Set Your Camera White Balance with a Gray Card

[@steeletraining]

Watch more of my free tutorials that are not on KZbin: www.steeletraining.com/

[@tytonproductions9868]

2020 and i am going through all the steeltraining videos, 6 - 8 years after they been released. So clear, no-nonsense and useful. Thank you

[@steeletraining]

Glad you like them!

[@minimeguju6868]

I’m watching this in 2024.

[@nindoninshu]

@@minimeguju6868 same

[@austinraver2753]

Thank you for this. You are a very good teacher. Everything in this video made perfect sense and is very understandable for newer photographers that might not know fancy terminology. Thanks again!

[@steeletraining]

Thanks, Austin! You can find even more videos of mine on my website at www.steeletraining.com

[@AsifAli]

Thank you sir for sharing great knowledge and experience

[@Vangerline]

Wow thank you. This is embarrassing but, I have an A A in photography and never knew how to white balance my photos. You explained how so, well. And it was easy to understand! I'm excited!

[@steeletraining]

Thanks for the kind words! Comments like that keep me inspired to produce more videos.

[@dnguyen536]

+Vangerline i know right, its funny how people pay thousands of dollars in art school and such but they never teach the basic right!.

[@dnguyen536]

+Vangerline i know right, its funny how people pay thousands of dollars in art school and such but they never teach the basic right!.

[@Vangerline]

Dai Nguyen oh no they thought it. I just don't know where I was at that day!! Lol

[@Vangerline]

taught *

[@garybpt]

I’ve been looking for a grey card tutorial for ages that’s simple to understand. You nailed it.

[@SeanBoss]

Hey there...I'm 100% not bashing you just letting you know that after doing some extensive research I found out that the grey side is actually for setting exposure and it has become a common myth over the years that it it also perfect for white balance, however the white side of you're card is actually what should be used to set white balance. The colours will be be more accurate that way, I tested it myself...you get more of a yellowish hue in your pics/vids when you use the grey side. Feel free to check it out and have a great day.

[@adsim100]

Correct.

[@myothersoul1953]

Thanks, I'm sure glad I read the comments section.

[@steeletraining]

See this for why grey can be better than white: photo.stackexchange.com/questions/19409/why-are-greycards-used-for-white-balance

[@dubtube6691]

This is also what I thought. Unfortunately I think he didn't explain why he uses the "grey" card for white balance. Is it also correct to take the picture with direct sunlight on it? I thought it is correct to take the picture off the card without the direct sun light.

[@welshsteve2009]

Great answer 😜

[@fergusgriffin2655]

This was so well explained. I have seen so many KZbin explainers gloss over the exact “how to” for this super important thing to know. This was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!!

[@1chrisandrew1]

Thanks man. 9-years later and this is the best explanation of setting white balance - I was specifically looking for Canon. Very helpful - cheers

[@slavicasucic]

I just recently got into photography and white balance was my biggest issue until now. This is genius. Thank you ever so much!

[@kahloy1]

This is such a clear and simple tutorial to follow along. Thank you very much for creating this video, and sharing your knowledge. I've just ordered the $10 card you recommended and kindly shared the link to in Amazon. Outstanding!

[@sauravmahmud]

I don't own a camera right now, for the past few days I was looking for recommendations for the best purchase I can make within my budget and I stumbled upon your channel. Now I have found myself being subscribed to your channel and binge-watching your videos.

[@MrCat-rk9ir]

As always I learned something new. This video is old but it never really gets old.

[@aniaszwoch]

The easiest and most informative video of how to use grey card on YT! Thank you 🤗

[@mariopimenta2712]

I just discovered your tutorial and I wanted to write you a note of thanks for the clear, very helpful video. Thanks!

[@sunrise_sunshine]

This is spot-on video I am looking for. I was wondering why photos looks so differently, but now I know. Thanks for info.

[@yuridelossantos569]

no nonsense sharing of skills; everything seems so easy and direct (savings a lot of time) that some spent hours. It's like I watch the video then go around the landscape and take shots. very informative channel.

[@pauld7522]

Exactly the information I needed to set my white balance with my gray card. I'm on my way to your website to get more info on your available training. Paul...

[@kerrybaldino8826]

Thank you very much for this video! Wanted to review my process and make sure other videos I watched went over doing this the same. Wish I had watched this one first. You explained the process so expertly and clearly. Thank you!

[@aldatrindade6035]

Wow! I'm still a student and I was struggling to understand how to use the Gray Card correctly. It wasn't very clear to me until I watched your video. It finally synced to my brain lol Thank you so much for the instructions! It was amazingly explained :) I'm looking forward to learn more from your courses ;)

[@ritap.2305]

Great video. I like your teaching style. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[@MattExzy]

Really great information. White balance is the one thing I consistently have trouble wrapping my head around. I usually just modify the colour temp in post, or leave the camera on 'cloudy' (which I find usually keeps colours warm), but this is helpful, might nudge me to not be so lazy with it.

[@dennishancock]

Very clear explanations. You're a great communicator! Keep up the good work.

[@fielding68]

Once again, a top tutorial. Well done and thank you.

[@JH_KIP]

I really liked that you explained both, the camera process & the editing process. 👍🏽👍🏽

[@aussie8114]

I bought a Expodisc and it works well for custom white balance. I just tweaked it a touch in the custom white balance fine tune settings. Nikon D810.

[@skymedic48]

Phil, another great video. I have a question, I have a Canon T6. In the menu options, I can select the type of light. Sun, shade, tungsten or white fluorescent. Is it fine to use this, or should I be setting the white balance as you instructed? Thanks!

[@clayton8508]

Thank you, you were very clear and I was able to immediately jump into Lightroom and fix my photos all at once.

[@royholman7249]

I truly appreciate your instructional videos. So comprehensive and easy to understand. Important to me as I have so much to learn. I will be checking out your Lightroom training video on your site. Thank you!

[@shuklajayant]

Thank you very much. I am going to try this. I have a Canon T2i and the colors seem to be muddy. Your video gives Hope. Thanks again. Just one quick question. Do I need to set the white balance every time the lighting conditions change? In that case the post production method seems easy and useful. Thanks

[@dennisvance4004]

This applies to cellphone cameras as well; some cellphone camera apps have an 18% grey function and/or a custom white balance feature. 645 Pro for the iPhone has both. It doesn’t make a DSLR out of a cellphone camera but it takes a better image upfront.

[@cedricksantos2526]

This really helps me a lot. Thanks! the way you explain things is superb! Keep it up!

[@MsGreatGlam]

I love your channel, you make everything very easy to understand. I will make sure to check out your tutorials.

[@scienceandstrength1291]

Thank you for the clear explanation on the importance of a white card. Excellent video!

[@greytreethree]

One of best guides on KZbin.

[@AmandaMathson]

Really appreciate your clear, thorough explanations. Thanks for sharing!

[@londonken]

Excellent tutorial. Concise and to the point

[@michaelhulas9801]

Fantastic video, I’m novice when it comes to photography so these videos are great way for me to learn. Was wondering if you had any tips when it comes to stop motion animation. I’ve got a new Canon eos T-7. I’m looking forward to checking out your website. I’m so glad I found your KZbin channel, I’m sure it will help me out quite a bit Thank you.

[@aerdna0]

Your Lightroom trick blew my mind! Thanks for sharing it.

[@ginasanders5255]

Thank you for such a simple and clear explanation of setting custom white balance. 😀

[@articgoneape]

WOW! This is such awesome information! I didn't know this existed! I am always having an fun time trying to get my white balance right but this is great to know. Thank you!!

[@grzegorzdabrowski6204]

I have a question about cards color. I have heard that GREY card we use for measure proper exposure parameters only and WHITE card for white balance. Is it true?

[@michaelhulas9801]

Yes, you are absolutely correct.

[@TamaraWang]

thank you!!!! I had no idea this was so easy to do and it will save me time color correcting in post!

[@georgefokas2997]

Thanks a lot for your video. What do you use the other colours of the coloured side of the grey card for? Thanks a lot

[@bigrat4780]

that side-by-side comparison really made the difference clear. thank you for this ^^

[@lamarcy]

Thanks for this great video. I have one question. Does it matter which white balance I use for the first photo with the gray card? Would I get the same results if I use sunny day or cloudy day for that initial photo?

[@joshhernandez232]

The best video I've seen so far. Thanks for your time to teach us this.

[@jerlewis4291]

I just use the white balance setting on my D3s. I used to have a Sony video camera that had a translucent white lens cap that you used before shooting, but that was 25 years ago.

[@Suranjif]

Great video. Very helpful. Thanks. One question. I take a lot of pictures indoors (parties). I have to use the flash (bounce it off the ceiling) most of the time as the lighting is not very bright. So my question is when taking the photo of the grey card - do I need to use the flash as well ? Many thanks.

[@jeffreydoty8710]

I have a couple of questions: 1) When shooting the card should I set the white balance as close as possible to the enviorment and than take the photo or auto? How much does it effect the look? 2) If the shot of the card is a tad underexposed/overexposed how much will that effect the look? 3)What do I do if I'm inside with completely different kinds of lights (sun, tungsten, fluorescent) and have no gels to put on them lights?

[@marcomark8]

I believe the great card you used is for exposure. They make another great cards made for White Balance. Color right as it inside the color checker. But you can buy them separately.

[@toddalexander5015]

Hopefully I can get this to work with my gopro and other action cameras. Trying to get the multicam setup I have for hockey games has been a neverending pain to get the colors right and matching between the different cameras. And all the rinks have different lighting setups so it's been impossible to get any kind of consistency.

[@beverlylee4700]

Very straightforward and easy to understand. But does it matter if the aperture, ISO or the focal length changes; that is, will the white balance still be the same if you change any of the variables? Thanks.

[@Reciperack]

Great video! Thank you Steele - Some grey cards are darker or lighter than others...and some are white and some are black. What is the 'ideal' RGB of the grey card for Lightroom? In my photos, the eye dropper reads 75-79% across RGB.

[@yazadpardiwala687]

8:54 So when we are using a grey card, the camera sets the white balance by saying "this is true grey, change accordingly", but when we use a white card/ piece of paper, will the camera say "set this (white) as grey?" or will it realise we want that as white, or is some input on our part required to tell it this is meant to be white?

[@steeletraining]

It doesn't matter what shade of gray, it can be from pure white to pure black or anywhere in between as long as it's not contaminated with other colors. The camera is just seeking a reference of "middle gray." So you can use a white card or a gray card, as long as it's pure gray, with no color tint.

[@parsleylion6313]

I found this to be very clear and to the point, with good diction. Well done, I learnt a lot. Thankyou.

[@ksnmurthy4476]

A fantastic and easy way of making white balance right. Thank you so much. 👍

[@rhpika7795]

Thank you sir....from now on you are my mentor 🙏🙏.....amazing piece of photography 🙌🙌

[@livingcolorado66]

WOW! I LOVE affiliate marketing. Your video was published in 2014 and I just saw it today and ordered my grey card - via your link. You're welcome. LOL!

[@gauravchadha5370]

Sir Great video sir please tell me which is best tool for white balance expodisc or gray card

[@Momma1979]

Thank you for this video :) straight to the point and very easy to understand . I’m now a subscriber :)

[@elpidamaria73]

This is a great! I'm about to buy a grey card especially for weddings.. Just one (maybe silly) question: It matters if a take a picture of the grey card with or without flash? In a wedding I shoot with flash, but in some other cases not necessary.... Thank you!

[@theninjadoctor]

Still getting my feet wet in DSLR photography, and this was a big help. I'll be taking some of your courses. Thanks!

[@DroneGirl1]

Daniel Cardona Agree, there are some really good photography tips! Love it! Greetings from Ireland! :)

[@dankahraman354]

Very good teacher. Ordered your PS and LR courses.

[@cassiethompson2625]

This was REALLY helpful. Thank you!!

[@TheCanadianlongboard]

Best white balance video I've seen yet! The other ones just confused me

[@FrameByFrame96]

Hey great tutorial thanks a lot. Just a quick question thogh: which white balance settings did you use for the test shot?

[@Flying4Film]

I use a gray card for exposure and a white card for white balance. I've found with my cameras that if I set the white balance with a gray card, it gives warmer colors. When I set the white balance with a white balance card, I get a less warm and more realistic white balance.

[@cococrispe]

Great video. Question - what if you didn't use white balance card and took 300 pics of your family in the same room, but in different lighting conditions? Should I use the whites of an eye or a grey sweater? Thanks!

[@bribriro1683]

Wow! You explained it so much clear!!! I’m learning how to use the grey card. Subbed! 😊

[@nitinjadhav3917]

Many Thanks. Photographic Jargon made easy. Love your videos.

[@JorgenSindyCortez]

Love it.. Thank you. It as help me a lot with the first way of doing it. . But the second one I think I like adding my own color. Play around with curves... I bought the same cards thanks to you same some money. .

[@leonaffah8294]

thanks for the video and it was very helpful, but i got a question if i may, will this procedure work accurately if the camera is set at awb or at a specific white balance only?

[@beerborn]

I use the Expodisc. Take a picture of the light source (the sun outdoors) and shoot away. All photos are automatically white balanced as long as its outdoors.

[@user-us5lq6sd5r]

I like the way you explain every detail thanks.

[@BelgianAlien]

WB is something I've always struggled with, looking forward to trying this out!

[@faerie1963]

I have a gray-card at home. Got it for free after following a digital photo course. I have to put in in a dark place after using it, because it contains silver. And it darkens after a while. Thanks for explaining the white balance issue. I'd forgotten te use of it

[@myelementz8402]

Thank you for the tutorial! Very helpful. Plan to watch the rest of ur videos

[@문태림-n6r]

I am really thankful for this video and it was amazingly helpful! But could I ask a bit more? 1. When we use the white card, does we get the different result by adjusting shutter speed, IOS or aperture? 2. Is that same idea of using white balance Video and photo? 3. I am not really sure but when I worked as a runner for the web series video shot, the cameraman often asked me to bring the white balance when we shoot in the different area. If I understood correctly, he didn't set the WB mode or do we necessarily keep doing it? Thank you!

[@moreapropos]

1. No, those settings only affect exposure. However, your picture of the gray card should be properly exposed. 2. You should white balance anything you shoot, whether photos or video. 3. Yes, everytime the lighting conditions change or color temperature changes, you need to do your white balance again. It can become a pain, so that's why some people just use the pre-sets and do not do custom white balances.

[@LucianeMarcus]

Thank you so much for the video, quick question: for custom balance on pos (lightroom at my case)... Before I ask model to hold gray card I need to change settings in my camera right? I always keep it at Auto WB... so in this case I should change it to Flash? I am thinking in "flash" because I will use this technique at corporate headshots with strobe lights. Thanks!

[@ron5935]

Old Kodak grey cards were for reading exposure in red channel. Use something like a WhiBal card which is grey. Auto is worst. Set to daylight or proper Kelvin if no grey available. For studio work, I set camera with grey and save as one of my customs.

[@donerightmark1240]

I had no idea, but now I do! As always, top notch... Thanks

[@filmacionesjohana7322]

Todos estos tutos me ayudan para mejoras gracias x compartir

[@christophermason7735]

Nice video. Very well explained

[@chandraprakashmogha1745]

Hi, can yo explain the differnce between white card and 18% grey card and their particular uses

[@steeletraining]

Hi, a white balance card is for setting white balance only. A gray card (if it is color neutral) can be used for both white balance and setting exposure. But it must be color neutral. Older traditional 18% gray cards for setting exposure may not be color neutral, so watch out in using those for white balance, they can skew it.

[@cherylwilcox9648]

Curious - have you tried doing this with nightscape images? I've used the eyedropper technique in LRC with my Milky Way nightscapes by choosing a neutral-looking area in the sky away from the Milky Way, without stars, to set my white balance, but I'm wondering if doing a long star-lit exposure with a gray card in it would work, too?

[@yitzchallevi8208]

Thank you for your excellent explanation... Appreciation!

[@dragonflymedia3979]

22 dislikes??? why? great video and thanks for taking the time out to share your knowledge, Mark

[@rizearazvan]

When taking the photo of the card, using the first method, is the White Balance set to Auto? Then you go into settings to choose that photo as a reference for Custom White Balance?

[@ReidCipriani]

Good tutorial, very useful for video shooting on non - RAW format.

[@z1522]

Comparing the field shots, there may be improper monitor color settings for those who find the first preferable; also, it resembles an overcast tinge, versus the more accurate balance that reveals the brighter green, and the bee. Oversaturated colors are becoming so pervasive, by way of various intensification settings or image alterations, that we dismiss "pale, washed out" shots that are often far closer to the colors when taken. The gaudy glows that make photographs look like garish Thom Kincaide paintings are so overdone that veracity should be a goal of serious color photographers. Learning how to see color more analytically takes practice, but otherwise one's images, whether photos or paintings, will miss the nuances that separate rich subtleties from basic hues. Some comments re: not using grey cards may be valid if your card is old, for B&W, but his is supposed to be for color and should be correct.

[@olzk4705]

So, to take a photo of the grey card as a reference to true grey, I should use in-camera Auto WB in the first place? (noticed it was set to AWB in the camera)

[@videoluvr2]

Thank you very much. You explained the process very well.

[@timhedrick8321]

Thank you for providing useful tools to correct my seemingly complex white balance problem.

[@AdamDale]

Thank you, very helpful, well spoken and well taught

[@sumitsebastian1]

Sir..can you tell me , which white balance mode I have to maintain while I take the photo of grey card ?

[@shirleywarner2794]

Auto white balance. I am studying this topic at present which I why I have tuned into this video.

[@onkarkumar]

When taking pic of grey card, what settings on camera should you focus on? E.g. If I have high exposure, the grey card may become near white.

[@kenkahasan3453]

Thanks Master , i would like to get your course...

[@chazzgiovonni]

This is going to save me sooooo much time in Lightroom. Thank you!

[@krista-kv]

So helpful! Finally someone explained it well. Thank you.

[@janreed99]

Do you happen to recall the white balance setting you used for the original blue-ish picture? Or did you use AWB?