The white balance is quite technical but it interesting to play with - the settings basically act as filters that can make subtle or dramatic differences to the final photo.
This is Polly
and Polly helped me set up a little still life so that I could have a look at the different WB settings in daylight. This was a bit of an overcast day.
ISO 100, 17mm lens, 1/250 at f3.5 set manually, fill in flash.
The camera's estimated setting for this sort of day/light was reasonably accurate.
I tried the same exercise under tungsten light - one that often makes quite a dramatic difference.
I didn't think that any of these presets were accurate for the light or looked particularly attractive, unless you really wanted the yellowy atmosphere. I used a white card from one of the photography magazines to take a custom reading and also used some their 18% grey card to help with the exposure.
The result was pretty striking - a really even exposure and accurate whites and colours.
I want to start to use the white balance more accurately when necessary but also more creatively. These shots of Winter Hill were each with different setting and each has a different feel.
As the light changes at different times of the day the different WB can be used highten or emphasise colour too. These were taken at dusk using the tungsten setting - something that also helped to create a more interesting atmosphere.
A very wise approach. You're spot on - it's so important to understand how your camera, and it's functions, work. The more control we have of our camera (and other equipment) the more creative we can be, and the more likely we are to be able to achieve the results we are looking for.
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