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Or running through the meadows of the menu - trying to find happiness. Spoiler Alert: It is not there…
Your camera has many different choices of White Balance: Horribly Wrong, Definitely Off, Possible, and Well, We’ll Settle For this One. They are accessed through the menu button somewhere in the lines and lists. They will frequently be designated with little symbols - but none of the icons will be a smiling face.
Amateurs just leave the camera on Automatic White Balance and internal circuitry gives them an iffy result. Professionals use a number of steps and scientific measurements to arrive at their iffy results. The conscientious ones correct this later in post processing - the bolder souls just insist that it be accepted as their art. The astounding ones charge more for it.
Every camera manual and How-To book will show the novice that a custom white balance can be taken in any illumination. What they do not say is that the result may
only be as accurate as the lighting will permit - and in many circumstances this is never going to be good looking. Too many cooks spoil a broth and too many colour temperatures do the same to a portrait file.
You cannot depend on many things; my advice, the colour temperature printed on the packet of lightbulbs, and the ability of a flash tube to put out the same colour every time it fires. Like us, they grow old and change their behaviour.
What to do in practical terms?
a. Do set a custom white balance with a card target that is as white as you want to work with.
b. Try it out and see if there is a modification to red/blue or green/magenta needed. Many sensors will allow some wiggle room.
c. Try the file as far through your system as you can - LCD screen - computer - printer - before you fasten upon a final setting. Awkward when you have only one shot at the burning zeppelin, but a lifesaver for future shoots.
d. Look upon your artificial light sources as rogues and vagabonds that may never agree with each other. In the worst case scenario, keep shooting and analysing until you find out if you need to gel any of them to bring them into line.
e. Shoot and let the colour chips fall where they may.
