What is White Balance in Camera and the White Balance Types

The human eye has an incredible dynamic range, instantly adapting to lighting situations, allowing us to see in both bright and dark environments. The eye and brain may also work together to correct color casts so that a white sheet of paper, for example, is regarded as white regardless of surrounding lighting.

Unfortunately, digital cameras are not very intelligent. They capture the scene as they see it, within their constraints. This is why, under challenging lighting situations, we must adjust the white balance to achieve the desired image. This is also why we sometimes have to inform the camera of the color temperature of the light falling on the scene.

Part 1: What is White Balance in Camera?

White balance refers to the color temperature at which white objects on film appear white. However, how you adjust your white balance affects all of the colors in your shot, not just the look of white. This is why photographers and filmmakers arrange every scene for white balance, from lighting to post-production. Learn how to utilize white balance in your films and get professional advice on how to set, alter, and stylize your white balance.

Part 2: What Do the White Balance Settings Indicate?

Cameras have multiple white balance settings, which you choose based on the sort of light you're shooting in.

1. Auto White Balance: This setting can be used as a default in most simple lighting circumstances. Auto White Balance works by assessing the scene and determining the best white point for it. The setting works pretty well if the ambient light's color temperature is between 3,000 and 7,000K.

2. Daylight: Use this option if you're shooting in harsh sunlight. It's built for a color temperature of roughly 5,200K, which is only slightly colder than noon sunshine. However, even if you rarely photograph at midday, this setting will be useful for much of the day.

3. Shade: Shaded regions may appear cooler or bluer, however the Kelvin scale indicates a greater color temperature of roughly 7,000K. This setting is best suited to regions with mild shading rather than harsh shadows.

4. Cloudy: This produces a color temperature of around 6,000K. It works best on days when the sun is behind the clouds, producing a highly even and diffused light that is somewhat warmer than Shade.

5. White Balance Tungsten: The first artificial lighting setting assumes a color temperature of roughly 3,200K and is appropriate for most tungsten lights, which typically generate a yellowish light.

6. White Balance Fluorescent: The second artificial light option is set at roughly 4,000K, which is the approximate color temperature of fluorescent lighting. The difficulty with fluorescent lights is that there are various varieties, each with a distinct color temperature, and they change over time, gradually modifying the color temperature of the light they generate, so this setting may not always produce perfect results. Fluorescent lights likewise produce an interrupted spectrum with peaks spanning a wide range.

7. Flash: For use with either the built-in flash or Speedlites. Flash is an extremely white light with a color temperature of roughly 6,000K, however, this may be fine-tuned to match if you use a Speedlite with a color transmission feature.

Part 3: How to Fine-Tune the White Balance in the Photo Editing

Just because you've nailed your white balance on camera doesn't mean you should leave it alone in the post-production. "There are two sides to manipulating white balance," explains cinematographer Mike Leonard. "There's color correction, which is the science side of it, and then there's color grading, which is the art of it." Color correction is the process of restoring colors to their proper tones for a more realistic appearance. You may establish the proper white balance on camera and then complete the procedure in post.

In contrast, color grading is a subjective art. "A great movie example of this is The Matrix," explains Leonard. Everything in the Matrix is a harsh green, while in the actual world, it is a very distinct blue. That was a brilliant choice to make the two worlds feel extremely distinct."

Whether you want to express pleasure and nostalgia with warm hues or a moodier aesthetic with colder, bluer tones, video editing applications like Evoto AI may help you achieve your desired white balance appearance.