Today I answer some questions about White Balance and dispel a common myth that I hear often. But first, just a quick reminder:
It’s only one week before the Worldwide Photo Walk
will take place on Saturday, October 7, around the globe. The event is free, fun and for a good cause (to raise money for the Springs of Hope Orphanage, in Nakuru Kenya). Sign up for a photo walk near you there! Now, let’s get to the tip of today:
Q. Q. Why do I sometimes get a list with a lot of white balance presets when I open the presets menu for Lightroom and other times I only get Auto and Custom options?
A. You were viewing the White Balance presets of a RAW file, while the other image was a JPEG/TIFF. If you are working with a RAW file, the list of options is longer. But if you choose a JPEG or.tiff image you will only have Auto and Custom as choices. This is because the white balance that you selected in the camera has already been assigned to JPEGs. You don’t have as many options with a JPEG image, compared to a RAW file where the white balance isn’t “baked-in” (in other words).
Q. Q. I’ve heard that you must shoot in RAW, because you cannot change the White Balance if you do not. Do I need to shoot in RAW now?
A. It’s a myth that has been around for ages. You can absolutely change the white balance of JPEG or TIFF photos without any problem. This myth probably started because you can’t use all of the White Balance presets when shooting in JPEG (you get only the Auto preset as I mentioned earlier). This does not mean that you cannot change the white balance. The White Balance Eyedropper and Temperature/Tint Sliders are still available to change the White Balance.
The myth that you can’t adjust your White Balance on JPEGs is a complete lie. You can try it and see. Next time you go out to take photos, switch your camera’s mode to “Raw and JPEG”. This will give you two copies of the same photo – one in Raw format and one in JPEG. Open two images in Camera Raw, correct the white balance on both, then compare the results.
Q. Q. Why is this?
A. A. You can adjust the Kelvin temperatures on RAW images in Lightroom. This is the same as if you had selected a custom-made white balance for your camera. If you shoot JPEGs, the white balance is already in your file. You are not changing Kelvin numbers.