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Mixing the white balance of different light sources

May 9, 2011 Neil vN 13 Comments

Mixing the white balance of different light sources

While we would do well to gel our flash when working in a very warm or incandescent spectrum, (such as when shooting at a venue bathed in Tungsten light), the last few articles showed how we can use it to our advantage when using different light sources with different color balance. The effect can be quite dramatic.

The examples shown have been varied:

In the first example (with Bethany as our model), we looked at using random found available light as portrait lighting. With the next example, the effect was purposely sought by gelling our flash for effect. A similar contrast in white balance can also be found by using a Tungsten-gelled LED video light in a non-tungsten environment, forcing all the daylight colors to go toward a bold blue tone. The most recent example showed how we could use the modeling light in the studio with additional flash as rim light, to give a punchy image with warm colors.

Those four examples all had entirely different scenarios, but the same idea was used in all  of them to get punchy colorful images – using light sources with different white / color balance.

This image here at the top was shot with a similar set-up as the sequence where we gelled our main flash with 1/2 CTS gels to allow the background to go blue …

With this first image, both the foreground flash and the background flash were ungelled, and shot at Cloudy WB. The blue tint of the drapes in the background, were from lights in the ceiling. This is exactly the same light that gave the strong blue background in the other article on random found available light as portrait lighting.

With this image which is the starting point, I decided we could make the background far more bold by once again gelling our main flash (in the Lastolite Ezyboz softbox), with two 1/2 CTS gels.

And this is how we ended up with the final image shown at the top, where the background goes to a neon blue. Quite striking.

The main flash on her was a speedlight in a Lastolite Ezybox softbox, set to camera right. The background light was a speedlight bounced straight up into the ceiling to the left here of our model, and further back than our model’s position.

The motion blur seen there was purposely done by shooting at a relatively slow shutter speed while there was such movement.

camera setting: 1/60 @ f4 @ 500 ISO … TTL flash @ +0.3 FEC

Summary

Finally, all this is to bring home again the idea that we could use the same thought-process in a variety of situations. While each situation was different with different light sources used, there was a similarity in the approach to the lighting (or even recognizing the lighting). This gives us a method and thought-process to come up with striking images under a variety of conditions – by creating and using light in our images which have divergent color balance.

Photo gear (or equivalents) used with this photo session:

  • Nikon D3
  • Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S II   /equivalent  Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
  • Nikon SB-910 Speedlight controlled by PocketWizard FlexTT5 & AC3 Controller
    or alternately, the Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite controlled by Canon ST-E3 Transmitter
  • Lastolite EZYBOX Softbox Kit (24″x24″)
  • (2x) Manfrotto 1051BAC light-stand

 

Gelling your flash

Since I frequently gel my flashguns to turn the WB of my flash much warmer (usually for  Incandescent light), I use these gels that I cut up and tape to the top of my speedlight’s head. One of these sheets (which aren’t expensive), will give you a lifetime supply of these filters. For me, these gels are an invaluable part of flash photography. 

Tape the gels down on your lens hood when not in use.

You can buy gels through these affiliate links:

  • Rosco Cinegel 1/2 CTS #3442
  • Rosco Cinegel full CTS #3441
  • Rosco Cinegel Roscosun 1/2 CTO
  • Rosco Cinegel Roscosun full CTO

 

Related articles

  • Directing & posing an available light portrait  (model: Bethany)
  • Off-camera flash – creating separation with back-lighting  (model: Bethany)
  • Multiple off-camera flash – gelling your flash for effect  (model: Bethany)

Filed Under: Bethany, flash photography, lighting, models, Uncategorized Tagged With: flash photography


 

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I also offer photography workshops and tutoring sessions, whether in person, or via online video tutoring sessions.

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Thank you,

Neil vN

Books by Neil van Niekerk


 




13 Comments, Add Your Own

  1. 1Roel says

    May 9, 2011 at 7:03 am

    Neil,
    interesting to note is that, when first shown to a novice (me!), one would say the background flash was gelled blue and the shot was taken with standard daylight flash / sunny WB…

    Could you have managed the same shot like that? Why (not)?

    Regs,

    Roel

    Reply
  2. 2Neil vN says

    May 9, 2011 at 8:06 am

    Roel … you could’ve gelled the background to be blue. However, I didn’t have any blue gels with me, but I did have gels to help correct my flash for Tungsten light. So that was the choice.

    Neil vN

    Reply
  3. 3Stephen says

    May 9, 2011 at 8:46 am

    Neil,
    Thanks for a very good series of articles. I have always wondered about what to do with multiple light sources. Now, I know what to look for.

    By the way, at the web resolution of the images, I can’t readily see the motion blur. It looks like freeze frame. At first I thought you were shooting at faster than 1/60. I agree that these photos are striking. :-)

    Reply
  4. 4Dave Pullen says

    May 9, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Hi Neil,

    First of all thanks heaps for all the tips and inspiration! Your blog has been pivotal in developing my flash technique :) Just wondering if you have any recommendation for a gel kit? Also does the softbox reduce the effectiveness of the gel which is applied to the flash? I would have thought that the white diffusion material of the softbox would affect the temperature of the light?

    Cheers,
    Dave

    Reply
  5. 5Neil vN says

    May 10, 2011 at 4:02 am

    Dave .. to gel my flashes, I just cut gels from the sheets that I buy.

    I know that there are gel / filter kits out there, such as that marketed by Strobist, but I have direct experience of it.

    Neil vN

    Reply
  6. 6briand says

    May 10, 2011 at 7:59 am

    Absolutely more punch with the gel.

    Reply
  7. 7Jacek says

    May 11, 2011 at 5:28 am

    How to mount Nikon SB-900 with PocketWizard FlexTT5 on Lastolite EZYBOX Softbox? It seems to me that the handle is too short :(

    Reply
  8. 8Stephen says

    May 11, 2011 at 11:19 am

    Jacek,
    You have an old model of the bracket. You have to buy the new, longer bracket.

    The new shaft is an inch longer than the old model and will fit the SB-900 and a FlexTT5.

    Reply
  9. 9Neil vN says

    May 11, 2011 at 11:28 am

    But do keep the original speedring / lollipop in the bag with the softbox, in case you want to use only the speedlight. (The longer stem is a touch too long for just the speedlight without the FlexTT5.)

    Neil vN

    Reply
  10. 10Jacek says

    May 11, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    Thank you Stephen, I didn’t know until now :)

    Reply
  11. 11Yasmeen Anderson says

    July 22, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    Thanks Neil, I always enjoy reading your articles. The detail on the lighting setups and why you make certain decisions is really enlightening.

    Reply
  12. 12David says

    August 31, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Hi Neil,

    How do you recognise the light sources for WB, ie up lighters are yellow but they may be fluorescent and not tungsten ,is there guide to recognising what needs to be done or is it trial and error , also what advantages are there for setting daylight w.b. as against the usual flash WB…flashes do seem to be a little yellow Sb800-900. Trying to stop using autoWB.
    Do you use daylight wb against flash wb in daylight?

    David

    Reply
  13. 13Neil vN says

    August 31, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    It’s a two-fold answer:
    1. trial & error
    2. shoot in RAW. (Then the anguish about choosing the exactly correct WB falls away.)

    Neil vN

    Reply

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