An Investment in White Balance that Appreciates Right Now
by Sara Frances, M.Photog.CR.
White Balance Headaches
Have you tumbled to the technical poverty of un-balanced capture? You know what Iʼm going to say, donʼt you? Attentive white balance instantly elevates the visual value of images and reduces cost of postproduction. Honestly this whole thing about the physics of white balance is headache-making complex, and worse, response varies from camera to camera, between types of lighting and between styles of shooting. But wait! You actually donʼt need to know more than a few basic things about the back end. You can absolutely rely on the talented people who have done the research. Just buy the right WB device for the type of work you do, and the situations you encounter. The only caveat is that there ainʼt no free lunch. Invest right, up front, follow directions consistently and your WB device will pay dividends from the first image. How about that for a return?
Cheap WB Devices
Cheap WB devices are just that - cheap. If you want to be really cheap, use a white piece of paper, a white napkin, or as my techie friend and lecturer John Woddard noticed, paint a card with Benjamin Mooreʼs #2121 grey paint. The lesson is that any sort of neutral found object in the random environment will be better than nothing. I found this out in Hawaii, photographing jazz musicians in a late night club for Manaʼo Radio. One of Willie Nelsonʼs platinum record trophies became a stand-in for my Colorright disc, which inadvertently was left at home.
Not Really White Balance; Grey Balance
Even though we call it white balance, note that grey tone, or neutral balance, is a betterans wer for both still and video work. Contrary to popular belief, color contamination hides easily in both black and white. We just canʼt see color components in black. As for white, the human eye is the worst possible judge, because the mind almost instantly adapts, drifting easily from one color shift to another, satisfied that any very light tone is “white”. Further, we perceive differences in yellowish tones more readily than daylight tones. Thatʼs why the pr, wedding or event and portrait photographer who deals with indoor, predominately warm lighting on skin has a much harder time with white balance, and much less latitude than the scenic photographer.
White Balance Tool Checklist
After half a year of fooling with all manner of WB devices in a wide variety of circumstances, I came up with a few basic conclusions that make sense for everyone.
• Convenience and repeatability are key. Must haves are a great WB device and personal system you will use consistently. Always have your device with you. A little patience and craft will give duplicatable results every time, over time.
• Manufacturer calibration of the WB device puts you out in front right away. Choose a device tested individually and certified for accuracy. Un-calibrated devices are no more precise than notebook paper or the inexplicably popular coffee filter. And they fade, tear and stain. Donʼt confuse “in a pinch” with a professional, precision device.
• Preplan carefully. Some scenes, like sunsets, donʼt want neutralization. People like rich memory color like golf course grass, Colorado pure blue sky. Portraiture is generally preferred a bit warmer; a light tan is very fashionable. Some color balance devices have a “portrait alternative” like the Colorright wedding and portrait unit.
• Put all reflectors, flats and strobes into place before white balancing. Most devices work optimally if used in manual camera operation. This is essential if youʼre using flash.
• When you change lenses and angles, white balance will change, simply because of what is included or excluded from the frame. Color tone and exposure are a combination of the light falling incident on the subject AND the light reflecting from it. Portraitists be very careful to re-balance. Rather than a distraction or momentum loss, high school seniors love this Hollywood type ritual!
• “Chimp” your histogram and LCD. If youʼve got a poor exposure, your white balance will be off as well. Not too difficult to make a test on a controlled set. Easier said than done in photojournalistic situations and when lighting or angles change. I plan to arrive a bit early to walk around an area and be prepared by making lots of test shots before the action starts. Colorright gives you the option to make a reading right from camera position - admittedly not as accurate, but a very respectable option when you canʼt get to the subject for the optimal incident reading.
• Hedge your bets right from the start. Custom white balance as often as you can, include a grey card or color checker now and again for reference, use RAW and expect to tweak in postproduction. This four-way method hits the jackpot.
Failure to custom white balance is as silly as deliberately choosing the wrong color balance film and believing it can all be fixed later to perfection. Get involved and take your images to the next level! You can do it! Colorright can help.
White Balance Tool Comparison Chart
Hereʼs my grid of comparative WB device features per my 6-month on the job testing.
All disks get my nod for top notch convenience and results for all-around shooting styles and subjects. Yes I found the devices with 5-ratings to be more neutral in practice than all others. Iʼve been a colorist for a good many decades, and Iʼll stake the repute of my eye on the slight, but very discernible differences. But my favoritism comes additionally because disks are so easy to have with you, actually on your person, when youʼre working in the hardest and fastest situations. They demand WB in camera, no way to get lazy and plan to fix it all in post. In this Iʼm speaking to the hardest jobs: weddings, sports, pr, photojournalism. I work for hours on end, no assistant, no large case of equipment. Just what I can carry and use right on my person, as though I were backpacking solo through Switzerland. But donʼt bypass targets and cards, because they are an essential part of my 4-way plan for greatest accuracy. Primarily studio or closed set photographers will have different biases. Even the MacBeth is a great way to show standard colors for a graphic person or printer.
NONE of these devices is a wrong choice. I recommend reading instruction materials on the web before investing. There is a huge amount of tech information, but donʼt get overwhelmed. Carefully assess what type of photo job you will be doing, and make your choice according to your needs. I wouldnʼt be without an incident disk and a reflectant device together.
Click Two Times to Enlarge Charts 
About the Author:
Sara Frances, M.Photog.CR.
“Though I started out as a photojournalist, my style has evolved far past documentary photojournalism into what I call “Storytelling from the Heart”. Transcendent photography is what we do - we make meaning of experiences by searching out fleeting gestures and genuine emotions hidden beneath the surface.
“It’s my special ability to draw on inter-cultural roots and latest international trends to express personalities and record events with exuberant visual style. Book making - designing extraordinary photo albums, portfolios and coffee table books - has become my greatest love. None of my designs is ever duplicated.
“I’ve spent my whole career working very hard to make what I do appear effortless. I find digital cameras and computer enhancement have brought me a flowering Renaissance of creativity, fresh and new in ways I never though possible after more than three decades at the top of the photographic profession. Contemporary techniques are a “kiss of magic”.
Announcing the first-ever photojournalists' insider trip to Bali, September 2009. Be in the right place, the right time for local color and cultural events. 2 weeks of being up-close and personal when things really happen, with guide-instructors Sara and husband Karl. All image makers welcome. You won't believe what you're going to see. A lifetime high in Ubud, the throbbing, artistic center of Bali - beautiful, lush, exciting, hands across ages and ideas. Check back soon for details, or email us to be on the notification list! studio@photomirage.com 
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