Food is one of the more sensual experiences we encounter in our daily life.
It is one of the few places where we fully enjoy four of the five senses
all in one experience - smell, touch, taste and sight. Of these senses, sight
is often the gateway to the food experience.
It is one of the few places where we fully enjoy four of the five senses
all in one experience - smell, touch, taste and sight. Of these senses, sight
is often the gateway to the food experience.
White Balance is crucial for food photography. It helps us capture the color
of the food accurately. And, white balance can help set the mood for the
senses of smell and taste.
of the food accurately. And, white balance can help set the mood for the
senses of smell and taste.
How white balance works:
White balance is the only setting on your camera dedicated to color. Other settings,
such as contrast and saturation, may bias colors to richer or softer hues. White balance
is the only setting that makes red look red and blue look blue.
In the days of film photography, most film was balanced to be shot in daylight.
Photographs made outdoors had beautiful, accurate color. The film was not balanced
for shooting indoors under artificial light. The color would shift and look unnatural
(and often ugly) under fluorescent, tungsten or halogen lights. To correct the problem,
film photographers would either use a colored filter in front of the lens or a flash
to bring the colors back to looking normal.
such as contrast and saturation, may bias colors to richer or softer hues. White balance
is the only setting that makes red look red and blue look blue.
In the days of film photography, most film was balanced to be shot in daylight.
Photographs made outdoors had beautiful, accurate color. The film was not balanced
for shooting indoors under artificial light. The color would shift and look unnatural
(and often ugly) under fluorescent, tungsten or halogen lights. To correct the problem,
film photographers would either use a colored filter in front of the lens or a flash
to bring the colors back to looking normal.
Video and digital cameras solved the bad color problem by adding color sensors
and electronic filtration. When your digital camera senses amber light from a
light bulb it electronically shifts the color back to a natural color balance.
and electronic filtration. When your digital camera senses amber light from a
light bulb it electronically shifts the color back to a natural color balance.
Auto white balance works great when photographing average scenes with a good
balance of color. AWB can work very poorly when one color predominates.
balance of color. AWB can work very poorly when one color predominates.
That's where food photography comes in; fruit and vegetables often have rich,
powerful colors that dominate an image. AWB sees these strong colors and thinks
the camera is being used in artificial light. The camera adds the complimentary color
(red-cyan, yellow-blue, orange-violet) in order to neutralize the color. The result
is often less than vibrant, beautiful colors.
Correcting the problem is straightforward. In Program, Aperture Priority,
Shutter Priority, or Manual exposure modes activate the white balance control
(usually labeled WB) and shift the white balance to match your light source.
powerful colors that dominate an image. AWB sees these strong colors and thinks
the camera is being used in artificial light. The camera adds the complimentary color
(red-cyan, yellow-blue, orange-violet) in order to neutralize the color. The result
is often less than vibrant, beautiful colors.
Correcting the problem is straightforward. In Program, Aperture Priority,
Shutter Priority, or Manual exposure modes activate the white balance control
(usually labeled WB) and shift the white balance to match your light source.
When done shooting, be sure to return your white balance to its usual setting.
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| Auto White Balance Camera responds to warm colors of peppers and adds cool colors to compensate. |
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| Daylight White Balance
brings out warm colors of peppers in natural light at the market. |
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| Auto White Balance makes artichoke head look cool and unappetizing. |
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| Daylight White Balance brings out warmer colors and makes artichoke more appealing. |
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| Auto White Balance accentuates the cool colors of the leaves. |
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| Cloudy/Overcast White Balance accentuates warm colors of the fruit. |