Neil January 26th, 2008

Matching your flash heads to the ambient

The first step to good color, is to be accurate with your capture. I am able to shoot most of my wedding images in JPEG because I take a few extra steps to make sure that I use a consistant and accurate color temperature. Generally when we shoot indoors there are standard tungsten bulbs illuminating the room, with maybe a window or some florescent tubes. For starters we’ll just assume that the room is consistantly standard tungsten bulbs. In that case, it would be poor color theory and practically nonsense to use your camera’s flash uncorrected. Why?The composition is going to be color backwards! Your background is going to be red, which is said to advance or standout in a composition, while your subject is going to be cool, color correct white (which will ‘recede’ in the composition). Now that someone has pointed it out to you, does it bother you? Take a listen to this podcast with a Rosco headman for some more creative color ideas.Speaking in terms of workflow you’ll create a disparity between your highlight and your shadow ‘light color’ which is nearly impossible to completely remove in photoshop - and definately not practical when you’re working with 4-5 hundred images from the wedding. Tungsten lighting really has a nice warm feel to it and so you don’t want to destroy that, even if you have to help out your camera system. The solution is very simple and worth excercising. The light color is even important if you’re using a diffusion system.

Gel the light

Go down to your local photo retailer or below on this page and buy a color correction gel for your flash head. I have attached velcro to mine so I can quickly and securely attach it to the flash head while retaining the ability to control the zoom level of the Canon 580 flashes that I’m using. For my canon system I prefer Roscolux 3441 - Straw to match both the ambient tungstens and camera’s color recording settings. The Rosco 3441 gel states: “A yellower (or less red) version of Full CTO. Converts 5500K daylight to 2900K. I generally shoot my canon cameras at a Kelvin setting of 3300 to retain the warm sense in the highlights from the technically 2900k (or lower if they’re dimmed) sources at wedding receptions.This is a short page because it simply works great. Keep these gels with your camera always and you’ll be much more successful with your color straight out of the camera. And since you’re going to be so much more sensitive to the light color, read the next tip to reverse the game once again with artful purpose as you highlight your subject for better composition.

Shoe flash filters:

Due to popular request, I’ll ship you a shoe flash filter with velcro. Transactions are through PayPal, and include priority mail shipping which will get them to you in 2-3 days from the ship date.Package of two is $19: 3300k Roscoe Straw 3441Package of four: $29: 3300k Roscoe Straw 3441The 3300k color conversion kit for shoe flashes includes two wrap over filters with velcro attachment (that you apply yourself) and two hold in place filters for use inside a stoffen, LightSphere, or other flash modifier.

More Real examples

Matching your color temperature is not always about being indoors in tungsten light. For this sunset portrait I needed a pinkish color to match the ambient so I was able to use minus green to achieve a seamless color temerature.

Here is a sunrise photo shot at Letchworth State Park with the gorge filled with mist, strobes matched to color temperature once again. Image processed using ONE Action.

• On Art