White balance
Definition
White balance is the process of adjusting colours in photography and videography to ensure that whites appear neutral and other colours are rendered accurately. Different light sources, such as sunlight, tungsten bulbs, or fluorescent lamps, have varying colour temperatures measured in Kelvin. Without correction, images may appear too warm (orange/yellow) or too cool (blue).
Cameras allow white balance to be set automatically, manually, or by selecting presets such as daylight, cloudy, shade, tungsten, or fluorescent. Correct white balance ensures that skin tones, product colours, and environmental details appear true to life.
Advanced
At an advanced level, white balance is managed by calibrating colour temperature and tint. Photographers may use tools such as grey cards, colour checkers, or custom Kelvin settings for precision. Shooting in RAW format allows white balance adjustments during post-processing without degrading image quality.
In professional workflows, consistent white balance is critical for colour grading, brand photography, and multi-camera video production. Advanced setups may use colour calibration hardware and controlled lighting environments to maintain accuracy.
Why it matters
Use cases
Metrics
Issues
Example
An online fashion retailer photographs clothing under mixed studio lighting. Initial photos appear too yellow, misrepresenting fabric colours. By setting a custom white balance with a grey card, the photographer ensures accurate colours, reducing product returns due to customer dissatisfaction.