Have you ever been shooting a scene only to look down at your digital camera and see a blue or yellow tinge over the image? Using the white balance setting can clear this up and make your images look more natural. If you are new to photography, the guide below will help you understand the importance of this feature and how to use it.

How Lighting Impacts an Image

Every lighting source has a particular color temperature—the hue and intensity measured in degrees Kelvin—that can alter the shade of objects and people being hit by it. For instance, fluorescent lighting is cooler and will cast a green tint; incandescent bulbs are warmer and will add a yellowish-orange hue to your pictures.

Your eyes and brain will automatically compensate for the different lighting, so you see the white object no matter the setting. However, digital cameras struggle to block out interfering lighting conditions, which is why it can pick up on these other shades you don’t see with the naked eye. 

How to Set the White Balance

Digital cameras will typically come with preset white balance settings. The auto setting on most equipment is pretty good at figuring out the lighting conditions. However, if you are in an environment that consists of a primary source, you can use the other settings to balance out the color temperature. Standard options include incandescent, fluorescent, sunny, cloudy, and flash.

As you explore photography, learn the color temperature scale so you can manually set the white balance and account for multiple lighting sources at once. Perform test shots in the shooting area with specifically designed white balance cards to give the camera a color reference point. After the adjustments, the camera will filter out the unrealistic shades and capture the white object as it appears.   

Whether you prefer a digital camera that takes care of the white balance for you or allows you to set it manually, you can find it at The Shutterbug in Portland, OR. Since 1971, this family-owned and -operated camera store has provided quality equipment from leading brands, including Nikon®, Canon®, and Sony®. They also offer digital printings and enlargements, canvas printing and wraps, color film processing, and many other popular photography services. Stop by today or call them at (503) 227-3456 with any questions. You can also view their extensive inventory by visiting their website.