White balance, Kelvin & light - explained.
Plain-English guides for photographers, videographers and gaffers. Learn what color temperature really means, how to set white balance on any camera, and how to meter light with just your iPhone.
How to measure color temperature with your iPhone
Step-by-step: meter any scene in Kelvin using your iPhone or iPad. No external sensor required.
Read guide → BasicsWhat is white balance? A filmmaker's guide
What white balance actually does, why Auto WB fails on set, and how to nail it in-camera.
Read guide → ReferenceWhat is a Kelvin meter? And how to use your phone as one
Colour meters vs light meters, what the hardware costs, and how to meter a room with mismatched sources.
Read guide → ReferenceWhat does 5500K mean? The Kelvin scale explained
Tungsten, daylight, shade and LED in Kelvin - with a colour-temperature chart you can actually use.
Read guide → How-toHow to set white balance on a DSLR or cinema camera
Custom WB, Kelvin presets, grey-card workflows - on Canon, Sony, Nikon, BlackMagic and ARRI.
Read guide → ExplainerTint vs Kelvin: what's the difference?
Why green LEDs and magenta fluorescents wreck colour - and why tint matters as much as Kelvin.
Read guide → TroubleshootingHow to fix a green tint in video and photos
Why Kelvin never removes it, which light is causing it, and what to do when the footage is already shot.
Read guide → ReferenceColour temperature chart: every common light source
Candle flame to blue sky in Kelvin, split by household, film fixtures and daylight through the day.
Read guide → ComparisonThe best light meter apps for iPhone
Exposure meters and colour meters are different tools. Which is which, and how to test one before trusting it.
Read guide → ComparisonLight meter app vs Sekonic: do you still need hardware?
When a phone app is enough, and when a $1,500 Sekonic SpectroMaster is worth it.
Read guide →