In photography and video production, lighting is everything. However, no matter how perfect your lighting setup is, if your white balance is off, your images and videos will not look natural. Proper white balance ensures that white objects in your scene appear white, regardless of the color temperature of your light source. This is crucial for achieving accurate colors and creating professional-quality content.

In this blog, we’ll break down what white balance is, why it's important, and how to properly adjust white balance to achieve the best results for your content.

What is White Balance?

White balance refers to the process of adjusting the colors in your image so that the color temperature of your light sources is accurately represented. Light can have different color temperatures, ranging from warm (yellow/orange) to cool (blue/white). The goal of setting white balance is to make white objects look truly white under any lighting condition, thus ensuring that the rest of the colors in your shot are also accurate.

For example, under warm light (such as incandescent bulbs), your images can look yellowish or reddish. Conversely, under cool light (like daylight or fluorescent lights), your images may appear bluish. Adjusting white balance compensates for these variations, correcting the color in your video or photo to make it look more natural.

Why Setting White Balance Is Important?

Correct white balance is essential for several reasons:

1. Accurate Colors

Setting the correct white balance ensures that the colors in your images and videos are true to life. If you don't adjust for the light source, your photos or videos may have a color cast that makes everything look off, either too warm or too cool.

2. Professional Look

When you're creating video content, whether for a podcast or a YouTube video, the overall quality of your footage is important. A well-balanced image looks much more professional than one with color distortion caused by incorrect white balance.

3. Consistency Across Shots

If you’re shooting a scene with multiple lighting sources or moving between different environments (e.g., indoor and outdoor), setting white balance each time ensures that your video or photo remains consistent in color throughout the shoot.

How to Adjust White Balance?

Now that you understand the importance of white balance, let's discuss how to adjust it in your camera. There are several ways to adjust white balance, depending on your equipment and the lighting conditions you're working with.

1. Automatic White Balance (AWB)

Many cameras and smartphones have automatic white balance (AWB), which attempts to detect the light source and set the balance accordingly. While AWB is convenient, it doesn’t always get it right, especially under mixed lighting conditions. It can sometimes result in color casts or uneven balance.

2. Preset White Balance Settings

Most cameras provide preset options to quickly adjust white balance for common lighting situations. These presets include settings like:

• Daylight (for shooting outdoors in natural light)
• Cloudy (for overcast or shaded conditions)
• Tungsten (for indoor shots with incandescent light)
• Fluorescent (for shooting under fluorescent lights)

These presets can be a good starting point when you’re setting white balance for your shoot. However, they are not always perfect, so further adjustments may be necessary.

3. Manual White Balance

For the most accurate white balance, you can use manual settings. This allows you to dial in the exact color temperature (measured in Kelvin, or K) based on the lighting conditions. Typically, warmer light sources are around 2700K–3200K (similar to indoor lighting), while cooler light sources range from 5000K–6500K (like daylight).

To set manual white balance, follow these steps:

• Set your camera to manual white balance mode.
• Use a gray card or white object: Hold a white or gray card in the scene where you’ll be shooting and ensure it is well-lit. The camera will use this as a reference to adjust the white balance.
• Adjust the Kelvin setting to match the lighting. If you’re indoors with tungsten bulbs, use a lower Kelvin value (around 2700K). If you’re outdoors in daylight, use a higher Kelvin value (around 5500K).

4. Custom White Balance

Some cameras offer the ability to take a custom reading for white balance in unique lighting conditions. This option is ideal when you’re working with unusual light sources or mixed lighting.

To set a custom white balance:

• Fill the frame with a white object that reflects the light you are working with.
• Adjust the white balance until the object looks neutral, and your camera should then apply the perfect setting.

Tips for Achieving the Best White Balance

• Monitor your lighting: Before setting white balance, assess the lighting in your scene. Are you working with natural daylight or artificial light? Is the light source warm or cool? Understanding this will help you make better white balance decisions.
• Use a white balance card: A white or gray card can be your best friend when adjusting white balance. It provides a neutral reference for your camera to achieve the most accurate settings.
• Don’t rely solely on AWB: While automatic white balance is convenient, it can’t always handle complex lighting situations. If you want to ensure consistent, accurate results, set your white balance manually.

Conclusion

Correctly adjusting your white balance is key to achieving accurate, natural colors in your videos and photos. Whether you are setting white balance automatically, using presets, or going for a more precise manual adjustment, understanding how to adjust white balance based on your lighting conditions will elevate your content’s professional appearance.

For podcasters, videographers, and photographers alike, mastering white balance is one of the simplest yet most impactful ways to ensure that your visuals shine with clarity and consistency. By using the tips and techniques outlined above, you can confidently create stunning, color-accurate content every time.