Everyone has something attractive about themself… even if it’s not skin deep. Sometimes a picture is showing what’s on the inside and not just the outside.

The team that I put together is also a key component to a great shoot and a happy Client. I like working with people who are passionate about what they do and work hard. I think part of what has made me profitable quickly is that I work my tail off and think big…. for my business and for each Client.



To have success when I shoot, the Client needs to walk away happy. The Capture One software helps not only my workflow but also it makes things easier on the Client during the shoot. While I’m shooting the Client or art director can sit with the digital tech and flag hero shots and compare shots side by side. I shoot everything in RAW format. At the end of the day the hero shots can be converted to TIFF files or whatever format is needed, and the Client can leave with those shots in hand.

Award-winning Photography

Featured photographer Drew Gardner, London, UK.

Drew Gardner's Alice series has been nominated for The AOP Photographers’ Awards one of the highest accolades within the professional photographic industry.

As a fashion photographer, he has chosen to make magic out of a wardrobe by evoking a very specific mood through fanciful places. He calls it,Epic Fashion photography- an approach that takes fashion to a cinematographic level. The vision is compelling.



I was yearning for greater quality than any DSLR is capable of delivering. So I went out and bought a Phase One P 25 digital back. At the time I wondered what I had done; how could I have just spent so much money? But, in fact, I’d opened the door to a whole new era of my career, one that I could never have touched before; I had come upon opportunities that couldn’t have existed before. It was an epiphany.

A key difference is that the digital back captures in16-bit, whereas a DSLR typically captures in 12-bit. This is what gives you incredible color depth. It renders more natural looking colors, and because it’s giving you so much more data to work with, you get greater dynamic range - more latitude in adjusting exposure afterwards in RAW, without losing image quality. You also get incredible resolution and no noise.



Image Processing

In the early days of shooting digital, I thought I didn’t have to worry about exposures, that I could fix it all later. After spending three days clearing up themess from one shoot, I knew I had to make digital work for me or go back to film. I knew I had to get it right – so I went back to the basics. I started to shoot as if I were shooting on transparencies. Once I did that, I turned the corner. Also, up until then, I had tried all kinds of ways to process my RAW photo images. Then I found Phase One Capture One PRO. I found that it delivers great colors, low noise, and is very intuitive to use. You can sit down and learn it pretty easily - you don’t need a big book.

The features I rely on the most are the Color Editor, the Overlay Utility and Styles.