Fill flash and warm lights

unkabin · 01-25-2009, 02:42 PM

Once again, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place. I was wondering what people do about fill flash appearing blue-white when used in a warmly lit environment, such as under tungsten lighting. Is there a cheap solution?

Thanks,
Vinny

**DAZ** · 01-25-2009, 02:49 PM

If you want to change the color of your flash you can use a “gel” over your flash. There are different inexpensive ways to do this but you may like to go to Strobist and look in the archives to get some info on what to do.

DAZ

stewart_photo · 01-25-2009, 03:00 PM

Of course, always set your white balance for the dominate light source. If that's flash, select flash in the WB menu. To handle fill with artificial light, consider using a similar artificial light source instead of flash. If you absolutely must use flash, the gel filters recommended by DAZ is the only workable option, noting the gels can be used on either the flash or the artificial light source as needed.

stewart

CalendarGuy · 01-25-2009, 03:21 PM

DAZ is right with both the CTO gel on the flash so that the white balance can be set to tungsten, as well as referring to the strobist blog for detailed solutions.

You will also find situations where you have tungsten, daylight and flash all at the same time. Or you may not have your flash gels handy. In these cases you need to decide which light is the primary source, and white balance for that. In most cases the flash wins, and you can still get pleasing effects from the yellow incandescent bulbs and blue tones of the natural light in the background.

The shot below was is all tungsten since it is still dark outside, so nothing coming through the windows. I'm using a bounce flash without a gel off of the ceiling for my main light, and everything else is "yellow." Aside from the the blur (my fault), the color temperatures seem to work together...at lease good enough for a candid. This could definitely have been balanced with the gel, but I personally like the results.

**DAZ** · 01-25-2009, 04:37 PM

If you would like to play with gels on your flash there are a lot of ways to shave that cat. Legaleze: I am not indorsing or promoting any particular product or seller.

You could get some thing like this 650021 Smith Victor Color Effects Rainbow Filter Pack with Six 12" x 12" Gel Filters. and cut it up to the size you need. You then tape it to your flash.

Taping is kind of funky so you could get a kit like this HPRKIT HonlPhoto Gel Kit 2" x 4" Gel Filter Kit for the Speed Strap, by Rosco and just glue some Velcro to your flash. This gives you a good staring sample of gels for most situations.

Well glue is not a hole lot better then tape so you could get a strap like this DHSSS HonlPhoto Speed Strap for Shoe Mount Flashes that you can put on or take it off your flash.

But if you get something like this LQ121 LumiQuest FXtra, Eight Gel Filter Set with Storage Pouch, with Gel Holder for Most Popular Flash Models and the strap you have a place to keep the gels with the flash and a sample of gels to start with. If you need more gels later you can get samples or buy sheets and cut them to size for the holder.

DAZ

unkabin · 01-25-2009, 07:04 PM

Thanks for the info.

DAZ, do you need the strap to hold on the FXstra, or is it just for adding a bounce card or other accessory once it is on?

**DAZ** · 01-25-2009, 07:43 PM

The strap is made to be used on about any flash accessories, as it is the fussy side of Velcro it can be used with most Velcro things that are the hook side. So yes you need it or some thing like it. I use it to hold snoots, gobos and some LumiQuest diffusers on my hot shoe flashes. The strap has rubber on the back so you can use it on just about anything you can rap it around. Kind of a handy thing to have around.

DAZ

**sinus007** · 01-25-2009, 08:22 PM

Hi Vinny,
I believe I read it in strobist a few months ago. It was an article about using fill-in flash and preserving existing light. Sorry, I don't remember details. In any case you'll find wealth of information there.
Good luck,

egordon99 · 01-26-2009, 12:46 PM

If the room is small enough, just use the flash to provide ALL the illumination, ie set the ambient exposure low enough that the shot would have been more or less black had the flash not fired. Usually setting the shutter speed to 1/180s and a low enough ISO will do this for you.

felix68 · 01-26-2009, 04:05 PM

Originally posted by egordon99

If the room is small enough, just use the flash to provide ALL the illumination, ie set the ambient exposure low enough that the shot would have been more or less black had the flash not fired. Usually setting the shutter speed to 1/180s and a low enough ISO will do this for you.

The "Nuke Em All" approach will work but in the pic above, with the nice Christmas tree lights, you wouldn't get the nice effect from them. If you could see that they were lights at all, they would look small and dim.
Midwest Photo Exchange sells a "Strobist" pack of color correction gels that include smaller sheets of the gels that you need. I think it is $20 or so and you just cut whatever size you need and attach by any means that you like. Works really well.

01-25-2009, 02:42 PM	#1
unkabin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Moorhead, MN Posts: 176	Fill flash and warm lights Once again, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place. I was wondering what people do about fill flash appearing blue-white when used in a warmly lit environment, such as under tungsten lighting. Is there a cheap solution? Thanks, Vinny

01-26-2009, 04:05 PM	#10
felix68 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 281	That Would Work But... Originally posted by egordon99 If the room is small enough, just use the flash to provide ALL the illumination, ie set the ambient exposure low enough that the shot would have been more or less black had the flash not fired. Usually setting the shutter speed to 1/180s and a low enough ISO will do this for you. The "Nuke Em All" approach will work but in the pic above, with the nice Christmas tree lights, you wouldn't get the nice effect from them. If you could see that they were lights at all, they would look small and dim. Midwest Photo Exchange sells a "Strobist" pack of color correction gels that include smaller sheets of the gels that you need. I think it is $20 or so and you just cut whatever size you need and attach by any means that you like. Works really well.

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01-25-2009, 02:49 PM	#2
DAZ Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Everett, WA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 744	If you want to change the color of your flash you can use a “gel” over your flash. There are different inexpensive ways to do this but you may like to go to Strobist and look in the archives to get some info on what to do. DAZ

01-25-2009, 03:00 PM	#3
stewart_photo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 1,864	Of course, always set your white balance for the dominate light source. If that's flash, select flash in the WB menu. To handle fill with artificial light, consider using a similar artificial light source instead of flash. If you absolutely must use flash, the gel filters recommended by DAZ is the only workable option, noting the gels can be used on either the flash or the artificial light source as needed. stewart

01-25-2009, 03:21 PM	#4
CalendarGuy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 46	DAZ is right with both the CTO gel on the flash so that the white balance can be set to tungsten, as well as referring to the strobist blog for detailed solutions. You will also find situations where you have tungsten, daylight and flash all at the same time. Or you may not have your flash gels handy. In these cases you need to decide which light is the primary source, and white balance for that. In most cases the flash wins, and you can still get pleasing effects from the yellow incandescent bulbs and blue tones of the natural light in the background. The shot below was is all tungsten since it is still dark outside, so nothing coming through the windows. I'm using a bounce flash without a gel off of the ceiling for my main light, and everything else is "yellow." Aside from the the blur (my fault), the color temperatures seem to work together...at lease good enough for a candid. This could definitely have been balanced with the gel, but I personally like the results.

01-25-2009, 04:37 PM	#5
DAZ Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Everett, WA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 744	If you would like to play with gels on your flash there are a lot of ways to shave that cat. Legaleze: I am not indorsing or promoting any particular product or seller. You could get some thing like this 650021 Smith Victor Color Effects Rainbow Filter Pack with Six 12" x 12" Gel Filters. and cut it up to the size you need. You then tape it to your flash. Taping is kind of funky so you could get a kit like this HPRKIT HonlPhoto Gel Kit 2" x 4" Gel Filter Kit for the Speed Strap, by Rosco and just glue some Velcro to your flash. This gives you a good staring sample of gels for most situations. Well glue is not a hole lot better then tape so you could get a strap like this DHSSS HonlPhoto Speed Strap for Shoe Mount Flashes that you can put on or take it off your flash. But if you get something like this LQ121 LumiQuest FXtra, Eight Gel Filter Set with Storage Pouch, with Gel Holder for Most Popular Flash Models and the strap you have a place to keep the gels with the flash and a sample of gels to start with. If you need more gels later you can get samples or buy sheets and cut them to size for the holder. DAZ

01-25-2009, 07:04 PM	#6
unkabin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Moorhead, MN Posts: 176 Original Poster	Thanks for the info. DAZ, do you need the strap to hold on the FXstra, or is it just for adding a bounce card or other accessory once it is on?

01-25-2009, 07:43 PM	#7
DAZ Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Everett, WA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 744	The strap is made to be used on about any flash accessories, as it is the fussy side of Velcro it can be used with most Velcro things that are the hook side. So yes you need it or some thing like it. I use it to hold snoots, gobos and some LumiQuest diffusers on my hot shoe flashes. The strap has rubber on the back so you can use it on just about anything you can rap it around. Kind of a handy thing to have around. DAZ

01-25-2009, 08:22 PM	#8
sinus007 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 292	Hi Vinny, I believe I read it in strobist a few months ago. It was an article about using fill-in flash and preserving existing light. Sorry, I don't remember details. In any case you'll find wealth of information there. Good luck,

01-26-2009, 12:46 PM	#9
egordon99 Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Outside of Philly Posts: 1,561	If the room is small enough, just use the flash to provide ALL the illumination, ie set the ambient exposure low enough that the shot would have been more or less black had the flash not fired. Usually setting the shutter speed to 1/180s and a low enough ISO will do this for you.