Have you ever taken a picture that showed up odd? Maybe your friend’s white shirt was somehow a little blue. Or maybe the picture you took inside was too orange. Most photographers or aspiring photographers encounter this at some point.
Fortunately, there is a simple fix to this problem. The fix is called ‘white balance’ in photography. White balance can make a world of difference, and it is a secret to beautiful pictures that show true colors.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about white balance. We will start with the very basics and then move into cool, fun, creative tricks. You’ll be an expert in white balance by the end of this post.
Before we jump into the camera settings and the editing tricks, it is important to understand the “why” we ever change the white balance setting. What is this “setting” and how does it affect our images?
What is White Balance in Photography?
This section of this guide will cover the main ideas very simply, with an eye toward the science of color of light..
The Concept of Color Temperature and the Kelvin Scale
Consider the white balance to be like the brain of your camera. It is a mechanism that aims to reproduce ‘natural’ colors. Its primary purpose is to rid your photos of weird color casts. A color cast is the odd, ugly blue or orange look that can spoil a photo.
The purpose of white balance is straightforward. It ensures that items that are white in reality appear white within your photograph. Once you get the white locations right, all colored locations fall into place, and your image delivers a perfect representation of natural, beautiful color.
The light we experience has different colors. The light of the sun is a different color from that of your house’s lamp. This color is called “color temperature. A high number means the light is cool and blue, like a bright, clear blue sky. Your eyes adjust to the colors naturally. Your camera needs a nudge, and that is what white balance settings are for.
Now that you understand the science behind the color temperature, let’s see how you can control it, right from your camera.
Mastering In-Camera White Balance Settings
Your camera has a lot of useful tools for controlling color in your photos right away. Getting into these settings will save you tons of time later. Let’s look at what to do, from simple auto mode to some manual controls.
From Auto to Manual – Your Camera’s Choice of Presets
Your digital camera will have multiple white balance presets. These are quick and easy situations for your camera to know what type of light you are shooting in.
Auto White Balance (AWB): This is the most common setting that cameras start at. In AWB, the camera tries to guess the colored light and then corrects it for you. AWB works pretty good for most scenarios and, especially, when you are moving between different types of light. However, it can get a little confused sometimes, especially when there are no white, gray, or neutral colors in your scene..
Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, and Fluorescent Scene Presets: These are more prescriptive.
Daylight: You will use this when you are doing your shooting outside on a regular, sunny day.
Cloudy: This prescription warms you up a little bit – this works really well for shooting on overcast days so that your photos don’t look too cold and blue.
Shade: In the shade, the light is going to be a lot cooler. This preset adds warmth to your photo so that your subjects look normal.
Tungsten: This is if you are doing your shooting indoors under conventional incandescent bulbs. These types of lights are very orange, so the tungsten setting cools your photo down significantly.
Fluorescent: Fluorescent light has a greenish tint, and this removes that green color cast just to keep your images looking clean and sharp.
For Ultimate Accuracy: The Custom White Balance (CWB) Method
Sometimes the presets are not adequate. If you want the most accurate color possible, you can use Custom White Balance, which lets your camera know exactly what “white” looks like in your light. It’s a professional technique, and it will ensure perfect color.
This is a more professional method and ensures that you’ll get perfect color. Here’s how to achieve this. First, you’ll want a gray card or just a simple piece of white paper. Place the card somewhere you are going to take the picture so that it gets the same light as your subject. Next, go into your camera menu to Custom White Balance. Your camera will prompt you to take a picture of the white paper or gray card.
You’ll want to fill the entire frame with the card and take the picture. After taking the picture, your camera will analyze the picture and create a perfect white balance for your lighting conditions. This step is important for product photography, where color needs to be exact. If you are an e-commerce business owner where accurate colors are vital, you’ll know every image will be perfect if you are using our product photo editing services.
Correcting White Balance in Post-Processing
You can do your absolute best, but in some cases, the color in the image is just not right. No need to panic—you can easily fix it on your computer in post-production. In this section, we will also show you why shooting in RAW is a secret weapon and how to make simple adjustments to get the colors perfect!
The Significance of RAW: Why It’s an Essential for Color Correction
For those who desire maximum control over their images, shooting in RAW format rather than JPEG is the way to go. You can think of a JPEG as a cooked meal; the camera did all the work for you in terms of color, sharpness, and white balance. You can’t change it much if you change your mind.
A RAW file is more like all of the raw ingredients; all of the data from the camera sensor is saved. You can easily and accurately correct the white balance on your computer later, as you have all the data stored. With a RAW file, you can change the white balance in a non-destructive manner, and it’s easy to do. You can make drastic changes to the look without sacrificing quality in your image.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Perfecting Color in Lightroom and Photoshop
The editing software, such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, has made correcting white balance so easy. If you shoot in RAW, you have more options to solve your color problems. Here is the way.
The first and simplest method is the Eyedropper Tool. In your editing program, pick the tool that resembles an eyedropper. Click on an area of your photo that should be neutral, like white, gray, or black. In a moment, the program will change the color of the whole picture based on that area. It is like a spell.
If you want more power, take the Temperature and Tint sliders. The Temperature slider will go from blue to yellow. If your picture is too orange, move towards blue. If your picture is too blue, then move to yellow. The Tint slider will be moving between green and magenta. This will get rid of any green or pink tints. But, while these tools are very efficient, difficult pictures with blent lighting can be a real nightmare. If you want to get a perfect result, consider our professional color correction service.
Conclusion: Achieving Perfect Color in Your Photography
We have accomplished a significant amount in this lesson. You learned what color temperature is and how to utilize your camera’s white balance presets. You know now how to set a custom white balance and also how to fix colors later, if you need to, using software packages. But most importantly, you know now how understanding white balance provides you with creative control.
Understanding white balance in your photography is one of the top things you can do to enhance your images. You will be able to show the world as you perceive it, with wonderful, precise colors, without exception.
For the professional photographers and businesses that need perfect color in every shot, UK Clipping Path offers high-end photo editing services. From clipping paths to high-end retouching, we will ensure your photos look their absolute best. Contact us today and we’ll get you a quote at no cost.
FAQs
Is Auto White Balance (AWB) sufficient?
Auto White Balance (AWB) works very well in many situations and especially with changing light. However, it may become confused in a scene with one predominant color or no neutrals. For precise accuracy, a manual preset is a step up.
Is it better to shoot in RAW for white balance purposes?
Yes, always. RAW files save all the original sensor data. You can then easily change the white balance on your computer later without losing quality. You will have complete creative control
What is the purpose of a gray card?
A gray card is a device for establishing a custom white balance. You simply shoot a photo of the card under your particular lighting, and the card tells the camera what a neutral color is, so the camera can generate accurate colors.
Can I use white balance to create effects?
Definitely. You can purposely use the “wrong” white balance to set a tone. A cool white balance setting can make the scene feel sad or mysterious. Using a warm white balance setting can make a portrait feel cozy and happy.
Does white balance even matter on a smartphone?
Yes! Most phones will do a decent job of auto; however, many camera apps will let you set it manually. It’s just a simple trick to correct white balance on your phone that will make a significant difference in the professionalism of your photos.
