Setting Underwater White Balance: A Complete Guide For Photography & Video

Setting Camera White Balance Underwater Can Have a Big Impact on Results. Use This Tutorial To Master Your Imaging.

As with all photography, there are many dimensions to shooting underwater, and adjusting to the changes in light and the color spectrum as it travels in water.

Most natural light and color is lost as depth increases.  With Outex you can use natural light, as well as above-water & under-water lighting solutions. More on that later.

Most Outex users are shooting within 33 feet/10 meters of the surface, and that's where most light is, allowing you to still capture depth of color and dynamic range for your footage.  Keep in mind there are difference settings and considerations for video vs. still/photography footage, and how you post process it as well.

Here's a good example for understanding the nuances of setting and capturing accurate, vibrant colors in your footage, regardless of depth.

Underwater White Balance: A Complete Guide for Photography & Video

Underwater photography presents a challenge that photographers rarely encounter on land: the deeper your camera goes, the more the color of available light changes.

Water selectively absorbs different wavelengths of light. Reds are affected first, followed progressively by oranges and yellows, leaving underwater images increasingly dominated by blue or green. The effect varies with depth, water clarity, sunlight, weather, the distance between camera and subject, and whether you're using natural or artificial light.

That means good underwater color isn't simply a matter of choosing one white balance setting before entering the water. The best approach depends on what you're photographing, the kind of water you're in (ocean, river, pool, etc), how deep you are, whether you're shooting photos or video, and how much control you want during post-production.

This guide explains how underwater white balance works, when to use Auto White Balance versus a custom setting, how RAW photography changes your options, and when artificial lighting becomes the better solution.

What Does White Balance Do Underwater?

White balance tells your camera what should appear neutral under the existing lighting conditions. On land, the camera might compensate for warm indoor lighting, cool shade, or daylight. Underwater, the problem is more complicated because the water itself changes the spectrum of light reaching your subject and camera.

As light travels through water, warmer wavelengths are absorbed more rapidly than cooler wavelengths. This is why an object that appears bright red at the surface can look muted, dark, or blue-green underwater. White balance attempts to compensate for this shift by changing how the camera interprets the colors it can still record.

But there's an important limitation: White balance can compensate for color information reaching the camera; it cannot recreate light that never reached the subject or sensor.

As depth and subject distance increase, artificial lighting may therefore become necessary if accurate, saturated color is important.

Why Does Underwater Color Change with Depth?

Sunlight may look white, but it contains the visible spectrum of colors. Water doesn't absorb all of those colors equally. Longer wavelengths—particularly reds—are attenuated quickly. As the light travels farther through water, progressively more of the warm spectrum is lost. The resulting scene becomes increasingly blue or green. The important concept for photographers is not a specific depth at which a color suddenly disappears. Color loss is progressive and varies according to water conditions. Clear tropical water, a swimming pool, green coastal water, a lake, and water containing suspended particles can all produce noticeably different results at similar depths. The total distance light travels through water also matters. For example, photographing a subject several feet away means light travels from the surface to the subject and then from the subject toward your camera. That additional water column influences color, contrast, and clarity.

This is one reason getting physically closer to your subject can dramatically improve underwater images, and why wide-angle lenses are generally better options for underwater photography.

Auto vs. Custom White Balance Underwater

Auto White Balance

Auto White Balance, or AWB, allows the camera to continuously evaluate the scene and choose what it believes is an appropriate color balance. For underwater still photography, particularly when shooting RAW, AWB can be a useful starting point. It is fast, requires no additional setup, and RAW files provide considerable flexibility to adjust white balance afterward.

AWB can become less predictable when:

• Depth changes significantly.
• Lighting conditions change.
• The frame contains mostly blue or green water.
• You're moving between natural and artificial lighting.
• Consistent color between consecutive images is important.

For casual underwater photography, AWB may be sufficient. For greater consistency and control, a preset or custom white balance can provide better results.

Custom White Balance

Custom white balance lets you establish a neutral reference under the actual lighting conditions in which you're shooting. Depending on your camera, you may photograph or measure a neutral white or gray reference and tell the camera to use that measurement as its white-balance reference. The important part is to take the measurement under the same conditions as your subject. If your depth, available sunlight, lighting direction, or artificial lighting changes substantially, the previous custom white balance may no longer accurately represent the scene. As a practical rule, reconsider your white balance whenever there's a meaningful change in depth or lighting rather than assuming one custom setting will work throughout an entire underwater shoot.

Step-by-Step: Setting Custom White Balance Underwater

The exact menu procedure varies between Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, OM System and other camera brands, but the underlying process is similar.

1. Get to Your Shooting Depth

Set your white balance where you'll actually be photographing rather than setting it at the surface. Water between the surface and your camera changes the available spectrum of light, so a surface measurement won't necessarily represent conditions several feet below.

2. Use a Neutral Reference

Place a white or neutral gray reference in approximately the same lighting conditions as your subject. The reference should be illuminated by the light you're actually using for the photograph.

3. Fill Enough of the Frame

Follow your camera manufacturer's instructions for creating a custom white-balance reading. Some cameras require the reference to occupy a substantial portion of the frame; others have dedicated measurement procedures.

4. Save or Select the Custom Setting

Tell the camera to use the measured value as its white-balance reference.

5. Take a Test Image

Don't assume the measurement is perfect. Photograph your actual subject and inspect the image. Pay particular attention to neutral objects, skin tones, reds and oranges, and areas illuminated by sunlight.

6. Recalibrate When Conditions Change

If you move substantially deeper or shallower—or your lighting changes significantly—take another measurement. Underwater white balance isn't necessarily a "set it once and forget it" setting.

RAW vs. JPEG for Underwater Photography

Whenever your camera allows it, RAW is generally the preferred format for serious underwater still photography. A RAW file preserves substantially more of the sensor's original image information and gives you much greater control over white balance and color during editing. With JPEG, the camera processes the image and commits much more strongly to decisions such as white balance, contrast, saturation and sharpening.

That doesn't mean white balance is irrelevant when shooting RAW. Getting reasonably close in-camera provides several benefits:

• More natural-looking previews while shooting.
• Greater consistency between photographs.
• Faster editing.
• Easier evaluation of exposure and color underwater.
• Less extreme correction during post-production.

RAW simply gives you more flexibility when the underwater environment doesn't cooperate. For applications where scientifically accurate and repeatable color is important, minimally processed RAW capture is particularly important because in-camera processing can permanently alter color information.

White Balance for Underwater Video

White balance becomes even more important when shooting underwater video. Still photographers can often make substantial corrections to individual RAW files. Video may offer considerably less latitude depending on the camera, codec, bit depth, picture profile and recording format. Auto White Balance can also create another problem: the camera may change its interpretation of color while you're recording. A clip can therefore shift from warmer to cooler—or vice versa—as the camera reacts to changes in the scene. Those changes can be distracting and more difficult to correct consistently in post-production. For serious underwater video, a controlled white balance is often preferable. Set or measure white balance for the conditions you're filming, test it, and reconsider the setting when depth or lighting changes substantially. Cameras capable of higher-bit-depth recording, Log profiles, or RAW video can provide considerably more flexibility in post, but capturing a sensible starting white balance still simplifies the color-grading process.

Natural Light vs. Artificial Lighting

White balance and artificial lighting solve two related but fundamentally different problems. White balance changes how the camera interprets the available light. Artificial lighting actually adds light—and therefore color—back to the scene. At relatively shallow depths with good sunlight, natural-light photography can produce excellent results with appropriate white balance and post-processing. As depth increases, however, there may simply not be enough warm-spectrum light reaching the subject for white balance alone to produce the desired color. That's where strobes, flashes and continuous video lights become important. Artificial light can restore a broader spectrum of color to nearby subjects because the light originates close to the camera rather than traveling all the way down from the surface. Remember that artificial light also loses intensity and color as it travels through water. Getting closer to your subject therefore benefits both image clarity and lighting effectiveness.

What About Red or Color-Correction Filters?

Underwater color filters can sometimes help compensate for the strong blue or green bias of available light by reducing portions of the spectrum reaching the camera. But filters involve a tradeoff: they don't create missing red light. They reduce other wavelengths to produce a more balanced result, which also reduces the total amount of light reaching the sensor. Depending on the situation, photographers may therefore prefer RAW capture, custom white balance, artificial lighting, or a combination of these techniques rather than relying exclusively on a filter. There isn't one solution that's ideal for every depth, camera, subject and lighting condition.

Post-Processing Underwater White Balance

If you've photographed in RAW, programs such as Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Camera Raw and Capture One provide substantial control over underwater white balance. A useful workflow is:

1. Establish white balance before making major color adjustments.
2. Find something in the scene that should be neutral if possible.
3. Adjust temperature to address excessive blue.
4. Adjust tint to address excessive green or magenta.
5. Evaluate skin tones and other familiar colors rather than judging the water alone.
6. Make moderate color adjustments rather than trying to force colors that weren't captured.
7. Adjust contrast, haze, saturation and individual colors only after establishing a reasonable overall balance.

A white or neutral gray object photographed under the same light as your subject can provide a useful starting reference during editing. Most importantly, don't assume every underwater photograph should have perfectly neutral water. The blue or green character of an underwater environment is part of what makes it visually distinctive. White balance should help create believable or intentionally creative color—not necessarily make an underwater scene look as though it was photographed on land.

Common Underwater White Balance Mistakes

Setting White Balance at the Surface

A surface white balance doesn't account for the color absorption occurring at your actual shooting depth.

Better approach: Measure under the same conditions in which you'll photograph.

Leaving Auto White Balance on for an Entire Video

AWB can change during a continuous shot, creating inconsistent color.

Better approach: For controlled video production, use an appropriate fixed or custom white balance and update it when conditions change.

Expecting White Balance to Restore Missing Light

Extreme white-balance corrections can't completely recreate wavelengths that weren't adequately recorded.

Better approach: When ambient light is insufficient, introduce artificial lighting or move closer to the subject.

Ignoring Subject Distance

Depth isn't the only variable. The distance between camera and subject adds more water through which reflected light must travel.

Better approach: Get closer whenever composition and safety permit.

Assuming RAW Means White Balance Doesn't Matter

RAW provides excellent flexibility, but consistent in-camera settings make reviewing and editing a shoot easier.

Better approach: Get reasonably close during capture and use RAW flexibility for refinement.

Using the Same Setting Everywhere

A swimming pool, tropical ocean, green coastal water and freshwater lake can produce dramatically different color.

Better approach: Evaluate the actual environment rather than relying on a universal Kelvin setting.

A Simple Underwater White Balance Starting Guide

Shallow water + strong natural light:
Start with AWB or an appropriate daylight/custom setting. Shoot RAW whenever possible.

Natural-light photography at greater depth:
Consider custom white balance and recalibrate as conditions change.

RAW still photography:
Aim for a reasonable in-camera balance, knowing you have substantial flexibility during editing.

JPEG photography:
Take more care with white balance in-camera because correction options are more limited.

Underwater video:
Consider fixed or custom white balance rather than allowing AWB to continuously change during important clips.

Artificial lights or strobes:
Balance primarily for the light illuminating your subject, remembering that ambient background light may have a different color temperature.

Very limited ambient color:
Don't expect white balance alone to solve the problem. Artificial lighting becomes increasingly important.

Frequently Asked Questions About Underwater White Balance

What is the best white balance for underwater photography?

There isn't one universal setting. The best white balance depends on depth, water clarity, ambient light, subject distance, artificial lighting and the camera you're using.

Should I use Auto White Balance underwater?

AWB can work well for many still photographs, especially when shooting RAW. Custom or fixed white balance provides greater consistency when conditions are controlled or when shooting video.

Should I shoot underwater photos in RAW?

For photographers who want maximum control over color and white balance, yes. RAW retains considerably more image information for post-processing than a finished JPEG.

How often should I reset custom white balance underwater?

Whenever depth or lighting conditions change enough to alter the color of the available light. A practical approach is to test periodically as you move through different depths rather than relying on one measurement for an entire shoot.

Can white balance restore red underwater?

White balance can compensate for a reduction in red information that the camera still captured, but it cannot fully restore light that wasn't present or recorded. Artificial lighting becomes increasingly useful as warm wavelengths diminish.

Is underwater white balance different for video?

Yes. White-balance consistency is particularly important for video because Auto White Balance can produce visible color changes within a continuous clip, and many video formats provide less correction flexibility than RAW still photographs.

Do I need underwater lights if I set custom white balance?

Not necessarily. Natural-light photography can work beautifully in suitable conditions. But custom white balance doesn't replace missing light. As ambient color diminishes, strobes or continuous lights can restore color that white balance alone cannot.

Better Underwater Color Starts with Control

There is no single "correct" underwater white balance setting. Water depth, clarity, sunlight, subject distance and artificial lighting are constantly interacting. The goal is therefore not to memorize one Kelvin value, but to understand what the water is doing to light and choose the appropriate combination of white balance, RAW capture, subject distance, lighting and post-processing. The more control you retain over your camera underwater, the easier that becomes.

That's also one of the advantages of the Outex universal waterproof camera housing system. Unlike rigid housings designed around a specific camera body, Outex is designed to provide waterproof protection while maintaining tactile access to camera controls, allowing photographers and filmmakers to adjust settings—including white balance, exposure and other camera functions—while shooting underwater. Because the system works across a broad range of DSLR, mirrorless, film, medium-format and cinema cameras and lenses, photographers can apply these same underwater imaging principles without being locked into a housing built around a single camera body. Whether you're photographing a model in a swimming pool, filming marine life, creating over-under imagery, or taking a professional camera into challenging wet environments, the objective remains the same:

Control the camera. Understand the light. Get close. Capture as much useful image information as possible—and make the creative color decisions yourself.