White balance accessories help remove unrealistic color casts in your photos, so that you can capture the color as accurately as possible. The color of an object is affected by a variety of lighting conditions. Your eyes have the ability to compensate for different types of light, and that's why white light appears the same in all conditions, whether viewed outdoors under overcast sunlight or indoors under fluorescent light. Digital cameras, on the other hand, don't have a feature to compensate for white light, making white balancing accessories important while shooting.

Uses for White Balance Cards

A white balance card (or gray card) helps you adjust the white balance and exposure settings of images by providing a reference point. The reference point prompts your camera to compensate for any white light on an image. A gray card accounts for the overall tint and temperature on the image—not every color individually. If you're a travel photographer, shop for white balance pocket cards that are small and portable. Some pocket cards come with extra features such as scratchproof and waterproof linings.

What White Balance Accessories Do You Need?

To achieve well-balanced images, you may need additional accessories. To account for individual colors as well as the overall color of an image simultaneously, you can use a color checker. A color checker is a chart with gradated colors that help you evaluate the color balance of your images. You may also need light meters to check the exposure setting for balanced images. These devices tell you what shutter speed/aperture combination to use on the gray card standard.

Find white balance accessories and other general photo accessories at B&H Photo and Video.