Tutorial Video: How Custom White Balance Makes Editing Much Better Than Auto

Custom white balance will speed up your workflow so much more.

If you’re a photographer who shoots in auto white balance, stop. Can you fix it in post? Yes. Will it really, truly help you? No, not really. I’ve been very much of the opinion and idea that photographers should go into shooting with a creative vision of some sort to help them create images that are more unique to them, and a customized white balance is only the start of this. It’s bound to help you create images that someone else shooting the exact same thing most likely won’t get. Of course, you’re starting with the content, but why not go further?

Our latest free tutorial video focuses not only on this, but also on how to get that muted tone everyone is going after these days with less saturation. Think Kodak Portra — want your images to look like Kodak Portra? Or what about CineStill? This tutorial will show you all that and it will also give you extra ideas on how to edit in Adobe Lightroom without really meddling with the basic adjustment slider. Move away from it. Get your white balance, and make most of your adjustments using the other sliders.

No, this isn’t about the whole #gameoftones movement or about any of those Instafamous hashtags, it’s more about actually creating images that mean something and that have your token stamp and trademark on them. Something that gives you an edit exclusive to you. It starts with white balancing and going into a shoot with an actual creative vision more than anything else. But I understand most folks unfortunately don’t really have a creative vision or if they do, they don’t know how to artistically execute it. Start with this, then move on to lighting, and while doing all this learn about the things and ideas masters and current photographers do. Then create your own.

Go give it a try!

Originally published at The Phoblographer.