Search for the best underwater white balance setting and you will find several confident but contradictory answers. Some photographers recommend Auto, others suggest a custom reading every few metres, and others use a fixed Kelvin value or an underwater mode.
The advice varies because these settings are not meant for the same situations. A RAW photograph, a JPEG and a video file do not give you the same freedom afterward. A subject lit by a strobe also needs a different approach from one lit only by sunlight.
TL;DR
| What are you shooting? | Best starting point |
|---|---|
| RAW still photographs | Use Auto white balance and set the final color during editing. |
| JPEG photographs in ambient light | Set a custom white balance for the current depth and light. |
| JPEG photographs lit mainly by a strobe | Use the Flash white balance setting. |
| Video in ambient light | Set a custom white balance before recording. |
| Video lit by continuous lights | Set a custom white balance with the lights on and illuminating your reference. |
| A strobe-lit subject against ambient water | Balance for the light on the subject and accept a cooler background. |
Why White Balance Changes Underwater
Water does not transmit every color of light equally. Red and orange wavelengths are absorbed relatively quickly, while blue and green travel farther. This is why a white object begins to look cyan, blue or green as it moves deeper underwater.
Depth is only part of the problem. Light also travels horizontally between the subject and camera. A reef five metres away can lose more warm color than a fish photographed at the same depth from half a metre away. Water clarity, sunlight, clouds and camera direction affect the remaining light too, so there is no single Kelvin value that works at every depth or in every body of water.
We notice this on every single dive: getting closer is always superior to using zoom, even when it's optical zoom. With years of experience, it still surprises us every time how much of a difference it makes. Get as close as you can to your subject, while staying safe and respecting marine life.
NOAA describes water as a filter that absorbs light from the red part of the spectrum and leaves more blue light visible[1]. White balance can rebalance the color information your camera captured, but it cannot recreate wavelengths that never reached the sensor.
If very little red light remains, an aggressive correction may produce noise, strange skin tones or magenta water rather than natural color. Moving closer or adding a strobe or video light changes the light reaching the camera. Our underwater photography tips explain how to improve the photo before editing begins.
If You Shoot RAW, Keep It Simple
If you photograph in RAW (we absolutely recommend that you do) and intend to edit your images, you do not need to perfect the white balance during the dive.
As explained by Adobe, the camera records the selected white balance as metadata and uses it for the preview on its screen[2]. Lightroom or Camera Raw then uses that value as the initial As Shot setting. The underlying RAW data remains available, so Temperature and Tint can still be changed without being locked into the camera's choice.
Two otherwise identical RAW photographs taken at 4,500 K and 8,000 K will look very different on the camera screen. Once the same white balance is applied in Lightroom, however, they will produce the same final color because the original setting did not change the light recorded by the sensor.
Last year, one of our team members took their good friend Charles on a dive, who was taking his camera underwater for the first time. Dive conditions were exceptional that day and they had a great time.
Back on the boat, the mood shifted quickly. The colors in his photos looked nothing like what Charles remembered. He thought he had ruined them all by setting up his camera incorrectly. Luckily he had shot in RAW and was able to correct the white balance of every single photo. One of the photos now hangs printed in his living room.
Leave white balance on Auto and concentrate on exposure, distance, focus and lighting. Set the final white balance when editing the photograph.
Flash or Daylight may give you a more consistent preview when using a strobe, but they do not add color information to the RAW file. The exception is when you also need the camera's JPEG, because the selected white balance will be applied to that version.
This advice concerns conventional RAW still photographs. RAW video formats and camera-specific recording modes can behave differently.
For JPEG and Video, White Balance Matters In-Camera
White balance is processed into JPEG photographs and standard video files. You can still adjust their color afterward, but you do not have the same latitude as with a RAW still, and large corrections can introduce noise, banding or unnatural colors.
For these formats, set the white balance reasonably close while shooting. The best setting depends primarily on what is lighting the subject.
Ambient Light: Use a Custom White Balance
When sunlight filtered through the water is the main light source, custom white balance is usually the best choice for JPEG photographs and video. A neutral reference shows the camera how white or grey appears under the current conditions, allowing it to compensate for the blue or green cast.
If your camera does not offer custom white balance, try its underwater mode. It is less precise because it uses a correction selected by the manufacturer rather than measuring the actual light, but it will often provide a better starting point than Daylight or Flash.
Strobe-Lit Photographs: Start With Flash White Balance
A strobe supplies its own full-spectrum light. When it is the main light on a nearby subject, that subject is no longer illuminated primarily by the blue or green ambient light around it.
For a strobe-lit JPEG, start with the camera's Flash white balance setting. If exact color is important and your camera can create a custom setting from a reference photograph, photograph a neutral card with the strobe at approximately the same distance and power you will use for the subject.
Avoid leaving a strong ambient custom white balance active when switching to a strobe. The camera will continue compensating for warm wavelengths that the strobe has already restored, often making the foreground look red or orange.
Continuous Video Lights: Measure With the Lights On
When a continuous video light illuminates the subject, set custom white balance with that light switched on. Place the neutral reference where the subject will be, or as close to that position as practical, and make sure it receives the same light.
Check the white balance again if you change the light, power, diffuser or working distance substantially. A reading taken outside the beam does not represent the light falling on the subject.
Mixed Light: Balance for the Subject
Some scenes contain two very different light sources: a strobe illuminates a nearby fish, coral or diver while sunlight filtered through the water lights the background.
No single white balance can make both areas perfectly neutral. Balancing for the background may make the subject too warm, while balancing for the strobe leaves the water cooler. In most cases, prioritize the main subject. A naturally colored subject against blue water looks more convincing than an orange foreground against neutral water.
With a RAW file, you can refine the subject and water separately using masks. This is a situation where editing the foreground and background independently works better than pushing the entire photograph toward one color.
How to Set a Custom White Balance Underwater
The exact controls differ between cameras, but the underlying process is similar.
1. Make the control accessible before the dive
Learn how your camera creates a custom white balance while you are still somewhere dry. If possible, assign the control to a custom button or quick menu and confirm that you can reach it through the housing.
2. Set up the light you intend to use
Decide whether the subject will be illuminated by ambient light or a continuous light. Switch on any light you intend to use and set its power before taking the reading. For a strobe-lit JPEG, Flash WB is the more practical starting point unless your camera supports a strobe-lit reference photograph.
3. Place a neutral reference in the correct light
Hold a white-balance card or neutral slate at approximately the subject's position and distance. It should receive the same main light as the subject, rather than sitting in your shadow or directly against the camera.
4. Fill the required measurement area
Your camera may ask you to fill the frame, place the reference inside a central box, or select a reference photograph afterward. Follow the method in its manual. The reference should cover enough of the measurement area to be read reliably while retaining visible detail.
5. Save the reading and check the result
Set the custom white balance and take a test shot or short clip. Look at the subject, skin, sand or another familiar color. Do not try to make the water colorless; it should usually still look like water.
If the result looks wrong, check the position and lighting of the reference before simply choosing a warmer setting.
White-Balance Card, Grey Card or Dive Slate?
A purpose-made waterproof neutral card is the most dependable reference. Both white and grey cards can work; what matters is whether the surface is genuinely color-neutral.
| Reference | How useful is it? | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproof white-balance card | Most reliable | Keep it clean and avoid strong glare. |
| Neutral photography grey card | Reliable if waterproof | Confirm that it is color-neutral, not simply grey. |
| White dive slate | Good practical alternative | Scratches, stains and reflections can affect the reading. |
| White tank or fins | Useful backup | The material may have a subtle tint or reflective coating. |
| Pale sand | Last-resort option | Sand is often beige, yellow or green rather than neutral. |
| Coral or another pale object | Poor reference | It may not be neutral, and marine life should never be disturbed for a photograph. |
How Often Should You Reset Underwater White Balance?
Resetting every 3–5 metres or 10–15 feet can be a useful reminder for ambient-light JPEG and video, but changes in light matter more than a fixed depth interval.
Take another reading when:
- You move noticeably deeper or shallower.
- You change shooting direction or enter a shaded area.
- The water color, visibility or available sunlight changes.
- You switch a continuous light on or off.
- The camera-to-subject distance changes substantially.
RAW still photographers do not need to repeat this process for the sake of the final file.
Should You Use a Red Filter as Well?
A red or magenta filter changes the light reaching the camera by reducing some of the dominant blue or green wavelengths. White balance only changes how the recorded channels are interpreted.
Filters can help with some ambient-light video, but they also reduce the total light reaching the sensor. If you use one, set custom white balance with the filter attached. Avoid combining a strong filter, aggressive custom WB and artificial light, which can produce an overly red subject.
Common Underwater White Balance Problems
| What you see | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| A strobe-lit subject looks red or orange | An ambient custom WB or underwater mode is still active | Switch to Flash WB or use a strobe-lit reference. |
| The water has turned magenta or purple | The correction is too aggressive | Take a new reading and accept a more natural blue or green water color. |
| Repeated readings look different | The card is catching glare, shadow or changing light | Reposition it under the same light as the subject and avoid clipping it. |
| The subject looks right but the background is very blue | The areas are lit by different sources | Keep the subject natural and correct the background separately if needed. |
| A deep ambient scene remains blue and noisy | Too little warm light reached the sensor | Move closer, add artificial light or accept the limits of the available light. |
| The RAW file changes after import | The camera and RAW processor use different previews | Set the final Temperature and Tint in Lightroom. |
Correcting White Balance After the Dive
An incorrect in-camera setting is rarely serious for a RAW photograph. Adjust Temperature and Tint in Lightroom while watching the subject and other colors you recognize. JPEG and standard video can still be corrected, but large adjustments reveal noise and damaged color sooner.
Our guide to editing underwater photos in Lightroom explains how to correct white balance first and then refine individual colors, contrast and clarity.
For a quicker starting point, the Underwater Toolkit includes stackable Lightroom presets for specific problems such as Fix Green Cast, Blue Boost, Depth Contrast, Clarity Enhancement, Coral/Color Pop and Subject Warmth. You can apply only the corrections a photograph needs rather than forcing one complete look onto every file.
The presets (and editing in general) cannot recreate light or color that was never captured, but they can make the remaining corrections faster and more consistent.
Final Thoughts
Underwater white balance becomes much simpler once you separate RAW stills from JPEG and video. RAW photographers can leave it on Auto and decide later. For processed files, match white balance to the light illuminating the subject: custom WB for ambient or continuous light and Flash WB for a strobe-lit JPEG.
Aim for believable subjects and natural-looking water rather than trying to eliminate every trace of blue or green. For finished looks across both photos and video, explore our underwater Lightroom presets and LUTs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best GoPro white balance underwater?
There is no single Kelvin value for every GoPro dive. If you remain at a consistent depth and your model allows a fixed setting, locking it can prevent visible color shifts during a clip. When depth and light change constantly and you cannot recalibrate, Auto is often the more practical choice.
GoPro controls differ between models, so check which Auto, Native or fixed white-balance options your camera provides. For GoPro RAW photographs, set the final white balance during editing.
Is a fixed Kelvin setting better than custom white balance underwater?
Usually not for ambient-light JPEG or video. A custom reading measures the actual light, while a fixed Kelvin value cannot account for differences in water color, visibility, sunlight and subject distance. A fixed setting can still be useful when consistent color between clips matters and the lighting remains stable.
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