White Balance: the Trick That Makes Your Photos Perfect

What is white balance?

White balance is a setting that allows your camera (or smartphone) to correct colour casts that may appear in your photos because of different light sources.

For example, when you take a photo indoors under yellow light, your image may look too warm. In that case, white balance helps to neutralise those tones and make colours look more realistic.

Does this only apply to a DSLR or mirrorless camera? Of course not! If you shoot with a smartphone, white balance is already active, but sometimes it can be useful to adjust it manually to get the result you want. And don’t worry if you’ve never done it before: just a few simple tips are enough!

How to set white balance on a smartphone

Many modern smartphones — including the latest iPhone models — let you adjust white balance directly in the camera settings.

Of course, if you want even more precise results, you can always make further adjustments in post-production. All you need is one of the many editing apps available for smartphones.

If you choose manual white balance, this setting can be adjusted easily while you are shooting. When using professional mode — if your smartphone supports it — you can change the colour temperature. In other words, you can move towards a warmer tone — more yellow, for example — or a cooler one — leaning towards blue — depending on the type of light around you.

Keep in mind, though, that many camera apps offer preset white balance settings, such as “Daylight”, “Incandescent”, or “Fluorescent”. These can be useful if you want to avoid manual adjustments while still getting fairly natural-looking results.

Alternatively, there is post-production. If you did not set the white balance correctly while taking the photo, you can easily fix it afterwards. Apps such as Snapseed or Lightroom for smartphones let you adjust white balance after the shot has been taken. All you need to do is use the tools to correct the photo’s temperature and tint, making the colours look more natural.

When is white balance important?

White balance is especially important in challenging lighting conditions, such as when you are shooting indoors under tungsten lights, under fluorescent lamps, or at sunset. In these situations, adjusting the white balance helps prevent your photos from looking “off”, with tones that are too warm or too cool. It is also essential if you want to photograph landscapes or portraits realistically, as it helps you achieve more natural colours.

Ah… and if you’re planning to take winter photos, perhaps in the snow, why not have a look at our tips on how to photograph snow scenes in black and white?

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With the tips in this article, you’ll definitely be able to correct colour tones and improve the look of your images using nothing more than your smartphone!

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