Do you suggest any specific gels?

[Jess]

I want to get some gels for the background light. Are there any you specifically recommend? I know there are Roscos, Lees, and a variety of generics.

[cyclohexane]

Rosco has these gel books you can get for practically nothing; they are a penny or two to add to an order from B&H Photo Video. Also, I think they'll send you one if you call them. It'd be a great way to check out the Rosco ones and also see which colors you like. Each gel has an accompanying info card that lists various specs, including light transmission. They're perfect size for fitting over hotshoe flashes or even your pop-up flash.

[Jess]

Thanks Michael, and hope you had a nice Christmas. They aren't big enough for a 7" reflector for my strobs though, right? That sounds like the sample ones you can get. I should have mentioned they would be for strobes.

[cyclohexane]

I did have a nice Christmas. I hope you did too. =)

No, I'm pretty sure they're too small for your 7" reflector for your strobes. It'd still be a good way to check out the gels though.

[code3]

I recently bought the Rosco Cinegel Sampler kit, which has a good varierty of color correction, diffusion and colors. Check it out at B&H or Adorama.

[Jess]

Would they fit the 7" reflector? I think I saw them when I was searching.

[code3]

They're smaller than typical sizes, 10"x12" instead of 20"x24", but they fit perfectly over my Alien Bees 7" reflector.

[cyclohexane]

There is a 20x24" Cinegel sampler kit listed on B&H, but it's a bit more expensive... if the 10"x12" ones fit I wouldn't bother with the 20"x24" ones

[Mark McCall]

Jess,
I HIGHLY recommend the gel set from Scott Smith at Lighting Magic.com
http://www.lightingmagic.com/gelpage.htm

Scott's gels are darker, more saturated, and provide a stunning image. (see samples on the website).

I've used these gels in studio for several years.

[Jess]

Thanks Mark. I love his site, and really like the way he lights his subjects. I guess I never scrolled down far enough to see that he offers these. At first I thought the prics waskind of high, and then saw that it was for 13 gels. Most only come with 4 or 6, plus it has the carrying bag, and cardstock too. Thanks for giving me that link!

[Mark McCall]

Jess,
Here's a sample shot using the dark blue gel in Scott's kit.
The background is coke cans, glued to a backboard, painted black, lit with the blue gel.
Awesome.

[Jess]

the background reminds me of all of the green and clear soda bottles at Woodstock '99, and they spelled out Woodstock after being stuffed in the chainlink fence. (I worked there that weekend!)

Your pic very cool, and I really like that blue. How many lights did you have lighting her, plus the background, if you remember?

[Mark McCall]

Jess,
3 lights.
I had one 2x3' softbox to camera right, and one thin softbox overhead for a hairlight.
One monolight with a gel on the background shooting upwards to light the cans.

[Jess]

for hairlights, do you recommend regular sized strobes or smaller lights, just because they are up in the air, near the person you're shooting? I know that strip softboxes keep more of the light where it's supposed to be vs. a large dome, and you won't have alot of stray light.

[Mark McCall]

Jess,
I prefer the same sized light for hairlight as I do for the rest of my lights....one that lets you adjust power.

For blonde subjects, I turn it down, for brunettes, I turn it up, for black hair, I turn it waaaaay up.

A strip box lets you focus the light into a beam of sorts, but if you get a big group, your only going to light up people on the same plane, so a regular shaped softbox works fine too.