How to Set Your White Balance ON Camera
What better time to finally learn how to work some additional manual settings on your DSLR than how to set white balance on your camera??
White Balance (Kelvin) was something I MAJORLY avoided setting manually on my camera for years, mainly just because I assumed it would be way too time consuming. But after forcing myself to learn and practice, I realized that I saved myself TONS of editing time, as my temperatures and colorings stayed more consistent throughout a session or wedding day.
Ready for me to stop rambling and start giving you tips?? You’ve got it!!!
Kelvin is the temperature scale used to set white balance in your camera - which you can use to match the white balance in the room. These numbers range in the thousands. The lower the number, the more blues are introduced into the photo. The higher the number, the more warm tones (oranges) are introduced. Your camera can’t adjust the colors automatically that your eyes see in different lighting scenarios, so it is up to you to make those adjustments.
Lighting: Tungsten, dark, yellow lighting and walls
Kelvin: 3200
For Tungsten (warm, indoor lighting) try starting your Kelvin around 3000-3500. Since there are SO many warm, orange tones in the room, the cool blues of the lower Tungsten scale will help balance this out and make the picture look more natural.
Lighting: Bright midday shade with sunny spots
Kelvin: 6000
For normal daylight, try starting your Kelvin around 6000. This is right in the middle of the scale, which should work perfectly with the normal, unhindered tones you should be seeing in person out in daylight.
Lighting: Golden hour, sun setting
Kelvin: 8200
In the evening/early morning/in the shade, try starting your Kelvin around 7500+. As the sky gets more and more cool-toned and blue, the warmer and higher you want to set your Kelvin, to help get rid of those overly blue tones and really bring out the GOLDEN in the golden hour :).
Once you master these normal settings, I also challenge you to play around with Kelvin and see what look you like best! Some people love making everything very natural, others LOOOOOVE those warm tones, and some creatives enjoy playing in the blues.
Try tweaking your Kelvin IN camera as you practice (you can ALWAYS fix in post) and see how much it helps you later on in your editing process!