Friday, August 17, 2012

White Balance Settings for Improved Color

By Matthew Rivers


When new camera models are released, designers often promote the better image processor. Since these processors record white balance information, they can rebuild RAW shots into jpeg files by storing the data easily on your memory card. Because of this, advanced processors can sometimes take up much or the memory, either on your card or camera.

How Can Presets Be Used?

One way of adjusting the white balance is to use of the histogram on your camera. For best results,adjust each color channel separately. This will give you the best results, but as you gain experience editing images, you can learn how to correctly train your eyes and even to use reference images for custom white balance.

With automatic white balance settings, you can remove unwanted color tinges very easily. As an example, when you use various bulbs (like incandescents which tend to give a blue hue), your camera should adjust by adding a red hue to compensate. Generally, auto white balance produces the results you need, but the better your processor, the better your automatic settings will prove to be.

How Can Custom White Balance Be Used?

When automatic white balance settings are unusable, then you can move forward with custom settings. In this mode, you usually start by setting the white balance using a white card or piece of paper. Later, from the information you've gathered by using this card, you'll be able to use it as your reference for the type of lighting used for the following pictures.

Really, the white balance card just saves you a lot of time when it comes to using your software for editing the photos. Because you have taken a picture of a white card, you'll be able to use those same settings and apply them to the photos with the same lighting. In this way, you adjust the photo until the card or paper actually becomes white.

With this in mind, you can also opt to use the white balance pointer included in the software program for your camera. Since the software calculates the best hue and color temperature combination for a sample area, all you need to do is select the sampling area. Still, this may not be the easiest decision, especially if you have different types of lighting being used in the same photo, but this is where experience truly becomes your friend over time.




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