Keeping product colours consistent across shots

Colour shifts make the same product look like several versions. Changing or mixed light, automatic white balance and edits applied differently can all cause mismatches.

Use one lighting arrangement for related shots and keep the product in the same part of the room. White balance affects every colour in a shot, so plan it from lighting through post-production.

Set white balance for the light you are using instead of letting it change between close-ups. Daylight is standardised at 5,600 K and tungsten at 3,200 K; treat these as starting points, because the right setting depends on the light. Lower Kelvin values are warmer and higher values cooler.

For a custom white balance, use a clean, neutral 18% grey card. Put it where the product will sit, under the same light, set the camera to manual white balance and photograph the card filling as much of the frame as possible.

Use that card image as the white-balance reference in post-production, or use it to set a custom white balance in camera. Remove the card and film the product without changing the lighting; photograph it again whenever the lighting changes.

For a broader colour reference, include a calibrated colour checker card in a reference frame. Keep the reference under the same light as the product so you can check the colours against it during correction.

Keep exposure consistent as well as white balance. Bright exposure can wash out saturation, while dark exposure can make a colour look deeper or duller.

A hardware display calibrator, such as a colorimeter, measures the screen’s light output and creates a custom ICC profile. An uncalibrated display can make you adjust a shot to look right on that screen when its colours are not being shown accurately.

Compare the wide shot and close-up on the same calibrated display. Check the product itself, not only a white wall: packaging can reflect coloured surfaces nearby.

Use a vectorscope to help identify and measure colour casts rather than relying only on visual judgement. In post-production, use the eyedropper tool on the grey-card reference to set white balance, then check that the product colour remains consistent across the sequence.

Move coloured surfaces or adjust the light if they cast colour onto the product. For an e-commerce demonstration, avoid creative grading that changes a buyer-relevant colour or finish.

Keep a note of the light position, camera setting and editing adjustment. If daylight changes during the session, pause and make a new reference rather than assuming the next shot will match.

Before filming the full sequence, record a wide shot and close-up under the planned lighting, then compare the product colours on the same display.

Light Temperature Settings: Daylight vs Tungsten