White Balance

Setting White Balance for Digital Cameras

White balance is a term used to define the “white point” under different lighting conditions when using a digital camera. Setting the white balance of your digital camera will create a color balanced photograph under these different conditions. Light is measured in degrees Kelvin. This chart demonstrates how light changes in color and the approximate degrees Kelvin.

As you can see, by looking at the dominant color column, without proper white balancing your digital camera will record inaccurate colors of the scene you are photographing. If you are unsure of how to set your white balance, refer to your manual or come to our lab. We can show you how to set white balance.

We suggest these steps before using your digital camera:

1. Practice setting white balance under different conditions in order to completely understand how to set your camera.
2. Set the white balance for the lighting conditions that are present.
3. Set the quality and compression settings appropriate for the use of the photograph.
4. Double-check your settings as lighting conditions change.