With all the high tech gadgetry that the digital world has brought to photography, one low tech way to get a perfect white balance is as close as your kitchen pantry. This little tip is one that I use every time I shoot and it never fails me. The trick is to set your custom white balance setting on your digital camera by placing a white coffee filter in front of the lens and shooting the test shot in the custom white balance setting mode.

 

Since I shoot with a Nikon D1x, I'll show you how to do it on that camera. Follow your camera's instructions for exact instructions if you don't shoot with a D1X.

 

First I set the focus to manual mode by moving the focus lever on the left side of the camera to M. The camera will try to focus and will be unable to with the filter on, so setting to manual will make it easier. I then place a single white paper coffee filter over the lens. You can either hold it or use a rubber band to secure it on your lens. Just make sure if completely cover the front of your lens and your camera is pointing towards your subject. Next, hit the MONITOR button, then the MENU button.

 

Make sure your cursor is to the left and then scroll down to the Shooting Menu. Highlight White Bal cursor and move your cursor pad to the right. Choose WB Preset and then choose set, press shutter, cursor right to choose OK and your set. From then on, every shot will be setup with a perfect white balance.

 

You can do this with flash as well as cloudy and sunny days. The trick is to make sure if your lighting changes drastically, to reset the balance. Especially if you put your camera away and then shoot on another day. Shooting in RAW mode, will at least offer a recovery plan. I have seen other discussions on the net for using plastic lids and other opaque plastics, so experiment and see what works best for you.

 

I know this is a low tech trick in a high tech world, but this technique works every time.

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