What is white balance?

White balance is a cameras setting that establishes the true color of white. This produces a baseline from which all other colors are measured. White may not “white” under all lighting conditions, so this helps correct it. White balance can be automatically determined by the camera, chosen from a list of presets, or manually set by the user.

Understanding color temperature. The reason why setting white balance is necessary comes down to the color of the light upon the subject, also called the color temperature. Whether dealing with natural light outdoors or man-made lighting fixtures indoors, light can come in a wide variety of intensities, values and temperatures.

There are three ways to calibrate this balance of most cameras, thought some cameras may only offer one option: Auto, presets, and manual.