OK, I admit, when I first started shooting digital I was lazy and shot everything on auto white balance. My thought at the time was, the color will be close enough or I’ll fix it in Photoshop. Both excuses were acceptable for a while, until I found myself spending tons of time fixing those colors in front of a computer screen and most of the time they seldom looked real. That’s when I decided to invest in whatever was needed to get it right in the camera. The good news is, it’s easier than you might think, it takes very little time and it improves your photos instantly.
There are several tools or methods one can use to white balance in the field but I’m going to talk about a tool that I believe is easy, quick, effective and universal (can be used in most all situations), the Expodisc. The Expodisc is a simple snap on filter that attaches to the front of your camera lense. I use it for all the situations I encounter from architecture to landscapes. Getting my white balance correct for my architectural clients is critical therefore I need a method that is dependable and if it is reliable in these difficult situations then I know it will serve me well in other situations I regularly encounter.
ExpoDisc by ExpoImaging
Use of the Expodisc is quite simple. Once I determine my composition I place the Expodisc on the front of my camera lens and if possible walk to my subject, point the camera towards my shooting position and take a shot. What you will find on your viewer on the back of your camera is a solid white screen more than likely with a slight color cast, a slightly blue cast indicating you’re shooting in blue light, or maybe a slight yellow cast indicating a warmer light. Your histogram should lie somewhere near the middle. I then set the white balance setting on my camera body to custom white balance. (Every camera system is different and learning how to set custom white balance on your particular camera can be found in your camera manual.) Once this is set your ready to photograph.
If you’re shooting a landscape and if it is impossible to get the white balance reading by walking into the scene then I will walk into the same light as my scene and get my reading in this manner. Probably the most difficult situation on getting a proper white balance reading is photographing interiors. This is a situation where it is quite possible to have multiple light sources and the need to get a white balance reading from each of these light sources is important. Shooting architectural interiors is a speciality that requires careful attention to detail, especially getting proper white balance, and a subject I’ll discuss in another post.
I recommend every photographer to make the attempt to get their colors correct while on location. This is, as I point out often, a part of developing “good shooting technique”. I wish you the best with your shooting. I’m always interested in hearing comments from readers, is this tip helpful, have you used ExpoDisc, etc…?
Shot on Auto White Balance - notice the cool color cast on the shady side of brick building
Shot with ExpoDisc - the cool color cast was corrected back to a natural red tone of the bricks.
The ExpoDisc varies in prices based on your filter size ($70. – $170.). I recommend purchasing the filter size for the lens with the largest filter need therefore you can simply hold it in front of the lenses with smaller filter needs. To order your Expodisc visit the ExpoImaging web site at http://www.expoimaging.com/index.php.
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great post as usual!
Mark, thanks for the comment. I always appreciate hearing feedback from folks, it helps to point me in the (hopefully) right direction as to what interests my readers.
Great article on white balance. I just started photography about a year ago…and as you know it’s an expensive hobby to get into. While the expodisc is nice, I found an alternative at our local camera store for about $15 for a 77mm lens. B & H has an example of the type I bought. The sales associate and I tried out both types on my camera and the results where exactly the same. I guess it’s because both types and other brands as well… use only the middle 10-15% of the disc to determine the WB. Hope it’s ok to pass this info along, for those wanting acurate WB…but who are forced to live on a budget.
NJ
B & H Product number: B&H # DODL2572 Mfr # DL-2572
Nicole,
Thank you for the tip. I haven’t used this product therefore I can’t give an opinion on it, but I will say, there are many different ways to get correct white balance and this product may very well do a great job. I understand the budget issue. I remember well the early days on my interest in photography, I never thought I would ever be able to buy the equipment I needed or wanted. Keep working at it and someday you’ll be happy to see what you collect in your camera bag over the years.