Why White Balance Works

How it Works

White balance helps you properly adjust color in regards to the light source that is being used. When this is done correctly, white objects will appear white. But don\’t take the simplicity of this concept for granted! With so many types of lighting, white balance can be difficult to determine with your eye, even for the most experienced photographers.

Using an image sensor helps with this process. Since it reproduces the color differences as they are, you can adjust this sensor to get the color you\’re looking for. In order to reset or adjust this sensor, you\’ll need white balance information that can be used from presets so you don\’t have to do it manually.

Many of the normal presets that you\’ll see are cloudy, shade, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, and flash. Selecting what\’s appropriate for your situation will help to get your sensor running optimally. As the light passes through the camera and the RGB filter, the light will be adjusted according to the preset you have chosen.

White Balance Considerations

Too often, we as digital photographers seek ways to do the correct to perfection, while forgetting that we are artists. Please do not try to place limitations on yourself or other artists. Photography has many aspects, some are distinctly technical, while others are the fun and artistic.

What you learn from trial and error is invaluable! Often, color temperatures are not consistent throughout a scene, so setting the entire photo for one preset can be disastrous. If you have several light sources, determining the proper sampling area may prove a challenge.

If you\’re planning on post processing to handle the entire problem, please reconsider. Since several sliders will be used jointly to determine the right values, you will find this extremely difficult. Since adjusting during post processing often turns out to be a greater hassle, experience becomes invaluable in setting up white balance properly.

The Overall Feel

For our eyes, as we view a white object, they automatically adjust to the lighting conditions and adjust the color accordingly. Unfortunately, cameras aren\’t quite as talented in this regard, at least not yet! For this reason, an improper white balance setting can cause your photos to appear cool or warm without meaning to.

As you adjust white balance for your camera, you\’re setting it up for all of the other colors to easily fall in place. Often, you\’ll find that once white balance is properly set, you\’ll have little to no color editing needed during post processing. White balance is truly what makes the difference in a photo that lies blankly on the paper or one that seems so vibrant that you can reach out and touch the scene!

Check out how others are experimenting with various elements on our camera blog! For more details on equipment, visit us here!

Why White Balance Works