Then, when you open up your image in post, you often won’t have to make adjustments.īut when you do need to make white balance adjustments, it’s very easy. If you prefer to deal with white balance during post-processing, then (as mentioned above), you should use the Auto White Balance setting in the field. If you select this option, your camera will allow you to select the image you’ve just taken to use for custom white balance calibration.įinally, change your white balance setting to Custom, and shoot away! Selecting White Balance During Post-Processing The next steps depend on your camera make/model, but you should have a Custom White Balance option in your camera menu. Then set the white balance to Auto and take a photo. You’ll need to move in close, so that you fill the frame with your gray card. You can also use the custom white balance setting to select the perfect white balance in-camera.įirst, you’ll need a gray card, which you should hold in front of your subject. If you’re the type of photographer who wants to deal with things completely while out shooting, you can observe the light, then choose the white balance mode that most closely corresponds to your situation. That way, you can use the JPEG if you like it, but you’ll never feel like you missed out on an opportunity because you messed up the white balance settings.įor example, this photo was taken in RAW, then converted to a JPEG after editing: If you don’t want to have to process RAW files, then shoot RAW+JPEG, which will give you two photos: the original RAW image, and a JPEG created by your camera. It becomes part of the photo–and while you can make some changes to the color temperature, you won’t have nearly as much flexibility as you do with a RAW file.įor this reason, I recommend you always shoot using the RAW file format. Once your photo is converted from RAW to JPEG, the white balance is locked in. You can switch to different white balance settings (e.g., you can go from Cloudy to Tungsten), or you can manually alter the white balance. Of course, you can use the white balance you chose while out shooting, but you’re not stuck with it. ![]() JPEG files, on the other hand, are compressed–so they include some, but not all, of the originally captured information.īecause with RAW files, you’re free to change your white balance in a post-processing program. Most modern cameras give you the option of shooting in two file formats:īasically, RAW files include all of the information captured by your camera at the scene. This involves opening up the photo in a program such as Adobe Lightroom, and selecting the correct white balance (or, if you like, choosing the white balance manually by way of the temperature and tint sliders).īoth of the white balance methods I’ve given work well, but they depend on something very important:įile type. ![]() Or you can use the second method of color correction:ĭoing all the white balancing after the fact, during post-processing. And this color cast will then be captured by your camera, resulting in tinted photos–unless we correct this through the process of white balancing.įor instance, here is a photo with a cold color cast, which you’ll get if you photograph in shade: Now, when you have lighting that’s not pure white, we say it has a color cast. ![]() This is uncommon in natural lighting but does occur with artificial lights (think neon lights). Note that light can also move along a green/purple spectrum. You see, light is very rarely pure white instead, it sits somewhere along a blue/yellow spectrum, with cloudy light appearing cold and blue, late afternoon sunlight appearing warm and yellow, and sunny midday light appearing somewhere in between (but still not a pure white). White balance refers to the process of correcting color casts in your photos. That way, you can set your white balance confidently, to ensure that your photos always look as stunning as possible. But while white balance may seem a bit technical, it’s actually pretty easy to understand–once you know a few key pieces of information.
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