# Photography Basics - White Balance



## Sylvanite

*What color was George Washington's white horse?*

As the joke goes, the correct answer is "_gray_" (technically, there is no such thing as a "white horse").  A photographer, however, might reply "it depends on the color of the ambient light".  You see, there is really no such thing as "white light" either.  The color of sunlight changes throughout the day, and is affected by clouds, shade, and nearby objects.  Artificial (incandescent, fluorescent, led, and strobe) lights are all different colors as well.  The human mind, however, is surprisingly adept at taking the surrounding light into account and interpreting objects that we expect to be white as looking white.

*What is "white balance"?*

A camera, unfortunately, doesn't know what "white" is supposed to be.  It may be quite good at guessing correctly in common circumstances, but frequently gets things wrong in pen photos.  To take a properly toned photograph, one has to tell the camera what color the light is.  That is termed "white balance"

Improper white balance is the most common problem I see with photos posted in the "Show Off Your Pens" forum.  I've constructed some (non pen) pictures to illustrate what choosing the wrong white balance can do to a photo.

Here is an image containing four photos taken in direct sunlight with different white balance settings.  The "daylight" setting is good.  "Tungsten" gives the picture a blue (cold) cast.  "Cloudy" and "Shade" are close, but slightly on the yellow (warm) side.







The photos in this image were shot on an overcast day.  The "cloudy" setting looks right.  "Tungsten" is too blue.  "Daylight" is a bit cool.  "Shade" is a tiny bit warm.






These were photographed in the shade on a sunny day.  "Tungsten" is even colder.  "Daylight" and "Cloudy" may be close, but have a slight blue cast.






Finally, I moved indoors, and took these pictures under a quartz light.  The "tungsten" white balance setting is correct.  All the other settings look way too brown.






As you can clearly see, the white balance setting makes a tremendous difference.  Getting it right is essential to taking a good pen photo.  It is often possible to correct improper white balance in post-processing, but if you set things right up front, you won't have to.

*Camera settings for white balance:*

You may have to check your camera's instruction manual to find it, but most current digital cameras (beyond the simplest point-and-shoot models) have a way to set the white balance.  Common values include "auto", "daylight", "cloudy", "shade", "fluorescent", "tungsten" or "incandescent", "flash", "color temperature", and "custom".

"_Daylight_" is meant for direct sunlight, but remember that the sun's color is not constant.  This is an approximate value.  "_Shade_" is for sunny days but when the subject is in shadow.  It is really lit by the sky, which gives it a blue tint.  "_Cloudy_" is for overcast conditions.

"_Fluorescent_" is meant for older fluorescent tube lights which have a distinct green cast.  "_Tungsten_" approximates older light bulbs with  incandescent filaments or quartz halogen lighting.  "_Flash_" is for photographic strobe lights.  Note that there typically is no setting for white tinted compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.  Future cameras may add that function, but today's CFL bulbs produce varying colors (and spectra) of light.

"_Color Temperature_" allows you to input a specific value (in degrees Kelvin).  That number is based on physics concept known as "black box radiation".  A full explanation is beyond the scope of this post - suffice it to say that lower numbers indicate a yellow colored light and higher values represent bluer tints.  If you happen to use photographic specialty lights with a known color temperature, you can set the white balance accordingly.

"_Custom_" is for the case when none of the other settings quite work out.  In other words, typical circumstances.  The exact procedure for setting a custom white balance is camera-specific, but usually involves pointing the camera at something neutral toned (such as a sheet of white paper or a "gray card") and taking a measurement.  The camera then knows the ambient light tone and sets the white balance for subsequent shots accordingly.  I suggest you get familiar with this process, as it is key to proper white balance - especially if you use CFL bulbs.

I hope that is helpful,
Eric


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## plantman

Thank you Eric !! That was very interesting and answered some questions I have had about improveing my own photos. I will print your information out for future reference. Thanks again.    Jm  S


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## Edward Cypher

Nice explanation and graphics!


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## rholiday

Great info.  Should go into the library.
Might also be time to set up a Photography Tab.

Bob


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## sbell111

I am quite lazy about many things, this being one of them.  As such, one of the first things I do with pen pics is open them up in photoshop and quickly fix the white balance.


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## johncrane

Great help Eric! 
Thank you for your time and effort doing this.


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## Wood Butcher

Thanks for your efforts and sharing your knowledge.  For those of us who are trying to understand the nuances of photography it is of enormous help.
WB


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## southernclay

Eric thanks for posting this, is something as simple as a piece of paper suitable for use as a gray card? Just plain ol copy paper? I improved a lot when I started using the custom setting but haven't been using a gray card and still a little off
Thanks again!
Warren


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## BSea

Another great photo tutorial.  Thanks!


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## Sylvanite

southernclay said:


> ... is something as simple as a piece of paper suitable for use as a gray card? Just plain ol copy paper?


An 18% "gray card" is generally intended for taking light level readings.  It's a tool for choosing exposure settings.  If, for example, your camera is set to Auto exposure mode, you can take a picture of a gray card and see what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO setting the camera picked.  If you're happy with those values, you can switch to Manual exposure mode and dial-in the same numbers.  Or, you can adjust them up and down relatively to maintain the same exposure.  Then remove the gray card and take your pen photo.

Being a neutral color, you can also use a gray card to set the white balance.  You don't have to purchase one just for that purchase, however.  A piece of white copier/printer paper works quite well too.

Regards,
Eric


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## SDB777

Sylvanite said:


> southernclay said:
> 
> 
> 
> ... is something as simple as a piece of paper suitable for use as a gray card? Just plain ol copy paper?
> 
> 
> 
> *An 18% "gray card" is generally intended for taking light level readings.*  It's a tool for choosing exposure settings.  If, for example, your camera is set to Auto exposure mode, you can take a picture of a gray card and see what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO setting the camera picked.  If you're happy with those values, you can switch to Manual exposure mode and dial-in the same numbers.  Or, you can adjust them up and down relatively to maintain the same exposure.  Then remove the gray card and take your pen photo.
> 
> Being a neutral color, you can also use a gray card to set the white balance.  You don't have to purchase one just for that purchase, however.  A piece of white copier/printer paper works quite well too.
> 
> Regards,
> Eric
Click to expand...

 

Just to let you know, 18% grey cards are for 'film'.  You probably meant to say 15% grey cards though.  There is a difference, not much, but still a small amount of difference.



Scott (little fyi thingie) B


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## Sylvanite

SDB777 said:


> Just to let you know, 18% grey cards are for 'film'.  You probably meant to say 15% grey cards though.  There is a difference, not much, but still a small amount of difference.


Really?  I've never heard of a 15% gray card, and a search of photo suppliers yields only 18% gray cards (and shows them for use with digital cameras).  Can you point out a reference for the 15% gray, and why it would be preferable to 18%?

Regards,
Eric


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## SDB777

Meters Don't See 18% Gray by Thom Hogan  Some light reading...

Digital Gray Card  Where to get them, and another shorter explanation...


Technically, you need a 'white card'.  Here is another discussion on it(much more detail).  15% Gray Card?? - FM Forums




Scott (photoforums are fun too) B


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## Sylvanite

Well, for setting white balance, any "gray card", regardless of its luminance (12%, 15%, 18%, or 90% - a.k.a. a "white card") will work just fine.

I'm unconvinced that digital cameras meter differently than film cameras.  There's some misinformation in those posts and I don't see any corroboration from an authoritative source.  I expect that there is more variation from brand to brand and model to model than from film to digital.  For me, anyway, the point is moot because I don't use a gray card to set exposure.  I just take test shots and adjust the exposure until it comes out right.

See http://www.penturners.org/forum/f24/photography-basics-exposure-115586/ for more information.

Regards,
Eric


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## SDB777

We agree 'somewhat', I have always believed the metering to be better in cameras using the Sony's CMOS sensors.

As far as mis-information?  I haven't seen any top authorities 'corroborating' any of the information you have been giving....does that make any of it wrong?  Nope.  Just means folks should experiment more with the equipment they have{and I ain't saying we should start an argument about it)



Scott (photoforum is a nice place to expand your mind too) B


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## Sylvanite

SDB777 said:


> As far as mis-information?  I haven't seen any top authorities 'corroborating' any of the information you have been giving....


Do you think any of the information I have given in the Photography Basics threads is incorrect?  If so, what?

I read the posts at the links you gave.  One of them stated that an 18% gray card reflects a different luminance level under tungsten light than under natural light - and therefore a 15% gray card is needed for correct metering.  That is an example of the misinformation I referred to.  A fundamental property of a photographic gray card is that it has even reflectance across the color spectrum.  If a particular gray card has uneven reflectance, then it is defective.  That has nothing whatsoever to do with the luminance level (15% vs. 18%).

If one asserts that light meters for film cameras are calibrated to see 18% gray as "midtone" but digital cameras are calibrated to midtone at 12% or 15%, then your're also claiming that all digital cameras overexpose compared to film cameras.  Do you really believe that?  What about handheld meters - are they different too?  When I browse reputable photo supply stores (such as B&H Photo), I find a number of 18% gray cards advertised as "for film or digital cameras".  I don't see any 15% gray cards for digital cameras.

My goal in presenting this series of photography concepts, is to cut through the chaff I see posted on the IAP and on "photography forums", in order to present the fundamental information that will actually be useful for people trying to improve their pen photos.  Nitpicking over which of 12%, 15%, 18% or 20% gray cards is best doesn't serve that aim.  They're all fine for setting custom white balance.  Which one will yield better results for exposure will depend as much (or more) on the scene being photographed than the camera used.  None are perfect.  Any of them will get you close - and probably close enough.


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## SDB777

You were the one wanting corroboration....not me.

How do you know the people you are belittling on the photo forums haven't been in business for 50 years?  I too have shopped at B&H, and I have heard a few 'lines from them folks'....


I have read plenty on photography, I have seen just about everything you have written above(and the other 'articles' in those books)....almost word for word.  You can read that anyway you would like.  And this will be the last thing I have to say about it.....so belittle away at me, you are definitely the big man here.





Scott (try for discussion, get grief) B


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## Sylvanite

SDB777 said:


> You were the one wanting corroboration....not me.


I asked for information on the 15% gray card luminace.  I thank you for the links, but they alone do not convince me.



> How do you know the people you are belittling on the photo forums haven't been in business for 50 years?  I too have shopped at B&H, and I have heard a few 'lines from them folks'....


  I have no idea how long any internet poster has been in business.  I don't care.  If someone with 50 years experience posts misinformation, it's still misinformation.  If a gray card reflects different intensities in different spectra light, it's a defective gray card, not a "film" gray card.  Yes, every photo store sometimes delivers bad advice, but if Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic and all the other manufacturers were calibrating their digital camera light meters to a significantly different midpoint than their film cameras and handheld light meters, then surely photographers worldwide would be clamoring for different gray cards - and all the big photo supply stores (B&H was just a single example) would be advertising and selling "digital" gray cards.  They aren't.



> I have read plenty on photography, I have seen just about everything you have written above(and the other 'articles' in those books)....almost word for word.  You can read that anyway you would like.


It sounds like you mean to insinuate that I'm plagiarizing.  I'm not.  So, instead, I'll read that as "top authorities 'corroborating' all of the information I have been giving".



> And this will be the last thing I have to say about it.....so belittle away at me, you are definitely the big man here.


I'm not belittling you, I'm just not accepting your assertion, and I'm also trying to keep the discussion at a level that is useful to the general forum populace.  I don't believe I'm trying to be "the big man".  I'm simply sharing information (most of which I learned over 35 years ago) to help my peers.  I don't claim to be a professional photographer, just an amateur.  There are several other members here (I could name some) who are more knowledgeable and skilled than I.  I welcome constructive criticism.  Distracting irrelevancies and innuendo - not so much.



> (try for discussion, get grief)


That I certainly agree with, but probably not from the same point of view.


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## sbell111

So like I was saying.  I fix the white balance super fast and easy in Photoshop on the back end.  I don't bother with loads of test shots using different settings or buying some special card to show my camera what grey looks like.  

I shoot in a light box with a white background.  Then I adjust the color for my background to white in Photoshop.  Easy peasey.


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## Sylvanite

If you are planning to use Photoshop to set white balance, then you may wish to shoot your photo in "RAW" mode.  When you open the raw image in Photoshop, you'll be able to choose the correct setting then.

If you shoot JPG images, you can still use the "File -> Open in Camera Raw" function to get similar (but with fewer options) controls.

Or, you can use a process such as the one outlined in http://www.penturners.org/forum/f24/photoshop-tip-3-correcting-white-balance-77424/.  

For best results with all three methods, you'll want something neutral toned (gray, or white) in the image.  A white background works, or a scrap of white paper in an area you'll later crop out.

With the exception of editing a RAW image, however, it's still better to set the white balance in-camera.  Each editing step loses color data.  If the camera adjusts white balance incorrectly and you change it in a photo editor, then you'll lose some color tones.  The difference may not always be noticeable, but sometimes it might show.

If you're happy with your photography, then by all means stick with your current process, but it doesn't take expensive accessories nor multiple test shots to set white balance.  Simply point your camera at something white (such as a white background or a piece of printer paper) and take a white balance reading (see your camera manual for the procedure).  That's all.

I hope that helps,
Eric


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## sbell111

I didn't really need any help.  My way works and it is way simpler than what you described.  Would it be better if I did it in the camera?  Maybe.  But my way is still simpler.

My thinking is that we make pens and I need to sometimes take pictures of the pens, but our core competency is always going to be making pens, not taking pictures.  As such, a super simple method to get very good pics is better than addtional steps on the front end.

I hopew that those who really want to learn how to be a photographer takes your advice, but I think that it's important for those of us who just need to be able to get good pen pics to get them without too much fuss.


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## Sylvanite

My goal here is not to enumerate all the possible mechanisms for dealing with photo white balance.  No, it's to inform people about what white balance is, and why it is necessary - especially when photographing pens under studio lights.  White balance can be controlled in a number of ways:  with filters, via camera settings, and in post processing.  Pick whichever  method you prefer.



sbell111 said:


> My way works and it is way simpler than what you described.  Would it be better if I did it in the camera?  Maybe.  But my way is still simpler.


If that works for you, then fine.  Stick with it.  To someone who doesn't have Photoshop, however, or isn't comfortable using it, setting the white balance in camera may be simpler.  On many cameras, it is just a matter of pressing a button and turning a dial.



> As such, a super simple method to get very good pics is better than addtional steps on the front end.


As opposed to additional steps on the back end?  My point is that white balance is not an "additional" step.  It's a necessary step no matter where you take it.

For what it's worth, my usual pen photography setup involves running the camera tethered in live view (that is, it's connected to a computer and the image is a live video feed on the display).  Under continuous lighting, setting white balance only takes two clicks of the mouse - one on the custom white balance icon, and one on a white object.  Under strobe lights, it's two different clicks.  I also typically shoot in Raw format, so I get another opportunity to set white balance (either in Photoshop or another photo editor) when converting the image.  

So, my own preference is probably closer to yours than you may think.  I'm not, however, going to tell people that they need to spend a lot of money on a fancy camera or on photo processing software in order to get color balanced pen pictures.  Not when taking a few seconds to adjust a camera setting will achieve the same result.

Sincerely,
Eric


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## sbell111

Sylvanite said:


> My goal here is not to enumerate all the possible mechanisms for dealing with photo white balance.  No, it's to inform people about what white balance is, and why it is necessary - especially when photographing pens under studio lights.  White balance can be controlled in a number of ways:  with filters, via camera settings, and in post processing.  Pick whichever  method you prefer.
> 
> 
> 
> sbell111 said:
> 
> 
> 
> My way works and it is way simpler than what you described.  Would it be better if I did it in the camera?  Maybe.  But my way is still simpler.
> 
> 
> 
> If that works for you, then fine.  Stick with it.  To someone who doesn't have Photoshop, however, or isn't comfortable using it, setting the white balance in camera may be simpler.  On many cameras, it is just a matter of pressing a button and turning a dial.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As such, a super simple method to get very good pics is better than addtional steps on the front end.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> As opposed to additional steps on the back end?  My point is that white balance is not an "additional" step.  It's a necessary step no matter where you take it.
> 
> For what it's worth, my usual pen photography setup involves running the camera tethered in live view (that is, it's connected to a computer and the image is a live video feed on the display).  Under continuous lighting, setting white balance only takes two clicks of the mouse - one on the custom white balance icon, and one on a white object.  Under strobe lights, it's two different clicks.  I also typically shoot in Raw format, so I get another opportunity to set white balance (either in Photoshop or another photo editor) when converting the image.
> 
> So, my own preference is probably closer to yours than you may think.  I'm not, however, going to tell people that they need to spend a lot of money on a fancy camera or on photo processing software in order to get color balanced pen pictures.  Not when taking a few seconds to adjust a camera setting will achieve the same result.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Eric
Click to expand...


I use photoshop and a spendy camera, but people don't need either.  There are loads of free or super cheap software available to easily make these changes.  This is a very good option for those people who either do not have a camera that has an option to adjust the white balance or because it is (or feels like) a complicated process to do so.


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## lwalper

I just need more light. I've built a light box with three bulbs and have tried various combinations of on-hand bulbs. Am thinking of getting some 75 watt halogens and making the WB corrections in camera. I also use Photoshop for post-processing. There are a couple of easy-to-use tools that make a world of difference in the final image. Everything gets "levels" adjusted and then color balanced.


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