Taking the White Balance Off of Auto
DSLRs and auto mode. We’ve heard it argued that DSLRs shouldn’t be used in auto mode, but we’re here to argue that whether its auto mode, or putting certain settings into auto, it serves a purpose.
Starting out in auto with anything we may be unfamiliar with gives us a starting point to practice with. If all we do is focus on every last little detail, we’ll find ourselves taking less photos, and subsequently gaining less experience. The idea is to begin with practice. Occasionally, we get a great shot, and it’s a win. Other times, we find auto modes may do us a disservice.
For example, you could be getting to know your aperture, shutter speed and ISO, but this may lead you into wondering why your photos are so blue on cloudy days. This was the case for Brenda, and because of her determination to continuously improve, she began to seek solutions.
She had a few days of shooting with sunshine, and was able to determine the aperture, shutter speed and ISO weren’t the cause of her issue. The photos on bright days came out beautifully and accurately colored. On the next adventure out on a cloudy day, she once again found her photos were bluish.
It took some time, but eventually Brenda found leaving the white balance in auto could cause this. Using the presets in her camera, she was able to find the best settings for the conditions she was shooting in. Now, for the more experience photographers, this may have been obvious. Brenda is a novice, and well…you don’t know what you don’t know.
Sometimes the issues we find ourselves facing require small solutions. It’s okay to struggle. This is how you know you are stretching yourself and learning new skills. It’s also okay to ask for help. Whether it’s an online search, photographers you know, or joining a photography group, you’ll find there are others who enjoy helping you learn something they love doing.
The next time you feel yourself struggling and thinking you aren’t very good at what you’re learning, remember that it’s the reward on the other side of your challenge that makes it worth your persistence.
Had Brenda given up because she felt inexperienced, embarrassed, or anything of the negative nature, she would have missed out on her next cloudy photo:
Now, we realize there are other practical uses for putting things into auto, but we’ll get into this in the future. If using auto means getting out there and practicing, do it. This is how you will learn.