Choose white balance to suit your taste and create the right mood

Monday 13 May 2024, 16:32 by Nando Harmsen | 3,817 views | 9 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

White balance allows you to get white to actually appear white in your photo. That does not guarantee the right colour temperature, though. Sometimes it produces an incorrect image that distorts reality. Sometimes you need to deliberately deviate.

You know the examples, where you can see the differences between the white balance settings. Comparisons like these are not much use. You should see this under different lighting conditions.

Comparison of white balance settings in daylight. It is not much use, but it looks nice.
The camera's auto white balance setting (AWB) measures the colour temperature of the situation. The camera then sets the white balance automatically so that white is shown as white. The question is, does that always have to happen?

Auto white balance chooses the most neutral display possible, but that is not always the best choice. Naturally, taste plays an important role.
A calculated white balance setting does not take mood into account. It is a cold, impersonal calculation of the 'correct' value. That can actually destroy the mood.

It is better to choose a colour temperature yourself that properly conveys the mood of the moment. You can go to extremes if you want, as long as this does not produce an overly artificial image. The colour you choose gives the photo the look you like.

Different colour temperatures create a different mood. It looks strange when you see them next to each other, but individually it is no longer noticeable that the mood has been adjusted.
Do not be afraid to deviate from the white balance, and choose a colour temperature to suit your own taste. Sometimes the adjustment is subtle, sometimes more extreme. It is a personal choice, so stand by your choice.

A fallow deer in silhouette. It is a wonderfully atmospheric photo, exactly what I want to show.
These days, many manufacturers offer an auto white balance that takes mood into account. That helps with the end result, but it remains an approximation. If you are happy with it, that is fine too.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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9 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Monday 13 May 2024 at 17:37 | reply
Nando, in dit artikel schrijf je vooral over het bewust instellen van een andere witbalans dan de AWB. Ik vind sfeer in een foto ook belangrijk. Toch laat ik de instelling altijd op AWB staan. Later in de nabewerking pas ik de witbalans naar eigen smaak aan bij de sfeer die ik merkte tijdens het fotograferen.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:22 | reply
Voor de raw-fotograaf maakt de witbalans-instelling niet uit. Maar het is een workflow die mij veel werk in de nabewerking bespaart. Een vaste waarde die voor elke foto gelijk is werkt prettiger en sneller dan een serie foto's die elke weer een andere witbalans heeft. Want dat doet AWB.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

PixelDude wrote on Tuesday 14 May 2024 at 11:29 | reply
@Donald,
Doe ik ook. Wellicht omdat we beiden in RAW fotograferen. Voor jepg fotografie kan het wel belangrijk zijn.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Roland wrote on Tuesday 14 May 2024 at 11:35 | reply
de mening van Donald deel ik volledig. RAW fotograferen is de boodschap. Alleen bij serie flitswerk gebruik ik de vaste flitsinstelling om zo dichter bij het doel te zitten qua instelling.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Paul van Aken wrote on Tuesday 14 May 2024 at 12:25 | reply
Sluit me aan bij Donald.
In de nabewerking kun je veel beter zien wat er gebeurd als je met de witbalans gaat schuiven.
De stappen op de camera zijn redelijk grof, en zelf een numerieke waarde kiezen.....
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

PixelDude wrote on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:30 | reply
@ Nando,
Ik denk dat dit eerder een vaststelling is van een bruiloftsfotograaf die grote series van een zelfde onderwerp, het huwelijk, maakt dan wel van natuur en landschapsfotografen die RAW fotograferen.
En zoals Roland ook schreef, alleen bij flitsen (wat ik heel uitzonderlijk doe) zal ik als WB de flitsinstelling kiezen.
Maar als natuur en landschapsfotograaf zal ik wellicht nooit van de AWB afwijken.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:39 | reply
Ik doe dit ook met landschaps- en natuurfotografie. En dat doe ik heel erg bewust.
Het licht verandert door de dag heen. Daglicht, blauw uurtje, gouden uurtje... Deze karakteristieke kleur licht wil ik terugzien. Ik wil niet dat de camera die kleur als kleurzweem aanziet en daar de witbalans op gaat corrigeren.
Het maakt het eenvoudiger in de nabewerking om een consistente serie foto's van een moment van de dag te maken.
Natuurlijk is het een persoonlijke voorkeur.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 14:25 | reply
Nando, als je het perfect wilt doen, moet je er een kleurtemperatuurlichtmeter bij hebben. Dat kost je dan enkele duizenden euro's. Je camera instellen op een bepaalde kleurtemperatuur is dus ook maar bij benadering.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 14:28 | reply
Het gaat niet om het perfect willen doen. Lees de titel nog maar eens.
Het is ook niet belangrijk om dit in de camera te doen of achteraf. Dat is alleen voor de jpeg-fotograaf van belang.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

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