What is the role of white balance in product photography and how would you achieve consistency?

• A. White balance renders neutrals accurately; use a gray card/white card for custom WB, shoot RAW, and apply consistent color profile in post.
• B. White balance changes focus distance.
• C. White balance affects sharpness.
• D. White balance only matters in RAW.

Answer: (A)

White balance controls how colors render under a given light so neutrals read as true gray or white, which is essential for accurate product colors. To keep a consistent look, use a neutral reference—like a gray card or white card—under the same lighting and set a custom white balance from that frame. This establishes a fixed starting point for color. Shooting in RAW preserves all color data, so you can refine WB later without degrading image quality, and applying the same color profile in post ensures the entire set shares the same tonal character. White balance doesn’t change focus distance or sharpness, and its importance isn’t limited to RAW—it's about getting accurate color and consistent color rendering across shots.