Color-correction gels allow you to blend your flash in a natural-looking way with the ambient light and enhance the color balance in your images. Similar colors may vary between different companies' formulations – for example, many have a color named " bastard amber", but the transmitted color spectrum may be different. Once more, look again at the shots and see how the front of the model is slightly warmer in tone thanks to that softbox with the CTO gel inside.

The Basics of Color Gels in Photography | PetaPixel

To avoid this, use the CTG (color temperature green) gel on your light to balance out the flash and fluorescent light.You could also use a snoot here or even barn doors, the important thing is that you control the light to only be on the model. The Gelatran process is still used today to produce GAMColor (100% of the line) and Roscolux (about 30% of the line). If you’re interested in learning more about it, I do go over it in a LOT more detail in this article: How to Avoid Colour Banding when using Coloured Gels - This is a monster article that really gets into the weeds of colour theory, but remember, you don’t need to meet the cow to enjoy the burger! Temperature adjustment gels will make a light source “cooler” or “warmer” depending on what is used.

Balancing Color for Flash and Ambient Light using Gels

As always, if you have any questions or comments about the setups or if something doesn’t make sense, then by all means fire-away in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer what I can.

The product will still cost you the same as if you went direct, and the commission helps pay for running this site. This is because the lights in the background are not true 3200°K and we have been relying on tungsten color temperature for our corrections. This sounds a little more complicated than it is and although photographers rarely use these colour temperature gels today with modern strobes, the TV and cinema industry still use them a huge amount. I don’t recommend shooting with flashes in the rain, but if you are out while the rain starts, try to keep them covered, but remember, you need to let them breath as well.

8 Awesome Lighting Setups Using Gels For Creativity 8 Awesome Lighting Setups Using Gels For Creativity

The CTO and CTS series gels have the both have the same amount of color temprature correction power (e. If you're photographing with an older flash, it may only go down to 1/16th power, which can be too much. When you choose the proper white balance for the color of light you are photographing, the color in the exposure will be neutral, and look correct. Though you can start out attaching gels with gaff tape, however the tape can melt as your flash heats up. Every gel has some amount of light loss meaning the color gels will cut total output from your flash.In this setup I play with a clever little setup that uses the restrictive confines of your own home to your advantage, and this technique can be achieved in almost any size space!