Tackling white balance can be tricky when photographing in anything but the best lighting. Luckily most cameras auto white balance knows this and can get you fairly close in camera and if you shoot RAW you can easily correct white balance blunders in post processing. However, you should be able to dial in the correct white balance when the time calls for it and what better way than to turn it into a photo challenge.
For this to be a difficult challenge you’ll want to carry it out indoors, one of the few times you’ll ever hear me say this (you could even bookmark this challenge for a rainy day). The reason the indoors can be rather difficult on your cameras auto white balance is that you generally have multiple sources of lights to contend with, natural light from windows, fluorescent lighting, incandescent lights, etc..
You’ll want to familiarize yourself with your cameras white balance settings, most cameras have a half-dozen or more ranging from the different light sources to the different types of shooting conditions (indoor, outdoor, sunny and cloudy). You’ll also want to break out your cameras manual and familiarize yourself with how to set a custom white balance.
The photograph of the painting at the top of this article was taken in my living room with three types of lighting coming from various locations. It was impossible to get the colors correct without using custom white balance. Below is what the painting looked like using auto white balance (the other presets were just as bad).
Get Started
You can start the challenge by not allowing yourself to use auto white balance and move between the various settings your camera has prepared for you. Next, if you feel like you mastered the world your cameras presets you can practice using your custom white balance. Most people are intimidated by custom white balance at first but once they try it they realize it’s incredibly easy and convenient.
If you liked this challenge or another you’ve read about and would like to share you results with the rest of us be sure to check out the Submit an Article link. There are a number of categories you can submit under so be sure to check them out. Enjoy!
