White Balance
White balance is a crucial setting in photography and videography that ensures objects appearing white are rendered white in your images, regardless of the lighting conditions. It adjusts the overall color temperature of your photos or videos to accurately represent the scene you're capturing. Our eyes are very good at judging what is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often have great difficulty with auto white balance(AWB) and can create unsightly blue, orange, or even green color casts. Understanding digital white balance can help you avoid these color casts, thereby improving your photos under a wider range of lighting conditions.
Understanding Color Temperature:
Different light sources have different "color temperatures," measured in Kelvins (K). Daylight tends to be around 5500K, while incandescent bulbs are warmer at around 2700K. If your camera doesn't properly adjust for the color temperature, white objects might appear orange under tungsten light or blue under fluorescent lights.
How White Balance Works:
- Setting the baseline: White balance essentially tells your camera what "true white" looks like under the current lighting. This reference point helps the camera adjust all other colors accordingly.
- Multiple options: Cameras offer various ways to set white balance:
- Auto White Balance (AWB): The camera automatically guesses the color temperature, but it's not always accurate.
- Presets: Choose from settings like Daylight, Tungsten, Shade, etc., depending on the light source.
- Custom White Balance: Capture a picture of a neutral object (like a white card) under the same lighting to set the reference point.
- Kelvin: Manually set the color temperature based on known values.
Benefits of Accurate White Balance:
- Natural colors: Accurate white balance ensures your photos and videos represent the true colors of the scene, enhancing realism and professionalism.
- Creative use: Adjusting white balance can be used for creative purposes, like adding warmth or coolness to your images.
