White Balance

9 April 2025 | 10 April 2025 | 2 min |

In this article :

White Balance Fundamentals
White Balance Adjustment
- Visual Impact of White Balance
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Conclusion

White balance is an essential component of photography, directly influencing the color accuracy in an image. As part of retouching tools and features, this adjustment allows you to modify the colors so that white elements in the photo actually appear white, compensating for the color temperature variations from different light sources. Mastering white balance is crucial for producing images that accurately reflect the scene as it is perceived by the naked eye.

White Balance Fundamentals

Color temperature, measured in Kelvin, determines the “warmth” or “coolness” of light, ranging from red-orange (warm) to blue (cool). Natural daylight has a temperature of around 5600K, considered neutral. Artificial light sources, such as incandescent bulbs or LEDs, can have vastly different color temperatures, influencing how colors are captured by the camera. White balance adjusts these variations to produce natural colors in any lighting situation.

White Balance Adjustment

Modern cameras offer several options for adjusting white balance:

Automatic (AWB): The camera attempts to automatically detect and compensate for the color temperature of the light.
Presets: Options such as “Daylight,” “Cloudy,” “Shade,” and “Tungsten” allow you to select a setting suited to the specific lighting condition.
Custom: Allows for manually measuring and setting the white balance for maximum accuracy, often used in mixed or complex lighting conditions.

Visual Impact of White Balance

A correctly set white balance ensures that the whites in the image are pure, thereby improving the accuracy of all other colors. An incorrectly adjusted white balance can result in photos with an unwanted color cast, such as a blue or yellow tint, affecting the overall look and mood of the image. The ability to adjust or correct white balance in post-production is also a valuable asset, offering additional creative flexibility.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Neglecting White Balance Adjustment: Relying solely on the automatic mode without considering presets or custom adjustments can limit the image quality.
Forgetting to Adjust White Balance When Changing Environments: Each lighting situation is unique and may require a new white balance setting.

Conclusion

White balance is a powerful tool in the photographer’s arsenal, essential for capturing scenes with authenticity and color accuracy. Whether through camera settings or post-production adjustments, mastering white balance allows photographers to overcome challenges related to color temperature and create images that resonate with precision and naturalness.

Écrit par Jérémy Carlo

Jérémy Carlo is the editorial director at Rétines, where he ensures the consistency and clarity of all content produced by the studio. His role goes beyond writing—he shapes the tone, structures the messages, and upholds a precise, demanding editorial line that stays true to the identity of Rétines. With a background in visual communication and solid experience in content strategy, he bridges the technical world of photography with clear, no-frills writing.

Jérémy works closely with photographers, art directors, and the commercial team to make sure every word published serves the image, the message, and the brand. From blog articles and client presentations to social media posts and internal documents—everything is filtered through his attentive eye. His strength lies in making complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying, and in highlighting the studio’s work without relying on unnecessary superlatives.

Through his writing, Jérémy helps Rétines exist beyond the image—by giving context to projects, emphasizing the thinking behind each shoot, and bringing to light the technical and aesthetic choices that drive each photograph.