Using color gels on flash at sunset
Todd Council
used a fill flash to brighten up my foreground subjects. Sunsets there were
amazing since the sun was setting just over the water looking down the
shoreline (the beaches run basically east-west) Everything you need for
those eye candy photos were there, great colors, a few clouds, reflections
in the wet sand. When I got back the slides, the subjects in the foreground
were just a little too blue from the flash. I know that next time I should
use a colored gel on the flash to warm up the fill light.
So, what do I get? I went to one local shop that recommended that I buy a 3
inch 81B gel filter like a Cokin. Another shop recommended the Lumiquest FX
softbox with colored gels, but they seem REALLY dark (they come with a blue,
green, orange, yellow, and red gels). I guess that there are also gels that
are used on studio lights. I would appreciate any suggestions/opinions.
Todd
Tom
wrote:
In the Roscoe line of gels, one commonly used for the purpose you
suggested is called (believe it or not) "Amber bastard".
Tom
Washington, DC
Tim Kingston
Todd Council wrote in message ...
>On a recent trip to Destin, Florida I shot a couple of "sunset" rolls and
>used a fill flash to brighten up my foreground subjects. Sunsets there
were
>amazing since the sun was setting just over the water looking down the
>shoreline (the beaches run basically east-west) Everything you need for
>those eye candy photos were there, great colors, a few clouds, reflections
>in the wet sand. When I got back the slides, the subjects in the
foreground
>were just a little too blue from the flash. I know that next time I should
>use a colored gel on the flash to warm up the fill light.
>
>So, what do I get? I went to one local shop that recommended that I buy a
3
>inch 81B gel filter like a Cokin. Another shop recommended the Lumiquest
FX
>softbox with colored gels, but they seem REALLY dark (they come with a
blue,
>green, orange, yellow, and red gels). I guess that there are also gels
that
>are used on studio lights. I would appreciate any suggestions/opinions.
>
>
Hi,
Unless you plan on shooting Black and White , or use your flash filter and a
complementary colored lens filter in combination for effect , I would not go
for the various colors . In this case you wanted the foreground and
background balanced in color temperature, not that nice blue foreground.
:-)
Hey, here's a little trick for you . Use a blank exposed piece of color
negative film as you gel. Reala 100 used to work very well. The resulting
flash is very close to perfect for Tungsten film. I think it would work well
with your sunset scenario, using daylight film.
Some money spent on a " diffusion device " would be wise, maybe. However if
you ask, I bet you a lot of people here would have great home made devices
for diffusing flash . . .
Tim
-- " If my heart could do my thinking and my head begin to feel I would
look upon the world anew and know what's truly real "
Van Morrison
Gord Jeoffroy
wrote:
>When I got back the slides, the subjects in the foreground
>were just a little too blue from the flash. I know that next time I should
>use a colored gel on the flash to warm up the fill light.
Or you could shoot with a warming filter on the lens. It'd warm up
your flash-illuminated subject and punch up the sunset colours as
well. But experiment with this first: you might find the sunset/sky
becomes TOO warm with this method.
--Gord
Spam is the devil's tool.
To reply by e-mail, remove the underscore from my address.
John Emmons
Roscoe, Lee, Bogen, etc. They have a full range of warming gels
inside, shouldn't cost a cent. If you don't live near a good shop,
email me back and I'll mail you one, I have quite a few that I have
collected.
John Emmons
Tim Kingston wrote in message ...
>
>Todd Council wrote in message ...
>>On a recent trip to Destin, Florida I shot a couple of "sunset"
rolls and
>>used a fill flash to brighten up my foreground subjects. Sunsets
there
>were
>>amazing since the sun was setting just over the water looking down
the
>>shoreline (the beaches run basically east-west) Everything you need
for
>>those eye candy photos were there, great colors, a few clouds,
reflections
>>in the wet sand. When I got back the slides, the subjects in the
>foreground
>>were just a little too blue from the flash. I know that next time I
should
>>use a colored gel on the flash to warm up the fill light.
>>
David C. Ramey
small section from the gel and cover just the center of your flash,
otherwise anything white will become the color of your gel.
--
David C. Ramey
David C. Ramey Photography
ph...@alaskalife.net
http://www.alaskalife.net/dramey/home.htm
"Gord Jeoffroy" <gor...@idirect.com> wrote in message
news:ObYuOTGM8RTimx...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 25 May 2000 03:53:04 GMT, "Todd Council" <todd...@onr.com>
> wrote:
>
> >When I got back the slides, the subjects in the foreground
> >were just a little too blue from the flash. I know that next time I
should
> >use a colored gel on the flash to warm up the fill light.
>
zeitgeist
Todd Council wrote:
>
> On a recent trip to Destin, Florida I shot a couple of "sunset" rolls and
> used a fill flash to brighten up my foreground subjects. Sunsets there were
> amazing since the sun was setting just over the water looking down the
> shoreline (the beaches run basically east-west) Everything you need for
> those eye candy photos were there, great colors, a few clouds, reflections
> in the wet sand. When I got back the slides, the subjects in the foreground
> were just a little too blue from the flash. I know that next time I should
> use a colored gel on the flash to warm up the fill light.
>
> So, what do I get? I went to one local shop that recommended that I buy a 3
> inch 81B gel filter like a Cokin. Another shop recommended the Lumiquest FX
> softbox with colored gels, but they seem REALLY dark (they come with a blue,
> green, orange, yellow, and red gels). I guess that there are also gels that
> are used on studio lights. I would appreciate any suggestions/opinions.
>
first, you may not need a gel to warm the flash, you have
over filled, try to set your flash one stop, in the case of
a sunset maybe more, under the ambient.
But for a filter to cover the flash, optical quality is not
a priority, use any celophane that is colored straw, amber,
yellow. For really warm tone, use a piece of yellow
tailight plastic.
vivitar sells, or used to sell filters that slid into their
285's or snapped on the face of the 283's. You can find
them at swap meets for a few bucks, then you have the four
primary colors (well there are four in the kit) to some cool
filtered flash stuff.
At theatrical supply, pro photo shops and perhaps graphic
arts supply, you can buy sheets of gels in a stunning array
of colors. I use a sheet or two of ND gel for vignettes.
They used to give away sample sets, a whole stack of 1 1/2
inch by 3 inch pieces held with a long screw post but found
out that folks where just using them for filters on their
flash or even held over the lens. Amber would give you a
good warming, but check out the straws too. Six bucks and
you have a life time supply. (the sheets are like 2x3 feet.)
z-ProPhoto <z-Pro...@onelist.com>
Jim
wrote:
>
>In the Roscoe line of gels, one commonly used for the purpose you
>suggested is called (believe it or not) "Amber bastard".
>
Or Bastard Amber (Rosco 02)... of course there is also a "Light
Bastard Amber (03)... and so forth.
These gels have a high blue cut and will warm the flash, but they also
have a significant transmisson cut... You might also try Rosco 08
(Pale Gold) its brighter and warmer. Cuts blue but not much else.
Jim
Tom
>On Thu, 25 May 2000 04:05:53 GMT, spam-...@worldnet.att.net (Tom)
>wrote:
>>In the Roscoe line of gels, one commonly used for the purpose you
>>suggested is called (believe it or not) "Amber bastard".
>>
>Or Bastard Amber (Rosco 02)... of course there is also a "Light
>Bastard Amber (03)... and so forth.
I prefer my word order when I'm really annoyed, your word order most
other times - grin. My assistant just explains to onlookers that
"he's just specifying which gel to use".
;-))
Tom
Washington, DC