White balance is a tool that helps display accurate light and colors in a digital image.  It is a rather easy adjustment to make if you have the time.  White balance helps the photographer get the most accurate lighting in a scene (how the human eye sees it).  Below are two subject which I chose to shoot in my office.  The dollhouse was inside with sunlight behind me and bulb lighting from above.  The last picture of the dollhouse seems to match the real life color of the house and the room which is on the fluorescent setting.  The red shoe tape dispenser was faced towards the window with the sun behind it.  This one was a bit tougher to tell the true color but I think the third one down is the correct color and setting. The direct sunlight setting was used for this one.  At home or on my own time I have the patience and time to set up a shot and do a white balance check.  At work and on the go, it can be hard and I use the automatic white balance for the majority of these shots. If the color is not what I want to expected or off I usually correct it in Photoshop with the curve tool.

  

Incandescent

Direct sunlight

Flash

Cloudy

Shade

Fluorescent

Incandescent

Fluorescent

Direct Sunlight

Flash

Cloudy

Shade