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| Junior Varsity Basketball Sentinel Spartans vs. Florence Falcons Missoula, Montana |
Accurate colors in our pictures are something we take for granted---until they turn out noticeably wrong! Getting good color is easier outside because the camera's automatic White Balance for color correction usually works. Indoors under artificial lights is a different story. The lights in gymnasiums or conference rooms can be a mixture of different bulbs, producing strange color casts.
Digital cameras to the rescue! Before the event starts, set your camera to Live View and watch the LCD screen as you switch White Balance settings. Try Auto, Daylight/Sunny and your camera's artificial light options (usually Tungsten/Incandescent and Fluorescent). Pick the choice that gives you the most accurate colors and you're prepared for the whole event since the lighting won't change. Concerts and other performances where the lights do change are best shot on Auto or Daylight/Sunny to capture the color effects. I photographed the basketball game using my camera's Fluorescent white balance setting and the pictures needed little color correction.
Learn more about white balance and other advanced settings for better pictures in Beyond the Basics: Learning More About Your Digital Camera, which meets February 24, 2024, at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana. Get details and registration info here.