 Bonita L. Roberts |
One picture warm the other cool I'm a 1st year photography student and at our last class we took studio lighting shoots with a volunteer model. I am pleased with the results , but was wondering what could have caused two photos, taken back to back, to have such different coloring. One appears to be warm while the other cool. P.S. I'm sorry if I didn't put this in the right category.
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Were they flash or hot lights, and slide, digital, or print film?
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Bonita, The cameras sensor is very sensitive to color, so a small change in the frame can make a significant change in the way the sensor sees the shot. I usually set my camera to a custom preset set up for my strobes. This keeps the color stable through out a shoot. Another thing that causes crazy color shifts is using fluorescent lights, since they change color as the electricity goes through the 60 cycle shift. If you use fluorescent bulbs you should use a speed of 1/30th of a second. Thanks, John Siskin
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Bonita L. Roberts |
I'm a film user, canon elan 7ne. We went to our instructors studio where we were all given a chance to hook up to his flash units, 2 softbox, 1 umbrella..... I'm happy with the results, with this being my first time with studio lighting, but was wondering abouth the color shift. I scanned these, so there goes some of the quality, but over all, what do you think? Thanks again for you time and help!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
If you printed them yourself, you can't always get the color balanced for your first print and use the same set up for the next print. Even if it's taken the same way. Because as the saying goes "no two negatives are exactly alike" If you had them printed somewhere(by the way, looks like a WalWart, CVS job if you did) it could have been they didn't print it right. Be it the employee not doing the extra step, or the machine. Now if it's done by the lights and the negatives are truly different from light quality, maybe the lights don't produce consistent color. Which is something the more expensive, although better made lights are known for. If the lights have not been used for a while, the first flash could have a different color due to lack of heat build up. Could be age, the flash tube or something inside(coils, capacitors,etc..) If the other pictures follow the second picture, that could mean the lights change once they've been on and going, so maybe it's time for new ones or maybe some flash tube replacing. On the other hand, it could be as simple as if it was printed at a store, the first picture was printed with the machine on the wrong channel for the film brand. And they didn't redo it.
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi Bonita, The following is based on an assumption that your camera was loaded with color negative film. Further, you had the film and prints processed at a local shop, the images you posted are scans you made from the prints you received. The color printing machine (printer) in use at the local shop has a color detection circuit that looks at each negative. The machine logic is looking for what is called “Color Failure”. The shop technician knows about this and calls it “CF”. Color negatives vary widely in color balance. Color balance is mainly determined by the quality of the exposing light. Standard household lamps yield warm results; cloudless daylight is cold bluish, electronic flash replicates daylight. The CF circuit attempts to determine a color balance correction to apply to each negative. The circuit uses a scanner and selected pixels are evaluated based on a software generated recognition pattern. Your portrait features a large expanse of blue clothing. While the two frames are most similar they likely were evaluated quite differently. Tiny differences in pixel pattern placement can fool the circuit logic. One negative was adjudged to exposed via tungsten light, the other was adjudged to be daylight exposed. This is a common error encountered in automated printing. Operates are trained evaluate finished work and reprint with a manual correction applied. Obviously this lab allowed this order to pass without a comprehensive inspection. Since the negatives are not dissimilar, either can be reprinted with a manual correction. The results after the reprint will be quite favorable. Typically the lab will reprint at no charge. Alan Marcus
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Bonita L. Roberts |
I just love this site! Thank you so much for your time and help! If I wanted to purchase inexpensive lights for myself, what would you recomend? Thanks again!
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Michael A. Bielat |
Alienbees are good and cheap. I started with JTL lights. They have inexpensive kits but aren't the best thing to look at. They have this 80's look to them that really needs some revamping! But hey they work and they can take a beating!
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Debby A. Tabb |
Actually this looks like a mis fire to me. Frame 1, has hot spots runing on nose and shoulders where frame 2 does not. I personally think you maybe fired before a complete refil in the lights. Bonita, if intrested in Lighting, email me and I can email you info as I have many others/ or add a phone # and we'll talk. I have helped others set up thier studios, however right now I am going 17 hours of the day so phone is a bit easier. Wishing you the very best in this venture, Debby Tabb
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hands down, the best light sets would be an electronic flash with accessories like umbrella etc. Electronic flash (strobe) is best because the quality of the light replicates daylight. Additionally, since the taking light is a flash, the subject is not subjected to the heat and discomfort of bright continuous lights. The chief disadvantage is, since the exposing light is not on all the time, the photographer can’t visually see the effect as to placement. As a countermeasure most worthwhile studio grade lectronic flash units have a built-in tungsten lamp know as a “modeling lamp”. This is a continuous lamp that allows the photographer to pre-visualize the effects of placement. The only problem with electronic flash is the units are pricey. Nevertheless these are the lights you should be dreaming about. As to inexpensive, one could get by with clamp-on (pin-up) light fixtures purchased from the local hardware store. While no one would advocate you should base your career around these $8 lamps, they will indeed work. Get several, note the maximum wattage and keep the bulb below this rating. Get an extension cord or two and a couple of power strips. You can learn a lot using an inexpensive light set. Caution; an array of lamps consume electricity and generate heat. Always be mindful of a circuit overload, an electrical fire is not pleasant. Use electrical strips they have over-load protection built-in. The color balance of these fixtures when loaded with standard 100 watt or 150 watt lamps is too warm. Thus color pictures will tend to be reddish. However, color negative film is color corrected at the lab during the printing cycle. No one would say this is the perfect way to go but if you are on a shoestring budget these will do for starters. Alan Marcus
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Misfire looks correct. Blow the pictures up you see the grainy and lack of detail in the hair of the red one. Looks like it's lit from the modeling lights and they printed it lighter to get you a decent looking print.
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Alan N. Marcus |
Images depicting a large expanse of color such as the subject’s dress are likely candidates for CF. The printer’s color correction logic sees this expanse and attempts to locate the corresponding values on a swarm graph of negatives of the same emulsion type. Once located the computer logic deploys correction filtration during the printing exposure. Tiny changes in the image location on the frame or tiny changes in the position of the negative in the printing gate can lead to a print shifted warm or cold. If it is a strobe misfire and the warmer print was made from film exposed primarily to modeling lights, the image would likely be severely underexposed. I would ask Bonita to examine the negatives and report if she can see density difference. Hopefully my evaluation of CF is correct and the reprint will be highly satisfactory. Alan Marcus
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Actually they are a little under. Look under and printed lighter. Machines now are pretty good at auto printing with consistency.
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