White Balance
I have now had my camera for about a month-and-a-half. From the day I got it, I have been learning a tremendous amount about the way cameras work and about photography in general. Many of the things I have been learning apply not only to fancy dSLR’s, but also to regular point-and-shoots. I wanted to pass along one very important thing I’ve learned to you. My topic for today is one of those things that can be simply done on any camera to improve your pictures.
I’m sure that you are aware that photography is all about capturing light. This isn’t rocket science. However, how often do you think of taking a picture of light? I know I don’t. I am always focused on taking a picture of the dog or of a plant or something like that, not on capturing light. If you focus simply on capturing your subject instead of the light around you, you can end up with some funky colors that you didn’t expect. One simple thing you can do to reduce the number of pictures you take with crazy colors is to manually set your camera’s white balance (WB). Your camera uses the WB setting to determine how blue or amber (orange) your pictures will be. (Check out this page for some examples on how WB effects the colors of your photos.) As the type of lighting you are in changes, how blue or amber your pictures are will change right along side. This should be the first setting you adjust when you go to take a picture in a new location.
Since I got my camera, I have been taking pictures using the Auto WB setting. For the most part, this has worked out pretty well for me. I assume that you are probably taking pictures using auto as well. For the most part, auto WB does a pretty good job at figuring out the area lighting so your pictures will accurately capture the colors around you. But just like the main auto setting’s on your camera, auto has its limitations. It doesn’t always get the colors exactly right. It may be close, but what your eyes see as white won’t necessarily be what your camera sees as white.
Most camera’s have many WB settings that should be used in various lighting situations. Some common settings are Tungsten, Sunlight, Shade, and Cloudy. Making a change to one of these settings based on your location and light type can make a BIG, immediate difference in your pictures.
I’d like to challenge you to go a little bit further with your WB setting. Most cameras have a Custom WB setting as their last option. If you’re not sure what you should use or if the other settings are not quite right, this might be where you should turn. Each manufacturer and each camera is a little different on how you set the custom white balance so you’ll have to check your manual to figure out how to set it. Some require you to use something that is white (like a piece of paper or a t-shirt) for the camera to use as a white reference point and some don’t. Using this custom setting will set your camera’s WB based on the exact lighting you are currently experiencing.
I’ve been noticing that many of my pictures have been slightly warmer (more amber) when I’ve been taking them inside my house at night. Here is an example of what I mean:
A lot of the colors in this picture are off slightly from what they really are. Take the little green cactus as an example. It is pretty dark in this shot and starts to blend in to what is around it. This was taken using auto white balance. It’s not too bad, but it could be a lot better.
Here is one I took of the same cactus last night:
See how the green of the cactus is much brighter and jumps out more? The little spines on the cactus are also must whiter rather than being a beige or brownish color. They are must easier to distinguish in this shot from the rest of the cactus. This one was taken using my custom white balance setting. This is a big improvement from the original that only took a small, quick adjustment.
Next time you go to take a picture, be aware of your white balance. Making a quick change here can help the outcome of all your pictures. Happy shooting!