How to Take Photographs Under Fluorescent Light

Fluorescent lighting can produce unwanted blue/gray effects in photographs. With a digital camera, you can compensate for these unwanted effects. In fact, you can prevent them with settings programmed right into your camera. If you don't have your user manual with you, don't worry. The adjustments are quite easy to make.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Find the manual or program mode on your camera. It's often located on a dial on the top.

2. Turn the dial to the manual or program mode.

3. Press the Function Set button. When you press the Function Set button, icons appear on the screen.

4. Scroll down to the AWB, or Auto White Balance, icon. This reveals icons for incandescent lighting, sunny days and other lighting options, in addition to fluorescent. The shapes of these icons vary, depending on the brand of your camera. The fluorescent icon for the Canon PowerShot A560, for example, is a tiny rectangle with rays.

5. Select the fluorescent icon to automatically adjust your camera flash settings to accommodate fluorescent light. As you scroll over the different light adjustment icons, the tint of the image on your camera screen changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Digital camera settings for fluorescent lighting are created for the type of blue/gray fluorescents commonly found in offices and commercial buildings. Many types of fluorescent lights are daylight balanced, and won't create the unwanted blue/gray effects in your photographs.
• Check the settings before you take your next picture, as the adjusted setting remains until you change it back to the Auto White Balance mode.