What's happening with my photos?

I was trying to snap a picture of the vintage brush handle I just finished restoring with my cellphone. I'm under an LED light and tried under a fluorescent light too.

It's a light green that keeps coming out light blue. I was able to get it to look closer to how I see it in person by taking a picture of them against blue jeans. Neither of them look like the right color though to me.

What's happening? I don't know anything about photography.

Not even close.



Still wrong.



I can see it on my screen while I'm trying to focus and it's way off.



This is better, but I still don't think it's right.





Do I need a real camera? Should I try it outside? Is something else happening here?

I will play with the settings.
This is closer. But the door in the background is wrong here...



Here's the before picture. Anyway...

Try taking your photos by daylight shadow in an area that is neutral in colour such as a white bathroom.

The light coming through a window on a cloudy day might work if it is not tinted by coloured walls.   A white bed sheet could provide a good background.  

Look at your skin colours in the photos you posted. Whatever colored your hands also affected your subjects.

Mickey

Some apps let you adjust the white balance. Include something white or grey. Then edit in the app and look for a dropper or WB icon.

Try taking your photos by daylight shadow in an area that is neutral in colour such as a white bathroom.

The light coming through a window on a cloudy day might work if it is not tinted by coloured walls.   A white bed sheet could provide a good background.  

Look at your skin colours in the photos you posted. Whatever colored your hands alo affected your subjects.

Mickey

+1

Try taking the photo in daylight, all light has different color temperatures.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature

Thanks gentlemen.

One other suggestion.

Electronic flash is the same colour temperature as daylight but it will give harsh shadows.
Try draping a few sheets of Kleenex (more or less) over the light to diffuse and soften it.

"This is closer. But the door in the background is wrong here..."
Surfaces of the same colour with different textures may show up with different colours in a photo.
The door is a nice background but your concern is the subject not the door.
Today's technology does a very credible job of getting colours correct.
Member Canada is correct. Daylight is usually the best. If you want to soften the shadows without altering the colour, put a white sheet between the light source and the subject.

Mickey

This is what I am presently useing for most of my Shaving pictures.
It is a Homeright Spray Shelter H40" x D30" x W32". Its purpose is for spray painting objects. It folds up into a 36" x 2" disk.
At $39.95 it is far less than $100 and up of some items roughly similar in camera stores . It is very versatile.
I occasionally use a steam iron to remove some wrinkles. Just the steam touches the fabric, not the iron. But I take one picture first. Often the wrinkles do not appear and I am not fond of ironing.
I usually use it in the daytime when the light coming through the window passes through the fabric for shadowless pictures.
The picture of it was taken with a Pentax K5 and its built in flash covered with 6 layers of tissue.
It was touched up in PhotoShop Elements.

[Image: IMGP8288.jpg]

Addition:
It is set up on a bed as that is the perfect height for eye level or directly overhead shots.

Mickey

For artificial lighting I have pretty good luck using LED bulbs with a 5000 K colour temperature, and the camera on my iPod touch.
Then I tweak it on my MacBook with the "Preview" app by bumping the Temperature just a bit toward blue, in the "Tools/Adjust Color" menuitem.

It doesn't work as well if I use "warm" (3000 K) LEDs and adjust them. Things kinda go beige or desaturate or something.

Diffusers: large styrofoam meat trays work fairly well too.