Color of Light Part 3

Photography is both an art and a science.  To gain control of your creative process need to master the technical (scientific) aspects of photography as well. 

With the dawn of the digital age, understanding color balance is a very important part of the process for creating creative images.

We have talked about how to adjust your camera color controls to create pictures that have realistic color for the situation.  Now we will talk about how to use the color controls to create a more artistic look. 

I will be walking through the pre-programed color settings with the same subject so you can see the differences in color and see how the settings can be used to be more creative.

First we will start with the photography created using the Auto setting.  Notice that we have orange-yellowish flowers with green stems and black shadows.  This image give a realistic view of the poppies.

Next, is the flash auto setting while using on camera flash.  Again we the the realistic version with some added three dimensional look.

On the florescent setting we see a change in color of the stems of the flowers. Also, notice the blue in the shadows.  The color of the flowers is more yellow and muted compared to the auto or the flash images.






On the Tungsten or Incandescent setting we again see changes in the color of the stems.  The highlight areas are purple compared to the auto or flash settings.




On the Sunny setting the image is flatter.  The poppy does have a more transparent feel. The colors are more realistice.

Cloudy setting gives a golden cast to the image as if it is sunset.  This is find as one of the most useful settings.  Even if you are taking the picture at high noon, you can give the illusion of sunset.

In shade mode the Shade pre-set compensate for the coolness (blue cast) of the shadows with a warming filter.  This gives an overall warm look to the image.





By using the pre-set color controls on your camera you can manipulate the color of the images to give them an artistic flair in the camera saving you time in post-production (photoshop).

Next time I will show some more artistic uses of color controls and how to use the pre-sets to compensate for the light color.

Then stay tuned as we will move onto tips to improve the composition of your images.

Color of Light Part 2

Now that you are seeing the color of light and how the temperature of sun changes the color.  We will move on to using the color of the light to improve the color of you images.

The color is measure in Kelvin degrees.  Below is a quick reference guide about temperature but we will move on to how to use color in your camera.

Color Temperature	Light Source
1000-2000 K	Candlelight
2500-3500 K	Tungsten Bulb (household variety)
3000-4000 K	Sunrise/Sunset (clear sky)
4000-5000 K	Fluorescent Lamps
5000-5500 K	Electronic Flash
5000-6500 K	Daylight with Clear Sky (sun overhead)
6500-8000 K	Moderately Overcast Sky
9000-10000 K	Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky

This can be a very complicated process but cameras now come with pre-set adjustments to make it easy for your camera to compensate for the light and give you the best images possible.  Check out your owners manual for how to change the White Balance settings for your particular camera.  Most cameras use standard symbols.  Below is the symbols with what they mean and a sample image shot in each of the presets.  

Compare images and decide which is the one you like best.  I would love to hear your comments about which one you like and why.

Auto - can be used a variety of conditions - in this case we have pretty good color:

 Custom or K for Kelvin - in this case we have more clarity in the glass for more realistic color

 Sunny or Daylight for use when outside in the direct light.  Here it looks darker with less contrast in the image so the glass is blending into the background.

 Shade - great for outdoor under the trees.  The light under the tree tends to be cool or slightly blue so this setting will compensate for the blue tones by warming it up with yellow.  Here the flowers are turning yellow.

 Cloudy - is great for outdoors with a lot of cloud cover (like we have had many days this past winter).  This one is less yellow than the Shade setting but still leaning to yellow.

 Flash should be used every time you use the flash on your camera or some type of off camera flash.  Since this image was photographed with a flash this setting works but could use a bit more contrast.  This image is similar to the Auto setting in this case.

 Fluorescent is greenish so this setting will help off set the green cast the light will create.  Since Fluorescent light is green the camera on this setting will 
turn images very blue.

 Tungsten or Incandescent - your typical home light bulb.  This light tends to be a bit reddish and this setting will counteract that color cast.  The camera again will correct the light to blue.

Next time we will discuss how to use the pre-sets to obtain the desired effect of your images.

'News from Elizabeth Toller Productions, Inc.'

'News from Elizabeth Toller Productions, Inc.'

Color of Light

As I look at the images posted on-line of my family and friends it occurred to me that the color of light is the place I should start with my tips to improve your images. Since photography is about capturing and manipulating light to enhance your subject, I think this is the most important place to
start.

So what is light? According to Dictionary.com it is "something that makes things visible or affords illumination".
Light can either be
- Natural Light (the sun or moon); or
- Artificial Light (man made light including light bulbs, candles, flashlight, fire, etc.)

Start looking at your images for color. Are the clothes of your subject the color they were actually wearing? Do your images look to yellow or blue? Are they too light or too dark? Do you shadows look purple or blue? Do your shadows look the same color as your subject? What color is the snow
from your ski vacation pictures? What color is the sand from your summer beach party pictures?

Watch the color in your house through the day. Is it more blue (cooler) looking in the morning? Does it warm up and look more yellow or orange as the day progresses?

When you in your car in the morning take a moment to look at your skin color (do this before you start the car) then in the evening do the same. Does it look the same? How is the light affecting your skin color?

How does your skin color look outside versus in your house?

Let's start by noticing the color of the light.

Next time, we'll talk about how to control and maninuplate the color of your images.

Professional Portraits

With the popularity of social networking with Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. The image you portray in your on line photos is more critical then ever. What does your profile picture look like you? What do your on-line photos say about your and your business?

Whatever is posted on the Internet never really goes away. What do you want your digital legacy to look like? Be wise about the images you post.

Elizabeth Toller Productions can help. February 6th is Professional Portrait Day. The session and one retouched electronic image that is printable to 8x10 is only $95 ($195 value). You can schedule on line at http://elizabethtollerproductions.brownbookit.com/schedules or call us at 714-985-9543

Elizabeth Toller Productions is here to help you preserve your memories for business and personal.

New & Improved Website

See us at www.TollerProductions.com

Our New and Improved Website

www.TollerProductions.com