Smart_Photography_-_January_2016_

WHITE BALANCE

What exactly is White Balance?

White Balance (WB) is a setting within

our digital cameras that helps in

eliminating unwanted colour casts in

our photos.

But why is it called ‘White’ Balance?

It is an accepted fact that if white

objects in our photos appear white

• that is, without any other colour
  maligning its whiteness – then all other
  colours will appear ‘correct’, without
  any colour cast. In other words, the
  scene would appear ‘neutral’.

But, why can’t the camera, by itself,

give us ‘proper’ colours?

The colours that we see in our photos

are dependent on the colours of the

surrounding light. As an example, if

we were to use two coloured lights –

say, one blue and the other red – and

light up a portrait with these lights,

we would have a portrait with one

side of the face blue and the other red!

Remember, whatever is the colour of

the light, is the colour of the photo.

Let’s take this a bit further. You are

photographing this beautiful white

Setting proper White Balance (WB) is very important if

you want your images to be without any unwanted colour

cast. I’m sure most photographers know this and yet,

either out of sheer carelessness or with utter disregard,

many photographers continue to take pictures without

paying due attention to this very important camera

setting. In this write-up, in the form of questions and

answers, we aim to set things right.

statue, outdoors. You take two shots

• one in the afternoon and the other
  in the late evening. The afternoon
  shot will show the statue as white,
  but the late evening shot of the same

Rohinton Mehta

white statue will be yellowish-orange.

Why does this happen? Simple. The

late evening light is yellowish-orange.

Remember? Whatever is the colour of

the light, is the colour of the final photo.

The left side is lit with blue light; the right with red.

LEARNING

72 http://www.smartphotography.in

Smart Photography January 2016