Being creative with your white balance can add great personality to an image, as well as enhance a message you want to convey.
This week, as part of the In Camera Magic: The 12 Essential Creative Options photography course, we explored three intrinsic color options that support your vision as an artist … white balance, tint and hue/color tone. While each of these three color options are important, Essential #7 – White Balance will probably allow you the most creativity.
Make it Amber, Make it Blue – The Creative Side of White Balance
Different light sources, such as light bulbs and sunlight, give off different Kelvin temperatures and our digital cameras are equipped with white balance settings to compensate for the changing hues. While white balance is a feature to keep the color ‘white’ white in every lighting condition … who ever said we had to always use it that way?
White balance play can add great personality to an image, as well as enhance a message you want to convey. If your message is one of softness, serenity and coolness … then maybe a bluer white balance setting would work well here. Conversely, if your message is one of earthiness, warmth, or boldness … then possibly a redder white balance setting would help bring that message out in your image.
The best part about photography is that the world doesn’t always have to look the way it does.
Click on an image to launch the slideshow.
The three images above illustrate the difference between white balance settings. The first image shot at 2500 degrees Kelvin appears quite blue, the next image shot at 5200 degrees offers a middle ground alternative, while a bold and very high Kelvin temperature setting of 10,000 degrees gives us a very red version in our final image. None of the images are correct nor are they wrong, they simply represent choices. Which option you employ is completely up to you and depends a lot on the feeling or mood you want to convey with your image.
The best part of the white balance decision is that you see the results of these choices immediately and can make a very enlightened decision to what colors truly bring your message out. With enough practice you’ll begin dialing in that white balance based on what it offers, the options it gives you and the results you visualize.
Focused Practice Session
Practice changing your white balance settings on different subjects … more amber or more blue … until you find one that helps bring out your message you want to convey.
- Find a subject outside in the sun (such as a flower, twig or leaf), take an image and adjust your exposure settings until you get the lighting perfect for you.
- Take an image using your coolest white balance setting (adding blue), such as 2500 Kelvin temperature (or as close as your camera gets) or Tungsten ‘lightbulb’ (if using presets).
- Take an image using your hottest white balance setting (adding amber), such as 10,000 Kelvin temperature (or as close as your camera gets) or Shade (if using presets).
- Take an image in the mid-range white balance setting, such as 5200 Kelvin temperature (or as close as your camera gets) or Sunlight (if using presets).
- Repeat this exercise indoors.
Examine all of your images and make note of how differently the white balance settings react outside in the sun compared to inside under house lighting.
So, should you make your images amber? Or should you make them blue? The perfect white balance setting (just like perfect exposure) is simply whatever you like, whichever setting matches your vision. Let your creativity soar.
Happy practicing!