Of all the different photography settings, white balance is possibly one of the most commonly overlooked. Like many other aspects of manual shooting, white balance is often ignored by beginners and amateur photographers, who hope their camera will simply adjust for them. While most modern cameras can certainly do the job themselves, learning how to manually adjust white balance will ultimately help you become a better photographer.
With a little bit of practice, you'll learn that white balance isn't that complicated after all — and that well-lit, well-adjusted photos make mastering this photography technique well worth your time. Whether you're an aspiring landscape photographer or prefer to shoot portraits, read on to learn how white balance works and which white balance to use in your photography.
Last updated: June 2026
What Is White Balance?
For many beginners, the number one question is: what does white balance do? In short, white balance is the process by which your camera removes unrealistic colour casts so that all white objects appear, well, white.
When properly adjusted, white balance ensures that all the colours in your frame are shown true-to-life, leaving you with a photo that captures your scene exactly down to the last detail.
The Lowdown on Colour Temperature
While our eyes can easily adjust to different light sources so that all objects appear as they should, a camera doesn't necessarily have the same ability. Because of that, your camera will often render the same object differently under two light sources. For example, it will capture a white t-shirt differently indoors under artificial lighting and outdoors in bright sunlight.
This effect is known as "Colour Temperature", and photographers measure it using the Kelvin (K) scale. For reference, daylight comes in at 5,500K. Warmer lighting (such as tungsten) measures at 2,500K to 3,500K, the lower end of the scale. On the other hand, shady conditions have cooler lighting, so they tend to measure between 6,500K to 8,000K.
How to Adjust White Balance on Your Camera
With its focus on numbers and wide range of options, white balance can seem a little confusing at first. The good news is, you don't need to remember the numbers on the Kelvin scale to adjust the white balance on your camera.
Every digital camera has a list of predetermined settings that match the lighting you're working with. The next time you're wondering how to use white balance to get the shot you want, consult this handy list:
- Daylight mode should be used if you're shooting outside in sunlight.
- Shade mode should be used in a shady area.
- Cloudy mode should be used if you're shooting in low light or on an overcast day.
- Tungsten mode should be used indoors, if regular incandescent lights are in use.
- Fluorescent mode should be used indoors, if fluorescent lights are in use.
Once you've gotten the hang of those white balance camera settings, you can even enter the colour temperature manually. So, if you're shooting and feel that your images should be warmer or cooler, you can use the presets as a guide to tweak the colour temperature and make manual adjustments as necessary. For example, if you're outdoors and your photos aren't as warm as you'd like, try switching to 5,300K — as opposed to the general daylight temperature of 5,500K.
New to photography? Don't worry, your camera will have an Automatic White Balance setting that's brilliant at ensuring the colours in your photos are as realistic as possible. That being said, having an understanding of how white balance works — and how to adjust it to your needs — will give you a creative edge.
Top Tip: Experiment with the "custom white balance" option on your camera. Generally, this involves photographing something white (like a sheet of paper) for your camera to use as a reference point and adjust the white balance accordingly.
How to Adjust White Balance in Post-Production
Many professional photographers now shoot in RAW mode, which means adjusting the white balance in-camera has become less crucial.
If you shoot in RAW (rather than JPEG), your images will retain all of their original data — so you can change the white balance in the editing stage. While you can use any professional software to edit your images, we recommend adjusting your white balance in Lightroom or Photoshop.
RAW conversion software typically includes the same presets found in your camera, plus a slider that can be easily adjusted to make the image warmer or cooler, and an eye-dropper tool for choosing a neutral point in your image. Together, these features help you to adjust the colour temperature of your image to achieve an accurate white balance. White balance is closely related to colour space — understanding both will give you full control over colour accuracy from capture to final output.
See Photography in a New Light
The more comfortable you become with adjusting the white balance on your camera, the better your photographs will be. Once you've nailed this photography technique, you'll be able to comfortably shoot in all kinds of lighting, knowing your images will turn out well.
Ready to put your new skills to the test? Check out our blog for more photography tips, or drop by your local Ted's Cameras store for expert advice today!
How to Set White Balance Manually on Your Camera
Setting white balance manually gives you full creative control over how colours appear in your photos. On most cameras, you'll find the white balance setting in the main shooting menu or as a dedicated button labelled WB. From there, you can select a preset such as Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, or Fluorescent — each corresponding to a different colour temperature in Kelvin (K).
For precise control, switch to Custom White Balance mode. Simply photograph a plain white or grey card under your current lighting, select that image as your reference, and your camera will calibrate colours accordingly. This is especially useful in mixed or unusual lighting situations where presets fall short. Manual white balance is a small step that makes a significant difference to your final image quality.
White Balance Settings for Different Lighting Conditions
Choosing the right white balance setting depends entirely on your shooting environment. Here's a quick reference guide:
- Daylight (5200K–5500K): Ideal for bright, sunny outdoor conditions. Produces natural, balanced colours.
- Cloudy (6000K–6500K): Adds warmth to compensate for the cool, blue cast of overcast skies.
- Shade (7000K+): Even warmer than Cloudy — great for open shade where blues can dominate.
- Tungsten / Incandescent (3200K): Cools down the orange glow of indoor bulb lighting.
- Fluorescent (4000K): Neutralises the greenish tint common in office and supermarket lighting.
- Flash (5500K): Matches the colour temperature of your camera's built-in or external flash.
When in doubt, shoot in RAW format — this allows you to adjust white balance in post-processing without any loss in image quality.
Best Time of Day to Take Photos Outside (and What It Means for White Balance)
Timing your outdoor shoot isn't just about light quantity — it dramatically affects colour temperature, which means your white balance setting needs to shift accordingly. Here's what to expect at each part of the day:
- Golden Hour (just after sunrise / just before sunset): The best time of day to take pictures outside for most photographers. For more on making the most of this magical window, see our golden hour photography tips. Light sits around 3000K–4000K — warm, soft, and flattering. Use the Daylight or Cloudy preset, or dial in a lower Kelvin value manually to preserve that beautiful warmth rather than neutralise it.
- Blue Hour (just before sunrise / just after sunset): Light turns cool and moody, sitting around 8000K–10000K. The Shade preset works well here, or lean into the blue cast intentionally for atmospheric landscape and cityscape shots.
- Midday (10am–2pm): Harsh, overhead light sits close to 5500K — technically neutral, but shadows are unflattering and contrast is high. If you must shoot midday, open shade brings colour temperature up slightly; use the Shade preset to compensate.
- Overcast days: Cloud cover diffuses light beautifully and holds colour temperature fairly steady around 6000K–7000K. The Cloudy preset is your friend, and this is a fantastic time to shoot portraits across Australia where summer sun can otherwise be brutal.
As a general rule, the golden hour after sunrise and before sunset gives you the most photogenic light with the richest colour. Shooting RAW during these windows means you can fine-tune colour temperature in post to get exactly the mood you're after.
Auto White Balance vs Manual White Balance: Which Should You Use?
Auto White Balance (AWB) is a convenient starting point. Modern cameras are remarkably good at detecting the dominant light source and adjusting colour temperature on the fly. For casual shooting, events, or fast-moving subjects, AWB saves time and delivers solid results.
However, AWB has limitations. It can struggle with mixed lighting, artificial colour sources, or scenes that are intentionally warm or cool in tone — such as golden hour landscapes or candlelit portraits. In these cases, AWB may overcorrect and strip away the mood you were trying to capture.
Manual white balance puts you in control of the final look and feel of your images. As you grow more confident with your camera, experimenting with manual settings will help you develop a more consistent, intentional photographic style. For the best of both worlds, shoot RAW with AWB and fine-tune in editing.