If you experience properly exposed photos that appear to be off in color tone, and have not been able to correct the issue with one of the camera’s pre-set color balance options, the Custom White Balance will likely give you the results you’re looking for.
Each for of light (sunlight, shade, fluorescent, etc.) has a different quality measured as color temperature. You’ve likely noticed photos with different tones of color for dramatic effect, such as an overall blue hue, and have most certainly noticed the warm tones of sunsets. In different lighting scenarios, “WHITE” looks different. Perhaps not to our eyes, because our amazing eyes and brain compensate and properly adjust white under different color temperatures.
Our camera does not do this automatically – though it does attempt to with the Auto White Balance setting. But Auto White Balance does not always function as desired. Many advanced DSLR cameras offer a Custom White Balance setting. Each camera model may have a slightly different method of setting, but the process is similar.
- Select “CUSTOM” from the list of White Balance Setting Options
- Take a photo of a pure white object
- Find the “CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE” menu list (a separate menu listing from the White Balance Selection Option)
- Select the image of the white object you took a photo of.
- Respond “Yes” to using that image as the Custom White
The following video link was about the best I found as a video resource. It is based on a Canon camera, but should serve as a good refresher.
[vimeo 19603952 w=500 h=281] <p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/19603952″>Part 10: White Balance T2i</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user2642804″>–jL</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>