The Difference In How You Set Your White Balance

White Balance is a super important step in for any portrait photographer. Lucky for you there are several ways that you can choose to set yours! There are advantages and disadvantages to whichever way you choose to set your white balance and how you set it may change based on several factors. Look below to see the difference in how setting your white balance in different ways can affect your photo. (Rather not read it…I explain it for you in full detail in the video below.( Click to watch!)

 

In this article, you see a side by side comparison of many of the different ways you can set you white balance so that you can see just how each method would look. It’s pretty interesting! All of the photos were NOT edited to show just the different in white balance settings.

Auto White Balance

Just like the name, setting your white balance this way allows your camera to automatically select it. Here’s the results:

 

Check it Post Processing

If you shoot in RAW (which I highly recommend you do) you can adjust your white balance in ACR or Lightroom. Just shoot in auto and then fix later. (Not sure how? Watch the short tutorial here)

Use A Kelvin Temperature Chart

Look at your lighting situation and use Kelvin to select your white balance in camera. Here my light was shady, so I set my white balance based on the shade value on the Kelvin chart.

 

Use A Gray Card

Not sure how to use one? I have a whole gray card tutorial here just for you. Here is what this shot looked like using a gray card to set white balance.

 

Expodisc

And finally an expodisc could be used. In this last shot and expo disc was used to set to white balance in camera.

 

And there you have it! A side by side comparison of how setting your white balance in different ways will affect your photo. 

 

What way do you find yourself using to set YOUR white balance? Let us know in a comment below!