Cheap Tricks: White balance

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Steph, the camera is dumb. (I use the word dumb more or less as a figure of speech.) It is haphazard in its ability to capture a proper image without human help. ...and no, going into auto mode on a camera isn't the same as the human's eye having the ability to auto adjust to light.

Also, Steph you mentioned that we were "born with the knowledge that the sky is blue and our eyes will see blue". That's not exactly true. We aren't born with any knowledge about anything. When was the last time you sat with a new born? They are completely knowledge free and can't see a thing until a few weeks later. (I think it's a few weeks or more?) Yes, the sky is blue and our eyes have an irus to adjust accordingly. However, everything outside of the human brain's instinct is learned - example, knowing that the sky is suppose to be blue. That is learned. If all of us were born and never shown the sky until we were adults - we wouldn't know that it was suppose to be blue unless we saw it or were told so.

My point is - the human eye adjusts itself automatically to light and color. It's part instinct and learned behaviour. The camera does not do this on its own with any instinct - again, going into auto doesn't count for professionals and that's what I'm talking about.

So, the camera is dumb because it's haphazard with its inability to capture without a human eye and touch.

[Logan Bright]

That's great~ It's these kinds of posts that I love the most. Thanks a lot!

[Paul Cypert]

Also, in the same veign from my photography "skills" to ressurect this post....a pringles can lid over the lens in a scene is a great WB setter...

Paul