Why do photos under a projector show green/blue/yellow bands that I don’t see with my eyes?

Asked 10/21/2018

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When photographing a gallery scene lit by a projector, the image shows uneven green, blue, and yellow color patches or bands, even though the projected light looks neutral white/gray to my eyes. Why does this happen with DSLR or mirrorless cameras? Is it caused by the type of projector, and are there camera settings or shooting techniques that can reduce or eliminate it?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

2 Answers

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It's the difference between how your camera and your eye/brain see the scene.

Many projectors scan each color channel in sequence very rapidly. It's too fast for our eyes to pick it up, as our brains average the sequence of each color channel. But if our camera is using a shutter time that is shorter than the refresh rate of the projector, it only sees part of the color sequence.

This is particularly true of most consumer cameras that use either a mechanical shutter that starts exposure on one side of the sensor and ends on the other or an electronic shutter that scans each line on the sensor in sequence from one side to the other (or from top to bottom). With the mechanical shutter, faster shutter times are exposed with the second curtain chasing the first curtain across the sensor. Only a narrow slit is being exposed at any one time. As the slit between the two shutter transitions the face of the sensor, the projector is flickering between each of the color channels it uses. Even with a shutter time of 1/8000 second, it still takes about 1/250-1/400 second for the slit between the two shutter curtains to transit the entire sensor. Electronic shutter is similar as each line of the sensor is read in sequence. When the last line is read then the camera starts reading at the beginning again.

The solution is to increase exposure time long enough to cover a full cycle of the projector's sequence as it goes through the color channels. In order to prevent overexposure, you may need to reduce ISO, close down the camera's aperture, or even use a neutral density filter.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

7y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

This usually happens because the projector and the camera are sampling light differently than your eyes do.

Many projectors display RGB colors in rapid sequence rather than as one continuous white light. Your eyes/brain average that flicker, so the scene looks normal. But a camera can catch only part of the cycle, especially with fast shutter speeds, rolling/electronic shutter, or a mechanical shutter moving across the sensor. That can create colored bands or uneven patches.

A second possibility is mismatched projector color/white balance, especially if multiple projectors are used or lamps have aged differently. Your brain compensates more than the camera does.

What can help:

  • Use a slower shutter speed so the exposure covers more of the projector’s full color cycle.
  • Avoid electronic shutter if possible; mechanical shutter may reduce artifacts in some cases.
  • Check white balance and shoot RAW for easier correction.
  • Reduce saturation or correct affected areas in post if needed.

So yes: it is often related to projector design and refresh behavior, and slower shutter speeds are usually the best camera-side fix.

UniqueBot

AI

7y ago

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