I decided to write these two articles to help you be aware of light sources at a wedding to help you correctly white balance your photos. To review a little from the first article, at a wedding you will find many sources of light that are competing with each other to be the main light in your image. If each of these light sources has a different color temperature then your photos will have a color cast and will not have a correct white balance.
Visualize a room that is illuminated by a fluorescent ceiling fixture, and in the corner of this room there is a table lamp with a tungsten bulb. These different light sources have vastly different color temperatures, and will give a color cast to your final image. You can keep this from happening by noticing the different sources of light around you. As I stated in the first article, you do not need a colored gel for your flash if you are using it to fill where the main light is daylight. Now I am going to talk about how to correctly choose a gel for your flash in more complex lighting situations.
Indoors you will normally be faced with one of three main light sources. These are: daylight, florescent, and tungsten. When you enter a room you will need to be able to identify the main source of light, then match it. I talked about daylight in the previous article. If your light source is florescent, they you will need to put a florescent gel on your flash and set the white balance on your camera to florescent lighting. Nowadays there are many different types of florescent lighting with different color temperatures. This means you will need to carry a few different florescent gels with you. Likewise, you will need a few different CTO gels to match different types of tungsten lighting. These tungsten gels are: full CTO, 1/2 CTO, and 1/4 CTO. As before, put a CTO gel on your flash and set the white balance on your camera to tungsten. With either a florescent gel or CTO gel, try different ones out and see what matches best the main light in the room.
If you enter a room and see competing light sources you will need to remedy the situation. In the opening example with the room lit by candles and fluorescent lighting you have two choices: blow out the candles or turn off the overhead lighting. If the candles are not going to be in frame, or they are far enough from where you are shooting such that they are not giving off competing light then you can shoot no problem. Following this principle, if I enter a room and there is tungsten light, I am not going to shoot with my bare flash (which is made to match daylight). I need to identify that the main source is tungsten, and put on a gel to match it.
Another important thing to remember is that you will need a CTO gel for sunrise and sunset. Sunrise and Sunset are not normal daylight hours. If you were to use your flash without a gel your photos would have a bluish cast to your subjects. Because this sunrise/sunset light is so warm, a CTO gel is needed. Try different CTO gels to find one that best matches the natural light of where you are on the globe, and the time of year you are shooting.
Visualize a room that is illuminated by a fluorescent ceiling fixture, and in the corner of this room there is a table lamp with a tungsten bulb. These different light sources have vastly different color temperatures, and will give a color cast to your final image. You can keep this from happening by noticing the different sources of light around you. As I stated in the first article, you do not need a colored gel for your flash if you are using it to fill where the main light is daylight. Now I am going to talk about how to correctly choose a gel for your flash in more complex lighting situations.
Indoors you will normally be faced with one of three main light sources. These are: daylight, florescent, and tungsten. When you enter a room you will need to be able to identify the main source of light, then match it. I talked about daylight in the previous article. If your light source is florescent, they you will need to put a florescent gel on your flash and set the white balance on your camera to florescent lighting. Nowadays there are many different types of florescent lighting with different color temperatures. This means you will need to carry a few different florescent gels with you. Likewise, you will need a few different CTO gels to match different types of tungsten lighting. These tungsten gels are: full CTO, 1/2 CTO, and 1/4 CTO. As before, put a CTO gel on your flash and set the white balance on your camera to tungsten. With either a florescent gel or CTO gel, try different ones out and see what matches best the main light in the room.
If you enter a room and see competing light sources you will need to remedy the situation. In the opening example with the room lit by candles and fluorescent lighting you have two choices: blow out the candles or turn off the overhead lighting. If the candles are not going to be in frame, or they are far enough from where you are shooting such that they are not giving off competing light then you can shoot no problem. Following this principle, if I enter a room and there is tungsten light, I am not going to shoot with my bare flash (which is made to match daylight). I need to identify that the main source is tungsten, and put on a gel to match it.
Another important thing to remember is that you will need a CTO gel for sunrise and sunset. Sunrise and Sunset are not normal daylight hours. If you were to use your flash without a gel your photos would have a bluish cast to your subjects. Because this sunrise/sunset light is so warm, a CTO gel is needed. Try different CTO gels to find one that best matches the natural light of where you are on the globe, and the time of year you are shooting.
About the Author:
Kevin Heslin is one of the principle Wedding and Commercial photographers in Costa Rica. To see more of his photography tips click on his blog Costa Rica Wedding Photographer Or to see destination wedding photos from Costa Rica, or travel and cultural portraits from Central America click on his website Photography in Costa Rica. Free reprint available from: Wedding Photography Tips for Beginners - How to Properly White Balance Your Photos Part 2.
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