ASSIGNMENT DIRECTIONS: Read through the "What is White Balance?" section and look at the pictures. Then complete one of the two assignments at the bottom of the page.
 
What is White Balance?

This week's assignment discusses white balance, which is a camera setting that adjusts for different lighting in order to make white objects appear white in photos.

When your white balance is off, the colors in your picture can look strange--things may be too green, blue, or orange.

See the photos below for examples.

This is an example of a picture taken using cameraphone and automatic white balance. The picture was taken inside the school building under fluorescent lights.

Ok, so that's a pretty boring picture, but I'm using it as an example to show you about white balance. See how the white paper isn't quite white, and the wall looks a bit yellowish/greenish as well? Your camera's "auto white balance" may not always be the best choice to get correct white balance.

 Take a look at the next photo.

This was taken with the "Incandescent" white balance setting. The picture is a bit on the cool side (a tiny bit of a bluish tint) but overall, the white is a lot more white than in the previous picture.

Ok, so these pictures were taken in a building with fluorescent lights, so using the "fluorescent" setting should make it look right, right? Not always! This picture was taken with the fluorescent setting. Look at the white papers--they have a bit of a pink color to them.

WHOA!!! This is the same picture taken with the "daylight" white balance setting. It makes the picture VERY warm--see how everything has that orange color cast to it?

Last but not least, this really REALLY warm picture is the same picture taken with the "cloudy" white balance setting. When it's cloudy outside, photos tend to come out with a very cool (bluish) color cast, so the "cloudy" setting adds warmth by making the picture more orange.

Overall, I'd say the picture taken with the "Incandescent" setting is the closest to what it looked like in real life. It's a bit on the cool (blue) side, but it lacks some of the other funky color tones that the other photos have.





If you do NOT have a camera to use for this week's assignment:.
.
CLICK HERE to go to the alternate assignment if you do NOT have a camera to use for this week's homework. Your teacher should have given you the Week 3 Alternate Assignment handout--if you don't have this, please check with them!


If you DO have a camera for this week's assignment: 
.
Do the following assignment if you DO have a camera to use for this week's homework.

Your assignment this week is to take five pictures of one of your school books.

Each of the pictures must use a different white balance mode.

In each picture, write on a piece of paper or a notecard your name, the date you took the picture, and the white balance mode you are using.

When you have taken all five pictures, email them to your teacher BEFORE your appointment time. If you need help attaching your pictures to an email, please ask your teacher or one of the lab teachers to show you how.

Note: Your teacher MUST have received your email(s) by your appointment time, or your assignment will be incomplete!! You MUST email this assignment to your teacher so that he or she can see the different colors in your photo. Printing it out in color is also acceptable, but printing it out in black and white is NOT acceptable.

Take a look at the following example:

Again, the paper needs to say your name, the date you took the picture, and what white balance mode you are using.

Note: If you have a flash on your camera, TURN IT OFF. If you're not sure how to turn it off, ask for help, look at the camera's manual, or bring it to school to ask your teacher or the lab teacher how to turn it off.



Any questions? Please see your teacher or Ms. Bluff, and we can explain things. :-)