Color temperature

Color temperature decides whether your photo looks warm (yellow-orange) or cool (blue), measured in kelvin. When editing, you control this with your white balance temperature slider: right is warmer, left is cooler. That's how you fix a color cast or deliberately set a mood.

Shooting RAW means you can choose color temperature freely afterward with no quality loss. A lower kelvin value makes the image cooler, a higher one warmer, which can feel counterintuitive. Use the white balance eyedropper as a starting point, then adjust by feel. A touch warmer suits golden hour and portraits, cooler suits winter and landscapes.

Read also the in-depth explanation: Color temperature explained.

Related terms

White balance Tint White balance eyedropper Color balance RAW

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The presets on this site set these adjustments up for you as a starting point, which you then fine-tune to taste.

Noordse seizoenen (Nordic Seasons)

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