Using Gels To Change The Background Color

[Benji]

I believe the background behind the woman in the image you questioned is naturally that color. My best guess is that the wall outside that window is painted that color and it was lit by natural daylight.

As far as putting a colored filter across the lens then using a different colored flash to cancel it out, I would say no. There are three primary colors, so you would need all three in an image to color balance the skin. You could I suppose, light the subject and background with flourescent light then gel your flash with an FLD filter to cancel out the green light from the flourescent light. Everything lit by the flourescent light will be green, everything lit by the flash will be correct (color temperature wise anyway) but that sounds like a lot of work to me when it could be done in Photoshop with a few mouse clicks and a few minutes of time.

Benji

[Mark McCall]

One set of gels and one grey or black background will give you hundreds of different looks.
The darker grey or black the background is, the more saturated your colors become.

[fantasiesimage]

Originally Posted by Benji

Albertp,

Thanks.

It would seem, according to some, that I'm simply not doing anything right, so just last Saturday I decided to amend my ways and start shooting like a more "modern" photographer. After perusing the net for several years and looking at hundreds of images from hundreds of photographers, I have finally generated the perfect image. This one will make all of those guys happy because I have taken care of everything that I have been doing wrong for 25 years and have combined it all into this one image. Now all of the guys who say there are no rules of portrait photography can just drool over this image. I've taken great pains to get the lighting just right. I picked this lighting idea up from a photographer who proudly posted a bridal image using this technique on his website. Another thing I like about this image is the background, and the beautiful bokeh. EVERYONE who has owned a point and shoot camera for more than two weeks knows that a photographer must be able to get the bokeh just right. Unfortunately however I'm told by a Nikon owner that Canon doesn't make a lens that will give one good bokeh, so I guess I will have to junk my stuff and run out and buy a Nikon and some good bokeh lenses.


Benji

Okay Benji!!!! NOW thats what Im talking about....Sarcasm...Wonderful!!!!!!!!!
Now I may or may not have been one of those you're talking about, but damn this is funny!
Benji I do truly appreciate what you do here on the camel and hope you continue.
There is a huge amount that can learned from you....not just the noobs, but me included..
Im just one who loves to break the rules or atleast attempt too.
Hopefully and I mean this sincerely you havent taken my posts as a personal attack but more of challenging rules, and Im not sayin its right to break them.....just dont get locked in em is my point I guess!
Benji Keep doing what you are doing...its a great asset to photocamel!!!

Don.

[felix.reichardt]

Benji, I just bought some gels and did some shots with a black background. Works quite well but the gray one you are using seems to have a cloudy pattern or are that wrinkles? Looks better than my. Can you tell me what brand and model you are using. Thanks

Cheers

[Benji]

Felix,

The reason my background has a mottled look is because it is a painted canvas in blacks and grays rather than a solid black like seamless paper would be.

Benji

[felix.reichardt]

Thanks Benji, thats what I thought, I need to get one for myself, just plain color starts getting boring

[jtmorales]

Ok, after reading this thread and reading about gels previous to this I decided to go looking for some gels. I have yet to find any. Someone had mentioned the Rosco Creative Gel pack, but I can't find it either. Any ideas on where to purchase these?

[jtmorales]

Nevermind I found some. Sorry about that.

[Mark McCall]

jt,
I buy mine from a drama supply company.
They supply hardware for drama clubs, stage productions, ect.

Another EXCELLENCT choice is www.lightingmagic.com
Scott Smith's are darker, more saturated colors

[felix.reichardt]

I got those gels from Visatec, same brand as my strobes. Price was 35 USD (expensive) I think for 12 colors.

[Denny]

Benji, I recently purchased a white background (paper) as my first background. I have been using hot shoe flashes ETTL with the Canon 580 and 420 speedlights. I also have two hot shoe flashed set up remotely to sync with my Canon 5D. I ran out and bought some colored gels thinking that I would simply place them on the front of the remote flashes and bingo I would get that color on my background. BUT it did not happen. I placed a bright blue filter on each of the remote flashes and proceeded to take some photos. Na da. Nothing changed. I changed the power output on both flashes and still nothing. I did notice, however, that when I pushed the test fire button on each that I could indeed see color on the background. So, do you have idea as to why I can not get the camera with the flashes to register any color? I know there must be a simple explanation but I am confused. Thanks, Denny.

[felix.reichardt]

Mhh. what I use is a black background ... sounds silly but works perfect.! I can get (almost) any shade of color I want by adjusting the power of my strobes. A gray background will also work or even better. I think a white one is not ideal for that, at least that's what I read.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by Denny

Benji, I recently purchased a white background (paper) as my first background. I have been using hot shoe flashes ETTL with the Canon 580 and 420 speedlights. I also have two hot shoe flashed set up remotely to sync with my Canon 5D. I ran out and bought some colored gels thinking that I would simply place them on the front of the remote flashes and bingo I would get that color on my background. BUT it did not happen. I placed a bright blue filter on each of the remote flashes and proceeded to take some photos. Na da. Nothing changed. I changed the power output on both flashes and still nothing. I did notice, however, that when I pushed the test fire button on each that I could indeed see color on the background. So, do you have idea as to why I can not get the camera with the flashes to register any color? I know there must be a simple explanation but I am confused. Thanks, Denny.

My best guess is that the pre-flash fires the other two units which are still recovering when the main flash fires. A white background does not work well with gels because they reflect the light rather than absorbing it. Placing a blue gel on a flash that is positioned behind your subject and using a white background will result in a light blue background and a blue halo around your subjects expecially their hair.

Benji

[SensorDust]

Originally Posted by Denny

Benji, I recently purchased a white background (paper) as my first background. I have been using hot shoe flashes ETTL with the Canon 580 and 420 speedlights. I also have two hot shoe flashed set up remotely to sync with my Canon 5D. I ran out and bought some colored gels thinking that I would simply place them on the front of the remote flashes and bingo I would get that color on my background. BUT it did not happen. I placed a bright blue filter on each of the remote flashes and proceeded to take some photos. Na da. Nothing changed. I changed the power output on both flashes and still nothing. I did notice, however, that when I pushed the test fire button on each that I could indeed see color on the background. So, do you have idea as to why I can not get the camera with the flashes to register any color? I know there must be a simple explanation but I am confused. Thanks, Denny.

Could it be the white balance used on the 5D. I read that the Flash WB setting will auto white balance and possibly remove the blue tint reflected from the paper. Have you tried using daylight balance instead. Or a fixed Kelvin temperature that matches your flash. Then the blue might show up. I don't have gels with me to test this theory.

[Mark McCall]

Originally Posted by Denny

Benji, I recently purchased a white background (paper) as my first background. I have been using hot shoe flashes ETTL with the Canon 580 and 420 speedlights. I also have two hot shoe flashed set up remotely to sync with my Canon 5D. I ran out and bought some colored gels thinking that I would simply place them on the front of the remote flashes and bingo I would get that color on my background. BUT it did not happen. I placed a bright blue filter on each of the remote flashes and proceeded to take some photos. Na da. Nothing changed. I changed the power output on both flashes and still nothing. I did notice, however, that when I pushed the test fire button on each that I could indeed see color on the background. So, do you have idea as to why I can not get the camera with the flashes to register any color? I know there must be a simple explanation but I am confused. Thanks, Denny.

My guess is that your background is overexposed.
Even with a gel, overexposing the background will blow out your color.
Use a grey or black background, and your color will magically appear.