The Secret Trick to White Balancing WITHOUT White

What to do when there's no white in a scene for color correction?
www.colorgradi...
If you've ever had a tight shot that seemingly had a white balancing issue and yet nothing in the scene could be construed as white to use a reference, you're not the first and you're not alone.
I remember as a startup colorist feeling so puzzled about, "How in the world am I going to white balance this shot with no white in it and how will I ever even know if it has been white balanced accurately?"
Well if you're anything like me I like to stew over problems and listen to the marbles roll around in my head until I come up with a solution.
And the solution to fixing a white balance issue even when there is no white in shot is to stick with what you do know.
Filmmakers and photographers can rejoice because there's finally way to fix your shots even without white.
Here's how... The main focus of any shoot is the talent, and they have skin and that skin can be used as a reference in place of white because when balanced properly it will line up on the "flesh line" of the Vectorscope!
I hope this trick resonates with you and what you can do in your color grading.
If you like this trick and would like to see even more and even discover our Color Grading Academy I invite you to step up your grade for joining me for my free 1 hour online color grading workshop:
www.colorgradi...
And if you just need something simple where you can just literally click a button and BAM! "done for you" then check out Cinema Grade:
Cinema Grade for the Mac and NOW Windows:
www.cinemagrad...
Denver Riddle
CGC Founder & Colorist
www.colorgradi...
Facebook page: / color-grading-central-...
twitter: / colorgrading
FB group (60K+ members): / colorgradingcentral
#whitebalance

[@colorgradingcentral]

Ugh! The puzzling problem of trying to fix a shot without white is SOLVED finally!!!

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for the great color grading tips you continually bring. I have Cinema Grade and the Color Grading Academy membership. Also your testimony of how you got started has definitely given me encouragement during this season in life 🙂. Keep up the great work!

[@colorgradingcentral]

@@GlenReed thanks a lot Glen, that truly means a lot and if there is anything that I have been able to do to help you I consider myself honored!

[@ManWithACam-u4t]

Hi Denver, a few years ago I bought color finale, it was great, the problem was when FCPX updated color finale was no longer supported, I have recently bought davinci resolve so have both, are there any guarantees that if I buy cinema grade the same thing wont happen the next time Davinci or FCPX has an update? is there not a standalone version of cinema grade?

[@daisymonsalve1485]

I love when they provide very accurate information without going around and around when it relates to the digital age, photography, design.

[@Tommy-ws9ep]

That's absolutely fantastic! I started to practice this process, and it hit me that I should practice on images WITH white, so I could "check myself" after doing your trick. Practicing that way, I was able to get the feel for where my skin tones should be on the skin-tone line when I have to white balance with NO WHITE. It's making my white balancing chops better with your trick!!!! You're amazing!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Tommy that's a good idea to cross examine the two different methods and after all the skin tones are the most important subject so I'm glad that armed with these two methods you're going to optimal results 🙌🏽

[@CaseyFaris]

Great tip. Awesome for those tricky situations. Beautiful work as always dude!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks Casey and congrats to passing 100K, you'll have to send me a pic of you with your KZbin play button 🙌🏽

[@DrWasim]

This is becoming my fav channel

[@meenamathew8355]

This is absolutely brilliant tutorial on colour grading. Greatly appreciated your efforts and I learnt more especially on what to do if there is no white in a scene for color correction. New information to me and thanks for sharing.

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much Meena!!

[@MOSESGRAPHICSSTUDIOS]

this channel is the best color grading Online school I never wasted my money to learn online on Color Grading Central

[@ksilitonga]

You never know how precious this trick for me as a newbie on video editing. God bless you, bro......pls keep good video.....you are the man (from Indonesia)

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much!

[@barbaravalentinapadronchav143]

That is the beauty of audiovisual production, I have always wanted to be a film producer, what a great way to play with the tones, everything was perfect

[@TimeSpaceTraveler01]

I'm from China. I'm glad to see such a wonderful teaching video. Thank you.

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thank you! 😃

[@aneesbata878]

The Best channel to learn color grading.

[@Nkn2705]

Very good information about colour correction and this video is very helpful for me thanks for sharing this amazing video.

[@diegogdias]

Shout out from Brazil. I've started editing recently using FCPX. Your videos are so good, practical, and straight to the point. Excellent job.

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks Diego!

[@judywangui2061]

Thank you so much for making time to make and post this video ,from this tutorial I learnt what to do when there is no white in a scene for color correction.

[@张博学-m7c]

来自中国的视频工作者在KZbin第一次留言，我觉的你分享的这些色彩管理的技巧实用性很高很棒

[@jamesquartararojr1298]

Thanks for the video! I love the color in your video too. Looks great without looking preset

[@davidinjeski3985]

Thank you for sharing about white balancing without white. Your ideas working well

[@hermask815]

Imagine you have a person with color vision deficiency and you have to teach him in a way that yields good results. This video works in that way as it uses technical means where you don’t have to rely on your perfect vision. I wish there where more of that kind as I’m deficient , too. Not color blind but Protanopia, red green problems.

[@DeanLamb]

I'm reading this comment with my colour blindness glasses on, and my premiere window open on the other half of my monitor hahaha.

[@hermask815]

@@DeanLamb your secret is safe with me :-)

[@dmitry_vyshniak]

Amazing trick! I always have issues with color corrections. So thank you again for your secrets

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome! Happy to help!

[@jarlyhuablochotenorio9495]

the color models are the best I have seen and even more with that design is perfect that's what I call good pictures and good design technology at an advanced level. good video

[@ramizzmaj6300]

The way u presented the video is really amazing, I had so much fun! Thanks for sharing

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome Ramiz! Glad you got a lot out of it!

[@AfoteyAnnum]

This channel is LIFE for a cinematographer like me!

[@arjunmk8034]

Wow great tutorial .. thank you for sharing this trick 😊😊

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome! Happy to help!

[@davidramms]

This is a game changer for me - thank you

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome! Happy to help!

[@AntonioGonzalez-cu5lt]

Excellent tutorial with tremendous informative content and real effective and efficient. Thank you for sharing this. I loved all the presentation of this content from beginning to end.

[@viktorgelbek6140]

This is some of the best color grading tutorials on the internet (even though i cringe a bit every time you say something like, huorhuorhuoorrr) Keep it up!:)

[@colorgradingcentral]

LOL I'm glad the technical value is at least there if not for some entertainment 😜

[@adriankulesza210]

You arę the best color granding teacher which I ever had. Yours tips are so dope

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're very kind, thank you adusebejbe

[@Amitlensman]

Hello sir thanx for color grading plugin I install it but it's not working In adobe premiere pro I am done grading in your plugin but when I apply it in the timeline the clip become black

[@najibcasa2745]

I think this is a Very interesting and smart Secret Trick to White Balancing WITHOUT White ... !really thank you for this useful vid.

[@FDFchannel1]

THxx how do u color the skin without affecting the overall background.?

[@kostinatrnava7779]

I have no idea that it could be done, awesome video presentation, it is easy to learn and follow.

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@paulkamau1806]

It's indeed a perfect trick to white balancing without white which actually works. Thanks for the video

[@camblej5694]

Wow my big problems of trying to fix jast 1s so i love this video thanks

[@romonamondal7990]

Really very good and very helpful video. Excellent tutorial with tremendous informative content and real effective and efficient. Thank you for sharing this. Thank you.

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome, thanks for the comment Romona!

[@MrPolmiquel]

Please, make a video explaining how to color grade for 4k videos for youtube. Chrome and firefox changes the colors of 4k videos so it's very difficult to color grade. Thanks !

[@stanarthur]

Great video. I discovered this myself a while back but you have confirmed that this correction is easiest to solve in Premiere Pro.

[@wright96d]

I wouldn't say that's necessarily the case. He showed three different techniques in three different NLEs, but you should be able to use the technique shown in Premiere in both Resolve and FCP.

[@jeanluisindriagolugo232]

Excellent color correction video it was just fun to enjoy this six minute video thanks for sharing

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome, thanks for the comment jean!

[@ErikWerlin]

Glad to know I've been using the secret trick without knowing it was a secret haha! Great job!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks Erik!!

[@WORTHITORNOT]

Great tips

[@driftingtales1984]

@Color Grading Central Please please next one should be 'Book of Eli' look recreation.

[@jmalmsten]

I've wondered for quite some time now. Since balancing skintone to the orange skin line is so powerful. Why have I yet to see a "skin balance-eye-drop" tool like the white balance that is in all color correction suites?

[@dleblanc]

I've tried to look this up over the last year or so. Why isn't this a thing??

[@corybowcut8819]

Nice Denver! Good little tutorial!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks Cory for giving it a watch and leaving a comment!

[@kimmaunglin9078]

the best wb tutorial ever

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much!!

[@EricCheung]

Mind blown!! Awesome stuff dude

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much Eric!!

[@brittanyainsworth9307]

This information will be very useful to me, I did not know about this, I was actually oblivious to this topic, but this will advance my photography career very well, each video you upload is very useful, thanks brother

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome! Happy to help!

[@pulaksarkar187]

Great video. I discovered this myself a while back but you have confirmed that this correction is easiest to solve in Premiere

[@colorgradingcentral]

Yeah it's pretty obvious and makes sense.

[@constantinosschinas4503]

No, not the skintones again.... what if we don't have skintones? My empirical trick is move the temperature back and forth and find the sweetspot where most of colours appear saturated and concurrently (warm+cool). Then do the same with tint. You can be a tad more precise when consulting vectorscopes (if you can read them) with the same in mind: Highest saturation (and separation) in both warm and cool colours, at the same time.

[@Randor10]

Excellent. Another tool in my toolbox. Thanks!

[@picabocarecordingstudio9507]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Ok. The principle is the same, but for us beginners, it would be great to show the same in Vegas.

[@colorgradingcentral]

Great suggestion!

[@picabocarecordingstudio9507]

@@colorgradingcentral Wooow! It would be wonderful. Thank you very much! :)

[@marcmartinezfilms]

Awesome tutorial. I have definitely run into this problem on many occasion. Thank you Denver!

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome, I figure it is only matter of time until you encounter those tight shots that don't offer any kind of clues of how to grade them.

[@marcmartinezfilms]

Color Grading Central btw, I’m a huge fan of your work. Keep it up, you rock!

[@colorgradingcentral]

@@marcmartinezfilms thanks Marc, I shall sure try :)

[@ramtinnazeryan]

I wish I saw this few months earlier. very nice tip which I learned about a month ago. Here is a question? what if we don't have neither a white plane nor skin tone in the footage?

[@benigal5649]

Thank you for this very useful tip 🙏🏼

[@rofixbob2788]

Excellent information Thank you for sharing your experience

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome Rofix!

[@imamali1605]

Damn, i'm fckn love your content bro! Keep it up!!!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much!!

[@prashannalewis5217]

Really great informative video. Learned something new today. Thank for your share .

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome, glad I could add something to your arsenal.

[@Secondcropcreative]

Damn dude. Great video, straight to the point and concise

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much!!

[@MusaonYT]

Wow. I wish Lightroom had a skin tone scope like that.

[@maiguelmoreno9027]

WHAT A GREAT VIDEO AND A VERY GOOD EXPLANATION, REALLY WORKED FOR ME, KEEP ON AS FRIEND

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks Maiguel that means a lot. Thanks for the comment.

[@SnoobyMusic]

Would you please do another tutorial with a black skin or does it remain the same?

[@colorgradingcentral]

Skin tone tutorial coming next week!

[@komisakomako4812]

Thanks, but how to white balance if there are no skin tones to refer to? For example, an outdoor or a beach shot...

[@isabelgarcia1175]

color correction esta muy genial, mil gracias por compartir este video, me encanto

[@colorgradingcentral]

Muchas gracias Isabel!

[@homedepotindustrialfan936]

That third shot with the hands was lit by indirect sunlight. How much blue should be reintroduced in the highlights to account for naturally blue light coming from the diffused sky light in regards to what it would look like on the vectorscope?

[@PhotoFeelSaikat]

Wow! This technique is great! Thanks for sharing!

[@AlexNejera]

this just blew my mind. it answered my problem with getting the correct TINT from my bmpcc6k since it always looks a bit green

[@AlexNejera]

and i had already learned how to use the scopes too and i still felt unsure

[@josefinasolorzano3784]

Wow brother interesting video, I didn't know all that !! I will put into practice everything I learned, thank you very much for sharing

[@colorgradingcentral]

You're welcome!

[@razzakdeedaransari4526]

LOVED YOUR TRICK BUNDLE OF THANKS . LOVE FROM PAKISTAN

[@ramymelhem]

This is genius. How would you line up the colors for really dark skin tones?

[@colorgradingcentral]

Same technique but darker skin tones tend to sit on and a little to the right of the I bar while caucasian skin tones are directly on the line.

[@ramymelhem]

@@colorgradingcentral thank you. How would you expose for those dark skin tones using Zebras? For Caucasian I set it to 70% Zebra. Would I need to go higher than 70% or lower for really dark skin tones?

[@Mechrank]

Awesome presentation like always.. can you make a tutorial on color grading an 8-bit, 4.2.0 with neutral profile. 😃

[@RaviKumar-qh5pe]

Very useful must needed tutorial...

[@colorgradingcentral]

Happy to help, Ravi!

[@LawrenceChung]

Thank you for the brilliant video!

[@colorgradingcentral]

My pleasure!

[@Seanbad2]

Dude....so good! 😁👍

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much!

[@casroy777]

Great 👍, what if there is no no skin on the scene 🤔

[@YourStoryStudios]

Very interesting to see how you used 3 different programs to achieve a good white balance! Subscribed!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks for the sub and the kind words!!

[@darkatmedia6095]

This is a very valuable tip!!! Thanks so much. I needed it big time.

[@pelosmeusolhos938]

Very nice! Thanks!

[@danielakachi3666]

Awesome !! please is there a diff btw skin tone and skin color?

[@colorgradingcentral]

Same

[@pelosmeusolhos938]

just awesome!!! congrats!!

[@grantballot2430]

Your tutorials are always great and I learn so much from you. I just wish you would build a Windows version of your software. Any chance this will happen?

[@colorgradingcentral]

Cinema Grade is coming to Windows! Sign up for the Kickstarter and get 40% off at launch coming.colorgradingcentral.com/kickstarter

[@colorgradingcentral]

Get it on Kickstarter now and save up to 40% OFF retail with early bird pricing HERE: bit.ly/3nzqt7t

[@colorgradingcentral]

Quick update! Cinema Grade will be releasing this month on Windows! Here is where you can get early access and a discount: coming.cinemagrade.com/opt-in-for-cinema-grade-win/

[@TracyCollins-threeCee]

Is there a way to do this with brown skin? Is there a “fleshline” for black and brown people?

[@Jimmy87268]

Tracy Collins It works with the same line for black and brown skin colors as well!

[@colorgradingcentral]

It's going to be the same, but darker skinned people's skin tones tend to sit a little further to the right of the fleshline/I-Bar than caucasian skin tones.

[@visionarywatts]

Lovin' that hon hon hon at 2:19 😂

[@colorgradingcentral]

LOL that was a risk, but I went with it 😂

[@visionarywatts]

@@colorgradingcentral It was a nice silly/fun moment 🙏

[@hcmd8768]

great tutorial but just thinking on the other hand what if its a blackman video isnt there any difference on skin tones settings ?If so then what should the black person line in in a vectorscope.thanks

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thank you! Yes darker skin tones tend to be on the I bar, but slightly further to the right than caucasian skin tones.

[@RyanPex]

tq for this tutorial bro....btw, day 4 night color grading tutorial plizzzz 😅🙏

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@dominikradlak8163]

I have a problem and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I use Davinci resolve and after changing the color wheels it only works on the selected area, not the whole shot

[@DaveChapFilms]

This is a great tip! I’ll be sending this video out to some people.

[@colorgradingcentral]

Dude I would be indebted Dave, thanks for giving it a watch and more especially for sharing it 🙏🏼

[@sagihaviv5675]

great! what if no skin tones in footage?

[@antoniok2k]

What a awensome tutorial, thanks for that! Vetorscope it's a nightmare for me who never use it before

[@colorgradingcentral]

Oh that's awesome Antonio! Now you know it can be really helpful and you'll get a lot more out of it.

[@mohamedshahid7776]

Very good video

[@googlyzer547]

@2.04 how could you do this with an adjustment layer, its a little hard to see it in the scopes as you see the clip below the adjustment layers skin tone as well in the graph? Could you maybe white balance first on the clip itself and then throw an adjustment layer and apply lumetri color grading on that ?

[@dbelden]

Dumb question: does this also apply to non-caucasian skin tones? Or what adjustments would you need to make in those instances? Thanks!!!

[@colorgradingcentral]

For darker skin tones, the trace in the vectorscope will sit on and a little to the right of the I bar, as opposed to being directly on it with caucasian skin tones

[@dbelden]

@@colorgradingcentral Awesome, thank you Denver!

[@danmavric2268]

“Noice” Denver, thanks again for sharing your wizardry! Luv your reference our (Aussie) Sharon Strezelecki, noice!

[@colorgradingcentral]

Haha you're welcome dm NOICE!

[@avatlantida]

Interesting!. I've got a question. Why did you not apply Temp and Tint in FCPX as you also used it in PP?. Thanks you and stay safe

[@colorgradingcentral]

You could do that as well, but you'll get more control with the curves

[@WIL_FPV]

Absolutely great and useful tutorial, but... as always 🔥

[@colorgradingcentral]

Thanks so much!!

[@emilyhenriquess8505]

amazing trick! thanks for sharing bro

[@xywaxywa9217]

Got that mask at 1:52, but rest of the screen is not black (outside mask) :/ How to do this?

[@onthedrone_]

Exelente!!saludos desde Argentina

[@timsherohalf]

This video has been awesome! I have had this question forever and now it is answered, thank you! Do you have any tips for white balancing when there are no skin tones in the image as well as no whites?

[@danmiller8152]

Great tutorial. If there were no people or white things in your shot, would there still be a way of accurately doing it?

[@colorgradingcentral]

Dan if that were the case then unfortunately your scopes may not be as helpful but I always recommend when you fix white balance to stick to the color temperature tools and go with your eye.

[@duvanvilera8659]

excelente video me ayuda a elegir muy buenos colores

[@colorgradingcentral]

Muchas gracias!

[@felixfelix7549]

what if there is no white and skin in the scene, how to white balance it?

[@hermionepardo5037]

exevelente video I really liked how you explain everything and you taught me to be able to make the white balance, garcias friend