Consistent white balance.

I'm just in the process of processing a bunch of ptarmigan files in overcast conditions and light and in snow.  I've been using the white balance tools in both ACR and PS6 to set the white balance by clicking on different areas on the image until they look neutral to me on every image.  However after processing a bunch of them and looking through them side by side the color temps are all over the place from warm to neutral to cold.  Is there any way of getting it right every time so the images are consistently neutral.  Obviously the eye is adjusting with my method and things don't come out the same.

The easy way I can think of is to set the wb in one image then close it (Done) in ACR. Then in Bridge, select all the other images you want to have the same setting, and do a Develop setting/ previous conversion, or copy the one and paste it to the rest. I guess you could also just uncheck everything but WB too when copying the previous conversion, unless you wanted to make other adjustments the same too.

Jon, were you shooting in auto WB on the camera? This is one of the reasons why I will never shoot in auto as very slight differences will show up with small movements of the lens if in auto. I shoot in daylight/sunny no matter what the light is (unless indoors) then I can batch change with consistent results. Cindy's technique will work great if they are all the same WB to begin with, but not if each frame is different.

Alan, sorry for contradicting you but I think you might be mistaken. Each image's white balance can be batch processed to be the same using Cindy's technique even if all images were shot in Auto and each one is slightly different to begin with.

Greg is correct.  Just because images are different from frame to frame using AWB, if you bring them all into ACR or select them all in LR and then adjust them to the same temp and tint, they will be the same given that the actual color temperature of the light illuminating the scene didn't change.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.  Yes I do shoot AWB usually.  I do use the "previous conversion" at times in ACR, but I guess my problem is that how do I know that this is actually neutral white now for sure.  My eyes seem play tricks depending on how long I look at an image.  Its seeing the pictures side by side that makes me realize something is wrong.  Looking at one by itself I can convince myself that it is neutral when its actually not.

John, the situation you describe is the situation where using an 18% gray card or Color Passport will give perfect results. OK these won't work after the fact but being forewarned is being forearmed for the next time. So how do you get a good WB in overcast conditions with snow in the image. Carefully look at an image and determine an area of snow that should look white i.e. no shadows in open light but not highlighted. Then using the WB eyedropper make sure the white squares that come up look white and not off color before clicking. If the color comes up with 95 -100 saturation find another area as these are too close to clipping to give an accurate white. Actually finding an area that has all three RGB numbers very close to one another will give very accurate WB. Once you found a good WB in this image then batch change all images taken in similar lighting conditions using this WB.

Ah Dick!  I think you've solved my problem.  I haven't been paying any attention to the RGB numbers at all....just clicking till I found something pleasing to my eye.  That part went right by me   I'll have to give it a whirl tonite when I get off work....will report back.  Thanks for the suggestion.

John sometimes tree bark or rocks can provide a neutral gray.

Dick...I've given it a try and think that was my problem....not making sure the RGB values are similar where I click. The images where there are colors or gray's I can usually get there by eyeballing as the colors give a reference point to my eye, but these white on white images play tricks. I've posted one to see if I get any color caste comments. Thanks for the input everyone....using all the suggestions should get me back on track.