Numbers Don’t Matter! (at least not as much as you might have thought)
Once you select a white balance device that passes about 95% manufacturer tested neutrality, the practical yet precise photographic artist is good to go. Well, maybe 96%. Whoa you say, numbers don’t lie! Gotta have those readouts neutral right on the money.
Before I worked so many months with a wide variety of sophisticated WB devices, I would have agreed that science rules. Well, now I’ll say whoa right back at you, because I found out that the last 5% of WB is all about art and opinion, and nothing whatever about science. Tested neutrality is, in the end, the foundation, the base of the whole photographic pyramid; yet it’s only the place to start, not the accomplished goal in itself. The pinnacle, that 5% where you the artist insert your vision and personality, is what commands impact and storytelling value of an image.
Scientifically tested neutral is often not the neutral anyone wants! Here’s an example we can all agree on. You have a favorite great uncle with some Irish blood in him. In family photos his face looks red and blotchy. Drunk? Not so, just a more translucent skin with capillaries close to the surface. Can any WB device get this right? Not! Same goes for the olive complected cousin from Naples and your neighbor’s darling little children from Vietnam. Faces are always the most delicate subjects, and the color of realistic portraits is far more scrutinized than anything other than a Pepsi can, which is another concern entirely.
The great WB devices I worked with are the best of the best. But they can only get you so far in your quest. At the 95% mark, you’ve got to take over and be the judge for yourself. If a certain device, no matter how accurately manufactured, consistently gives you slightly green faces and you weren’t photographing Martians, then that’s not the device for you.
Did you forget just how many other variables there are? Your method of working, lighting and type of camera. Yes, of course chips vary in their response and 18% grey floats a bit in practice. That’s before you take into account things like physical differences in eyes (for instance men generally have significantly less color accuracy in vision than women), monitor calibration and type of output. My credential: when I still used photographic output, my lab repeated to anyone who would listen that I was the only photographer in their history for whom they could make an award winning album with machine prints, no need for custom color or exposure adjustment. And I’ve got lots of awards.
So take a few of those WB devices I tested out for a shutter click or two hundred. Find the one that you enjoy using and is so convenient that you’ll use it all the time. Maybe you’ll choose several for different circumstances. You can depend on any of these wonderful, dedicated manufacturers who poured all the accuracy that science has to offer into their products. All you need to ask is which fits with the type of work you do, and from which you get consistent, manageable results in a wide variety of situations. The final 5% is up to your vision.
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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