Color temperature is conventionally stated in the unit of absolute temperature, the kelvin, having the unit symbol K. The temperature of the colour tones are expressed in Kelvin in DSLR cameras as well the range of spectrum varies from shades of red to that of blue. Shades of red which are considered warm colours range upto approximately 7000K. Some basic modes are as follows.
Tungsten – this mode is usually symbolized with a little bulb and is for shooting indoors, especially under tungsten (incandescent) lighting (such as bulb lighting). It generally cools down the colors in photos. (Approx. 3200K)
Fluorescent – this compensates for the ‘cool’ light of fluorescent light and will warm up your shots. (Approx. 4000K)
Daylight/Sunny – not all cameras have this setting because it sets things as fairly ‘normal’ white balance settings. (Approx. 5200K)
Cloudy – this setting generally warms things up a touch more than ‘daylight’ mode. (Approx. 6000K)
Flash – the flash of a camera can be quite a cool light so in Flash WB mode you’ll find it warms up your shots a touch.
Shade – the light in shade is generally cooler (bluer) than shooting in direct sunlight so this mode will warm things up a little. (Approx. 7000K)
RAW File Format
When you save an image in RAW file format, you are saving it the way the image sensor sees it, without applying any adjustments (including white balance) to it. In fact, the camera ignores any WB setting you dial in.
Later, in an image editing software with the appropriate RAW plug-in, you can convert the RAW image to JPEG, and apply any colour temperature shift. Undo your change and try again, ad infinitum, in as fine an increment as you wish, until you obtain perfect colour balance.
Some professional photographers always use RAW file format. Saving in RAW file format comes at a price because it takes so much longer to save a RAW image that it might not be practical in many picture taking situations. Professional dSLRs (and some prosumer models) have internal buffers that allow RAW images to be taken one after the other in quite rapid succession without having to wait for the saving of one image to be completed before you can take the next picture.
If you are taking landscapes, and it's early in the morning or late in the evening, or you are not too sure of which WB setting to use, try it in RAW. A few digital cameras even allow you to save an image in both RAW and JPEG simultaneously, though time to write to memory card is proportionally increased.
~ Hari Bhagirath Photography
RAW File Format
When you save an image in RAW file format, you are saving it the way the image sensor sees it, without applying any adjustments (including white balance) to it. In fact, the camera ignores any WB setting you dial in.
Later, in an image editing software with the appropriate RAW plug-in, you can convert the RAW image to JPEG, and apply any colour temperature shift. Undo your change and try again, ad infinitum, in as fine an increment as you wish, until you obtain perfect colour balance.
Some professional photographers always use RAW file format. Saving in RAW file format comes at a price because it takes so much longer to save a RAW image that it might not be practical in many picture taking situations. Professional dSLRs (and some prosumer models) have internal buffers that allow RAW images to be taken one after the other in quite rapid succession without having to wait for the saving of one image to be completed before you can take the next picture.
If you are taking landscapes, and it's early in the morning or late in the evening, or you are not too sure of which WB setting to use, try it in RAW. A few digital cameras even allow you to save an image in both RAW and JPEG simultaneously, though time to write to memory card is proportionally increased.
~ Hari Bhagirath Photography
They say it is best left on "auto" but I dont think ... what do you think?
ReplyDeleteIt is the best GUESS that camera makes not the BEST WHITE BALANCE. Each white balance have a purpose.
ReplyDeleteSInce I take photographs in the outdoors between 10AM-5AM and with people I use cloudy, shadow and sunlight setting more to bringout the richness in colours.
For better results choose RAW format to take pictures :)