Color correcting Practicals?

MattC

MattC

Veteran
I'm shooting a scene that takes place with a hutch behind a dining room table. The hutch has glass doors and there are small light bulbs inside it to light up the dishes and what not. (the bulb is not labeled). I'll be using Lowel lights to light the scene. I'm trying to decide if I should use color correction gel behind the glass in the hutch. I just picked up some 1/2 blue to see how that worked, unfortunately it's all the local store has I'd have to order anything else.

What do you guys recommend?

Matt
 
Re: Color correcting Practicals?

If you can get on location and test it out, I would. You may find that you like the warmer look that those lights give, then again, you may not. Do the lights need to be on? If not, you just saved yourself some problems there, too.
 
Re: Color correcting Practicals?

Well since it's my dining room I can test all I want, which is what I'm doing but I need to order the gel and at $98 a roll, I'd like to have some idea of what to try. I don't mind it warm and would like the lights on for aesthetic reasons...
 
Re: Color correcting Practicals?

$98 for gel? Yeouch. Go down to a theater group or a production company and ask for some scraps, they should have miles of scraps that they wouldn't mind giving away...
 
Re: Color correcting Practicals?

you can mail-order gels in sheets as well as rolls. No need to get a roll for one practical.

You mention that you bought a 1/2 CTB...so how did that look on the light?
 
Re: Color correcting Practicals?

I doubt that I would bother correcting. That light is probably 2800dK, your fixtures are rated at 3200 but probably are actually putting out around 3000, depending on life and what diff you are putting in front of it. 200 to 400 d K isn't enough to fret over unless you are doing some critical product photography where color rendition has to be perfect. Shoot a test and take a look, I doubt you'll see a noticable difference. If you do; 1/8 CTB or possibly 1/4 CTB would be closer to the needed correction. I never carry 1/8 correction and almost never use 1/4 any more.
I do carry 1/2 CTB, full CTB, 1/2 CTO, full CTO, 1/2 minus green, 1/2 plus green, 3 levels of diffusion and a pack full of party gells. But no more 1/8.
 
Re: Color correcting Practicals?

I agree with xort. Unless the hutch lights are flourescent with an ugly green spike, or if you're shooting daylight balanced, I would just let them go warm and not worry about it. Sometimes different color temperatures in a shot can help add depth to the scene.
 
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