| Not all photography enthusiasts are aware of the | | | | This white balance setting is used outdoors under |
| digital camera's setting called "white balance." This | | | | cloudy or overcast conditions. |
| article will discuss what this feature of the camera is all | | | | Daylight |
| about, and how you can use it to help make your | | | | When outdoors on sunlit days or indoors illumined by |
| pictures look better. | | | | daylight style bulb or lamps, choose Daylight setting. |
| White balance indicates under what kind of lighting | | | | Tungsten |
| situation you are taking your digital shot. Because the | | | | In some cameras, this will be indicated as "indoors" or |
| type of lighting you have when taking pictures will have | | | | "incandescent." Interior lamps and overhead lights |
| a bearing on the quality of your pictures, you can | | | | impart an orange or yellow hue to your pictures. |
| choose your camera's white balance setting to get | | | | Choosing the Tungsten white balance mode will alert |
| good results. | | | | your camera to make the necessary adjustments. |
| Many digital cameras function on the default white | | | | Fluorescent |
| balance setting, which is auto mode, meaning the | | | | Fluorescent lighting tends to give subjects a slightly |
| camera will automatically adjust to the type of lighting | | | | bluish appearance. This setting will help to make the |
| available for the photograph to be shot. The auto | | | | skin tones of the people in your photos look closer to |
| white balance setting doesn't work equally well in all | | | | the way they would be in person. |
| digital cameras. It can be tricked by several false cues, | | | | Flash |
| and so make a mistake while trying to determine type | | | | This is the white balance setting to select when using |
| of lighting condition present. You get pictures you won't | | | | a flash on your digital camera. |
| be proud of. | | | | Custom |
| Learning to change the white balance settings will give | | | | Found in some point-and-shoot digital cameras and all |
| you greater control over the quality of the pictures you | | | | DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras, this setting |
| take. The basic settings in most digital cameras | | | | has a bit more ins and outs than the others. If this |
| function well enough. The white balance settings | | | | feature is new to you, it would be a good idea to |
| outlined below are the most commonly ones. | | | | familiarize yourself with it by going over a tutorial or |
| Auto | | | | two before proceeding. |
| This is the automatic setting discussed earlier. When in | | | | Your camera's manual will in all likelihood provide useful |
| auto white balance, your camera will do the adjusting | | | | information about available options for standard white |
| by itself depending on the kind of lighting it assumes | | | | balance setting. Not all cameras have all the selections |
| you have on hand. | | | | discussed above. Some will have all or most of them, |
| Cloudy | | | | others only a few. |