Adjust the white balance of the camera to take a creative tone
white balanceIt is used to match the color detected by the camera and the color observed by our naked eyes. Our brains are good at controlling the perception of color. On sunny days, we see the outside world warm and bright, even though the actual light may be blue. Under the illumination of indoor incandescent lamps, although our eyes may detect warmer colors, the camerawhite balance
But it can help us to correct these light color differences and make our photos look more “natural”.
More often than not, we do not deliberately adjust the camera’s white balance settings, but simply use the camera’s AWB (Auto White Balance) function to let the camera decide which white balance to use.
In the later software Lightroom, many people may not attach great importance to the white balance slider, and often just simply adjust the color of the photo to make it more realistic. However, if you use the white balance setting as a creative tool, it may help you adjust more creative colors more quickly.
In fact, the change of white balance can overturn the essence of your photos, and even change the weather and time in the photos. Like the following three photos, only the white balance settings have been changed.
At 3600K color temperature, the color is cold blue, which looks like dawn or cloudy.
The color temperature of this picture is 7000K, and the picture starts to warm up, like the morning when the sun just rises.
The color temperature of this picture is directly increased to 14750K, which looks like the scene at sunset. The whole mountain is covered with the afterglow of the setting sun.
The leaf below is a dwarf birch in Alaska.
The color temperature of this picture is 5050K, which is a little close to the color seen by the naked eye.
But it doesn’t make people feel autumn. When the color temperature is raised to 9000K, it makes people feel autumn.
Hundreds to thousands of color temperature changes will make the image produce amazing images. For example, in the following two photos, when using a lower color temperature, the image is cold, which is more in line with the winter scene. When the color temperature is increased, the image is warm, as if it is the evening before a storm is coming.
Color temperature: 4350K
Color temperature: 8700K
In the following two pictures of sunset, which one do you prefer, the cooler 4600K color temperature and the warmer 6000K color temperature?
Color temperature: 4600K
Color temperature: 6000K
The post software allows us to adjust according to different areas in the image instead of focusing on one color temperature. Generally speaking, when using Adobe Lightroom for post production, we can use the adjust brush function to select one area for independent adjustment. As shown in the picture below, the color temperature of the water flow has dropped to 3700K, and the cooler color temperature can make the water flow look colder. For the leaves, the normal exposure is used, which is about 5000K.
“White balance in black and white photography”
Although we think that white balance is closely related to color, in fact, white balance can still play an important role in black and white photography, which will make the final image show different grayscale.
Because the contrast of color temperature may not be so obvious in black and white photography, you need to adjust the color temperature slider in a wide range to select the effect you want most when you adjust your black and white photography later.
Color temperature: 3700K
Color temperature: 32700K
Color temperature: 3700K
Color temperature: 35000K
Such color temperature adjustment, in fact, is not clear about the advantages and disadvantages. It may depend more on the photographer’s own understanding of the image and his own style.
Color temperature: 2000K
Color temperature: 50000K
In the end, the white balance adjustment in the later stage is just a creative tool. If you like real colors, the automatic white balance of the camera is sufficient for most of the time. If you want to make more changes to your works, you can try to adjust the color temperature.
Color has color psychology, and the hue corresponding to different color temperatures can also express the photographer’s intention. Using white balance can make your work more outstanding.