Ingeniously use the characteristics of white balance to take creative photos.

The function of white balance is to match the color detected by the camera with the color observed by our naked eyes. Let's study together!

Our brains are very good at controlling the perception of color. On sunny days, we see the outside world warm and bright, although the actual light may turn blue. Under the illumination of indoor incandescent lamps, although our eyes may perceive warmer colors, the white balance of the camera can help us correct these light and color differences and make our photos look more "natural".

Basically, more often, we don't deliberately adjust the camera's white balance settings, but simply use the camera's automatic white balance (AWB) function to let the camera decide what kind of white balance to use. In the later software Lightroom, many people may not pay much attention to the white balance slider, and often simply adjust it to make the tone of the photo more realistic, but if you use the white balance setting as a creative tool, it may help you to adjust the more creative tone more quickly. In fact, the change of white balance can subvert the essence of your photo, and even change the weather and time in the photo.

Same as the following three photos, only the setting of white balance has been changed.

At the color temperature of 3600K, the hue is cool blue, which looks like dawn or cloudy day.

The color temperature of this picture is 7000K, and the picture begins to get warmer, like the morning when the sun just rises.

The color temperature of this picture is directly raised to 14750K, which looks like a sunset scene. The afterglow of the sunset covered the whole of Shan Ye. The lower leaf 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 people can't feel autumn. When the color temperature rises to 9000K, it will feel like autumn.

Color temperature: 4350K

Color temperature: 8700K

Hundreds of color temperature changes will make images produce amazing images, just like the above two photos. The lower the color temperature, the colder the picture, which is more in line with the cold scenery in winter. When the color temperature increases, the picture becomes warmer, just like the evening before the storm.

Color temperature: 4600K

Color temperature: 6000K

Which do you prefer, the cold color temperature of 4600K or the warm color temperature of 6000K?

The later software enables us to adjust according to different areas in the image, without sticking to a certain color temperature. Generally speaking, when using Adobe Lightroom for post-processing, we can use the adjustment brush function to select one of the areas for adjustment alone. Like the photo above, the color temperature of the water flow has dropped to 3700K K. A colder color temperature can make the water flow look colder. For blades, normal exposure is used, which is about 5000K K k.

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 gray levels.

Because the contrast of color temperature in black-and-white photography may not be so obvious, you need to adjust the color temperature slider in a wide range to choose the effect you want most when you adjust black-and-white photography later.

Color temperature: 3700K

Color temperature: 32700K, you can see that the color of the sea has changed.

Color temperature: 3700K

Color temperature: 35000K

Color temperature: 2000K

Color temperature: 50000K

Color temperature adjustment like this, in fact, can not tell which is better or worse. It may depend more on the photographer's own understanding of the image and his own style preferences.

After all, the later white balance adjustment is only a creative tool. If you like realistic colors, it is enough to use the camera's automatic white balance most of the time. If you want to make more changes for your work, 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.