How To Adjust White Balance In Iphone Photos

The white balance in photography refers to the process of adjusting the color tones in an image to make the colors appear natural and true to life. When taking photos, different lighting conditions such as sunlight, fluorescent lighting, or candlelight can cast a color tint that affects the overall tone of the image. Adjusting white balance corrects these color casts, ensuring that whites appear white, and all other colors are accurately represented.

On iPhones, you can adjust the white balance using built-in editing tools and third-party apps. This guide will walk you through the process of understanding, adjusting, and perfecting the white balance in your iPhone photos.

What is White Balance and Why is it Important?

White balance ensures that the colors in your photos are represented accurately under varying light conditions. Without proper adjustment, photos can appear too warm (yellow/orange) or too cool (blue). This can distort the natural colors of your subject and reduce the quality of your image.

For example:

1. Daylight: Typically has a neutral white balance.

2. Fluorescent Lighting: Often introduces a cooler (blue) tint.

3. Incandescent Lighting: Adds a warmer (yellow/orange) tint.

Adjusting the white balance helps correct these discrepancies, making your images look professional and true to life.

How to Adjust White Balance on iPhone

There are two main ways to adjust the white balance on an iPhone:

1. Adjusting White Balance While Taking Photos

2. Editing White Balance After Taking Photos

Adjusting White Balance While Taking Photos

Although the iPhone Camera app doesn’t have a manual white balance setting, you can control white balance indirectly by using focus and exposure adjustments, or by utilizing third-party apps for more control.

Using the Native Camera App

The native iPhone Camera app uses automatic white balance (AWB), which adjusts the color tones based on the lighting conditions. While you can't directly set the white balance, you can influence it by adjusting exposure and focus.

1. Open the Camera App: Launch the default Camera app.

2. Tap to Focus: Tap on the area of the frame you want to focus on. This helps the camera automatically balance the color tones for that spot.

3. Adjust Exposure: Swipe up or down on the screen to increase or decrease brightness, which can subtly affect the perceived white balance.

Using Third-Party Apps for Manual Control

Apps like Halide, Adobe Lightroom Mobile, and ProCamera allow manual control of white balance.

Steps to Adjust White Balance Using Halide:

1. Download and open the Halide app.

2. Switch to manual mode by tapping the "Auto" or "AWB" icon.

3. Select a white balance preset (e.g., Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten) or use the Kelvin scale to adjust color temperature.

4. Take a photo once you're satisfied with the adjustment.

> Kelvin Scale Tip: Lower values (e.g., 2500K) produce cooler tones, while higher values (e.g., 6500K) create warmer tones.

Editing White Balance After Taking Photos

If your photo was already taken and you want to adjust the white balance, you can use the built-in Photos app or advanced editing apps.

Using the Built-In Photos App

The Photos app on iPhones includes basic editing tools that allow you to adjust the color tones of your images.

1. Open the Photos App: Navigate to the photo you want to edit.

2. Tap Edit: Tap the Edit button in the top-right corner.

3. Go to Color Settings:

• Scroll through the editing tools and select Warmth or Tint.
• Adjust Warmth to make the photo cooler (move left) or warmer (move right).
• Adjust Tint to balance green and magenta tones.

4. Save Changes: Once satisfied, tap Done to save your edits.

Using Advanced Editing Apps

For precise control over white balance, apps like Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, and VSCO are excellent options.

Steps to Adjust White Balance Using Adobe Lightroom Mobile:

1. Download and Open Lightroom: Install Lightroom from the App Store and import your photo.

2. Select White Balance Options:

• Tap the Color panel.
• Choose a preset white balance (e.g., Auto, Daylight, Cloudy) or adjust the Temperature and Tint sliders manually.

3. Fine-Tune Using Sliders:

• Temperature: Move left for cooler tones (blue) or right for warmer tones (yellow).
• Tint: Adjust green and magenta tones to correct any unwanted color casts.

4. Save and Export: Once done, save your edited photo and export it to your Camera Roll.

Steps to Adjust White Balance Using Snapseed:

1. Open the Snapseed app and load your photo.

2. Tap Tools > Tune Image.

3. Adjust Warmth to control the white balance.

4. Save your edited photo.

Practical Tips for Adjusting White Balance

Here are some tips to help you achieve optimal results when adjusting white balance:

1. Shoot in RAW Format

If you want more flexibility in post-editing, consider shooting in RAW format using apps like Halide or Lightroom. RAW photos retain more data, making it easier to adjust white balance without losing quality.

2. Use Neutral References

When adjusting white balance, use a neutral reference in your image, such as a white wall or a gray card, to guide your adjustments.

3. Experiment with Kelvin Settings

If you’re using a third-party app, experiment with the Kelvin scale to see how different temperature values affect your photo.

4. Avoid Overcorrection

When editing, aim for a natural look. Over-adjusting white balance can make your photo appear unnatural or overly processed.

When to Adjust White Balance

Understanding when to adjust white balance can help you enhance your photography:

1. Outdoor Photography: Adjust for sunlight, cloudy conditions, or golden hour lighting.

2. Indoor Photography: Correct the yellow/orange tint from incandescent bulbs or the green tint from fluorescent lights.

3. Night Photography: Balance artificial lighting to remove harsh color casts.

4. Food or Portrait Photography: Accurate white balance ensures that skin tones and food colors appear true to life.

Conclusion

Adjusting white balance is a crucial step in ensuring that your photos look natural and vibrant. While the iPhone’s native Camera app does an excellent job with automatic adjustments, manual control through third-party apps or post-editing tools provides more precision and flexibility.

By understanding the principles of white balance and leveraging the tools available, you can transform your iPhone photos into professional-quality images that accurately represent the colors of the scene. With practice, adjusting white balance will become a seamless part of your photography workflow.