I suppose all this talk about grey cards and underexposure is due to the fact that it’s a crappy day outside. Well, that probably true.
So, another tip/lesson to remember:
Grey cards are for measuring exposure, not for using to white balance digital images (white balance with a grey card? Whoa!). The regular old Kodak 18% grey card is not appropriate for getting your white balance straight with your digital cameras because it is not totally neutral in color. It does represent a mid-tone, but so does grass and so does a rich blue sky. There are slight color variations in a grey card that your camera (or Photoshop) will be sensitive to and alter the color of your images slightly.
So, with that in mind, buy one of those WhiBal® cards I mentioned earlier today and keep the grey cards for metering exposures. By the way, if you use a Kodak Grey card for determining exposures, you might find that you end up underexposing your images slightly. Read this article by Thom Hogan about the real truth of 18% grey cards.
The truth is out there! (So is the sun, I can see it coming)
