White Balance: Its settings and how it works

The white balance is a crucial aspect of photography that is often overlooked, but can make a big difference to the quality of your images.

In this article, we'll explore in depth how white balance can positively impact your photography, and how you can maximise its potential for stunning results.

Table of contents

What is White Balance?

The white balance is a key setting in digital photography that allows the colours in an image to be reproduced faithfully and naturally, eliminating unwanted dominance of warm (yellows) or cool (blues) tones.

In simple terms, the objective of white balance is that the white objects in the photograph appear truly white, without any deviation towards other colours. This ensures that the image reflects the colours as we see them with the naked eye.

Importance of white balance

In the age of digital photography, white balance is one of the most important settings for realistic and attractive photos. A good white balance not only improves colour accuracy, but can also make your photos look more realistic. live, professionals and visually striking.

Impact on Image Quality

When the white balance is incorrect, the result is images with mismatched or unnatural tones, which can create a washed-out or unprofessional appearance.

For example, if you do not set the white balance correctly, your photos may have a cool blue or warm yellow tone that does not reflect the reality of the scene being photographed.

Influence on the Atmosphere of Photography

White balance affects not only the colour accuracy, but also the atmosphere and the state of mind of the image. Setting this parameter correctly can convey different sensations:

Warm tonesThey generate a feeling of warmth, comfort or even nostalgia.
Cool tonesThey convey freshness, serenity or a more melancholic atmosphere.

Techniques for adjusting the white balance

There are several ways to adjust the white balance to get the best image quality. Here are some of the most effective techniques:

Automatic white balance (AWB): Most digital cameras have this function, which automatically adjusts colours according to the ambient light. It is useful in situations where lighting conditions change rapidly.
White balance presetsMany cameras have options such as daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten or fluorescent, each designed to compensate for different colour temperatures.
Customised white balanceFor a more accurate setting, you can manually measure the white balance using a grey card or a white surface in the same light in which you are shooting.
White balance adjustment in post-productionIf you shoot in RAW format, you can adjust the white balance after you have taken the picture without losing quality, allowing you more flexibility in the editing process.

Automatic Configuration

Many digital cameras offer an automatic white balance setting that automatically adjusts colour levels according to lighting conditions.

While this option may be desirable, may sometimes not be accurate enough, especially in complex or mixed lighting situations.

Manual Adjustments

For more precise control, consider adjusting the white balance manually. This allows you to select the specific colour temperature that best suits your needs and lighting conditions.

As with the exposure triangleExperiment with different settings to find the perfect combination that brings out the colours in your photo.

Use of White Balance Charts

Another useful technique is the use of cards white balance charts. These charts are designed to provide a neutral white reference in different lighting conditions, making it easy to fine-tune white balance in post-production.

White balance settings

This table provides a quick guide to selecting the white balance setting The best suited to the lighting conditions in which you are shooting:

Adjustment	Description
Automatic	The camera automatically adjusts the white balance according to the lighting conditions.
Daylight	Suitable for photographs taken in natural light or direct sunlight.
Cloudy	Ideal for capturing images on cloudy days or in soft, diffused light.
Shadow	Adjust to compensate for bluish light in shaded areas, producing warmer tones.
Incandescent	It is used to correct the yellow light produced by incandescent bulbs or artificial tungsten lights.
Fluorescent	Adjustment to counteract the green light produced by fluorescent lights, achieving more natural colours indoors.
Flash	Optimised for use with built-in flash, balancing artificial light with ambient light.
Custom/Preset	Allows you to manually set the white balance according to your preferences or specific lighting conditions.