Digital Photography Basics: What Is White Balance?

White balance is a name given to a system of color correction to deal with differing lighting conditions. Normally our eyes compensate for different lighting conditions, but when taking a still with a digital camera the camera has to find the “white point” (the assumption that a white object must appear white) to correct other colors cast by the same light.

Your camera has four ways of setting this white point so the color white is balanced properly.

1. AWB or auto white balance setting
2. Presets
3. Custom setting
4. Set by light temperature via the Kelvin Scale

The AWB setting does an excellent job in most conditions of setting the camera white point. I use AWB in 85-90% of my photography. Presets are based on specific lighting conditions, and the white point has been set to the temperature of the lighting condition you select. Custom settings is when you define what you would like the camera white point to be by taking a photograph of something white, then telling your camera that image is how you are defining white. If you are in a lighting condition and you know the temperature of the light, some cameras will allow you to set the white balance by the Kelvin temperature of the light.

Good white balance correction will result in an image where the photograph appears to the eye as the original scene appeared to the eye. Below are tips to help you achieve good white balance:

• Use a white coffee filter as the basis for your custom setting.
• Use a custom setting when shooting outside in snow to make your snow bright white.
• Use custom setting when indoors where there is no natural light: gymnasiums, receptions; banquet halls.
• If there are different light sources in a room, you will have to set a custom setting for each light source as you move around the room.
• Custom settings must be set with and without flash - depending on your use of flash
• When shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. That’s right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures.

Professional photographer Loreen Liberty has been taking photographs since her early teens, and in the professional industry for the past nine year. After many successful years as a wedding and portrait photographer, Loreen decided to turn her attentions to teaching photography full time. “It gives me more time to practice my craft and be artistic for myself.” View more tips, tricks, and photography related articles by Loreen at http://www.LiteWriting.com or follow Loreen via Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/LiteWriting.