Production Glossary


White Balance

White balance refers to the method of correcting color hues to resemble the actual colors in reality. Cameras have difficulty automatically matching the color white, and will often produce a tinted blue, green or orange color instead. In order to perform white balance (WB), it is necessary to consider the color temperature of a source of light. This temperature is the coolness or warmth of the white light.

White balance can be adjusted both manually and automatically. While the options on digital cameras vary, the following are a standard set of options widely available on cameras.
  • Flash
  • Shade
  • Fluorescent
  • Auto
  • Cloudy
  • Tungsten
If choosing to correct WB manually, it is necessary to “tell” the camera what color white is. Start by taking a picture of an object and assessing the WB. If it needs correction, select the manual WB correction option from the camera’s menu. Then take a photo of a piece of white paper, or a special white card, to instruct the camera on the correct hue. Next, re-shoot the original image. The result will be a white-balanced photo.  

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