Mastering White Balance: Essential Tips for Perfect Colours in Photography

White balance is often one of the most confusing topics for digital photographers. We get countless questions about it—whether related to digital cameras or editing software. White balance even plays a role in how we handle exposure, which makes it all the more essential to understand. You might think, “My camera has Auto White Balance. Isn’t that good enough?” While auto white balance works in many cases, achieving the truest colors and reducing post-processing time often means using Custom White Balance settings.

Why Auto White Balance Isn’t Always Enough

Auto White Balance (AWB) can give you “almost” good colors, but it’s rarely perfect. Think of it like your camera’s Auto Mode—it works for an “OK” shot but often lacks the finesse needed for truly great images. Cameras try to guess the dominant color tone based on average lighting conditions, but they don’t always get it right. This is especially true in complex lighting situations with mixed or non-neutral light sources, where AWB can result in colors that feel “off.”

So, when should you consider a Custom White Balance instead of relying on AWB?

Situations Perfect for Custom White Balance

Custom White Balance is incredibly useful when you want to capture the most accurate colors possible without needing extensive edits later. Here are a few common scenarios:

1. Multiple Light Sources
   If you’re shooting indoors with a mix of natural and artificial light, your camera can struggle to make sense of the scene. Mixed lighting can cause color casts, making whites look yellowish, greenish, or even magenta. Custom White Balance helps you take control, allowing you to set a true white point so that your colors are balanced and accurate.
2. Shooting in Shade or Shadow
   Outdoor photography in shaded areas presents another common challenge. Light in these areas is often cooler (bluer), and cameras sometimes struggle to correct it accurately. Setting Custom White Balance in shaded areas ensures that your photos maintain natural, warm colors without the cold cast that AWB might introduce.
3. Colorful or Vibrant Environments
   Vibrant settings, like a forest in autumn or a flower-filled park, can overwhelm your camera’s AWB, making it difficult to capture true-to-life colors. Custom White Balance will help your camera see past the rich colors and focus on an accurate color base, saving you time in post-processing.
4. Indoor Photography
   Indoors, the dominant light sources are usually artificial, which often introduces unwanted warm or cool tones. Custom White Balance enables you to compensate for artificial lighting hues, making whites truly white and other colors vibrant and balanced.

Custom White Balance for RAW Shooters: Is It Necessary?

If you’re shooting in RAW format, you have more flexibility to adjust White Balance in post-production. However, keep in mind that achieving a balanced White Balance during capture still holds value. Even in RAW, if your image has a strong color cast, it can be challenging to correct without impacting other aspects of your photo. In our Lightroom and Photoshop classes at Omnilargess, we dive into identifying and correcting color casts efficiently. Whether you shoot in RAW or JPEG, we can teach you techniques to retain image quality while fine-tuning colors.

JPEG and White Balance Adjustments: How Far Can You Go?

For JPEG shooters, Custom White Balance is particularly crucial because JPEG images don’t retain as much color data as RAW files. When you adjust White Balance in post-processing, JPEG files can lose quality faster than RAW, often resulting in color banding or loss of detail. This is why getting your White Balance right in-camera can be a significant advantage if you’re shooting JPEGs.

How to Set Custom White Balance on Your Camera

Setting Custom White Balance may vary depending on your camera model, but it’s usually straightforward:

1. Find the Custom White Balance setting in your camera’s menu.
2. Photograph a white or neutral gray surface under the current lighting conditions.
3. Select this image as your White Balance reference in the menu.

By following these steps, you’re telling your camera, “This is white in this lighting,” allowing it to adjust other colors accordingly. You’ll be amazed at how much this simple adjustment can enhance your images’ realism and depth.

Need Hands-On Practice? Join Our Workshops!

At Omnilargess Photography, we make White Balance concepts easy to understand and even easier to apply. In our Digital Photography Workshops, you’ll dive into White Balance settings, gaining practical knowledge in both classroom and outdoor settings. Our Outdoor Photography Workshops are perfect for hands-on practice, where you’ll explore how to adjust White Balance and Exposure in real-world scenarios.

Enhance Your Editing Skills with Lightroom and Photoshop

White Balance isn’t only essential during capture. Knowing how to fine-tune it in editing software is equally important. In our private Lightroom and Photoshop lessons, we show you how to adjust colors precisely and identify color casts within seconds. From correcting colors in RAW files to making minor adjustments in JPEGs, we’ll teach you techniques that make a significant difference in your final images.

Whether you’re new to digital photography or a seasoned enthusiast, mastering White Balance will elevate your images. Join our workshops, or sign up for private editing lessons to gain confidence in every step of your creative process. Visit our website to learn more, or contact us for more information about our private lessons. We can’t wait to help you bring the true colors of your photos to life!