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We’ve gone over the preset white balance’s modes on your camera, also you can select the actual Kelvin number by using the K symbol on your camera, but there is another setting for white balance called custom white balance. Basically, that means you’ll take a situation you’re in and you can custom to that very specific photo, situation or lighting setup you’re in. This is going to be very different on every camera, some cameras use a reference photo taken before, other point to a section and balance to that square, but the main thing is that this will be so precise as far as custom balance goes.
It is mostly used in a studio setting or a setting that is going to be consistent the entire time, not in situation where things are changing constantly like events, weddings or traveling. But if you have a consistent lighting setup, it is a great way to be very precise about your white custom balance.
It’s not hard, and it doesn’t take long. You can buy a special white balance card, or you can use a piece of white paper. Simply put the paper in the scene you’re photographing in the light you’re using and fill the viewfinder with the paper so that nothing else shows. You may need to put your lens on to manual focus to do this, as your autofocus will struggle to find something to focus on in all that white, but most lenses have a switch on the side which allows you to go back and forth between the two. Take a couple of images, then go into your custom white balance menu on your camera. It will ask you which of the suitable images you want to use to set white balance. Choose one, set it, and your images will come out looking good whether you’re in tungsten lighting or outside on a cloudy day.