Photo Tip Friday - Setting the White Balance

Photo Tip Friday - Setting the White Balance







In the days of old, we never had to worry about setting the white balance on our cameras.

But we did have to purchase the correct film for the lighting conditions that we would be shooting in.

Many of the point and shoot cameras today have an "auto" setting for the white balance, and the camera determines what it is before it takes the shot.

It somewhat works - most of the time.

But we have all seen those "yellow-hued" photos that we get sometimes when shooting indoors under artificial lighting.

The camera didn't choose too well that time.

These settings can all be set manually depending on where you are, and what the lighting conditions are.

My DSLR has outdoor settings that include bright sun, overcast, and shade. And I must remember each time I am outside to adjust for the correct setting.

There are also settings for indoor use and the different artificial lighting conditions.

The camera also allows one to make a custom white balance setting for any of these conditions.

The camera is aimed at a gray card and it determines the correct "balance" for the light.

It is more accurate, but I have found there to be little difference between that method and the preset ones in the camera.

Of course, I usually only shoot outdoors. If I did a lot of studio work, this method would be the one to use.

So if you find that you are sometimes getting some funky colored photos, or the colors don't look just right in the view screen compared to the actual scene, try adjusting your white balance.

It will make all the difference.