Colour / Learn by doing
Colour Temperature explained simply
What is “Colour Temperature”?
A way to describe a light’s warm-to-cool appearance using kelvin. Lower values often describe warmer-looking light; higher values describe cooler-looking light.
- 01Warm source
- 02Neutral comparison
- 03Cool source
How do you use Colour Temperature practically?
A small exercise
Compare a warm household lamp and daylight, then set a matching white balance for each and photograph a neutral object.
- Make a starting version and keep it so you can compare fairly.
- Try the change in the exercise. Keep unrelated choices steady where the exercise allows.
- Compare the result at the size your viewer will actually see. Write down what changed and whether it helped.
How does Colour Temperature solve a problem?
It helps match lights or explain why two areas of a room look different colours.
What can go wrong?
The camera’s temperature slider compensates for light. Raising its value commonly makes the rendered image warmer, rather than copying the light scale directly.
How do you turn the idea into a useful solution?
Start with the specific problem in your image or brief, try the exercise, and keep the version that meets that need. If the result is worse, return to the starting version and change one choice at a time.
Quick check: can you explain the three ideas in the diagram?
Warm source → Neutral comparison → Cool source. Explain how each relates to the exercise. Then compare the starting version with your result and choose the one that meets your brief.
Related video lesson
Colour temperature — Canon
This related lesson gives wider context for the topic. Camera menus and software versions may differ from yours.
Loading the player connects to YouTube. You can also watch the lesson on YouTube.Keep exploring
Try the idea in a studio shoot
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