Lighting modifier with reddish hue

[Newnan3]

I have 5 ft wide octagon softbox that gives off a pinkish-reddish hue in pictures. It gives off great soft light other than the color.
With reddish/pinkish skin the toughest to post process out this is quite annoying.

My question: Is there a lens filter or anything else that will help correct this?

 

[tirediron]

You could try using a green gel on the light to neutralize it. If it's the only light you're using, the simply adjust your WB to compensate.

 

[Newnan3]

I was thinking that a green gel would help neutralize the red but problem is i dont have a gel that size. Also, I dont have a way to hold the gel in place.

Would a green lens filter work as well ?

I will have to play around with the WB some more....

 

[tirediron]

I was thinking that a green gel would help neutralize the red but problem is i dont have a gel that size. Also, I dont have a way to hold the gel in place.

Would a green lens filter work as well ?

I will have to play around with the WB some more....

The problem with putting on something like a #11 is that while it will affect the light, it will affect the entire scene as well. Any decent camera store should be able to roll you off a couple of feet of green Rosco gel; clothes pins or similar will hold it in place.

 

[Derrel]

Is this octabbox gold inside? I cannot fathom who an octobox would give off a weird-colored light unless the inner lining was colored a warm color, like say, the sometimes seen gold-metallized fabric.

 

[tirediron]

or, is this a good-quality unit, or an off-shore eBay special?

 

[KmH]

What kind of light is in the softbox and what brand is the softbox?

Are you using the camera listed in your profile?

 

[Newnan3]

I will try to check out the local camera store and see if they have larger gel segments.....I just cant recall seeing many camera stores lately lol.

It is a fotodiox i got from amazon with the appropriate speedring of course

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Pro Octagon Softbox, 60" with Speedring for Alien Bees Strobe Light: Camera & Photo

It was certainly a "budget" item.

The monolight im using is a Calumet Genesis 200. The monolight is fine for everything else except the octobox.

I think this picture was taken with the octobox. http://www.flickr.com/photos/44706805@N07/5553161165/in/set-72157626208282933

The camera is a Panasonic GF1. Every picture taken in my flickr was taken with this camera http://www.flickr.com/photos/44706805@N07/sets/

Ive been away from the forum and photography for a few years but now im back....

 

[Derrel]

This looks like a simple white balance issue...as if the camera is setting to a "tungsten" white balance, probably due to the Panasonic's white balance sensor "seeing" the tungsten bulb's 2,800 to 2,900 degrees Kelvin modeling light from the Genesis monolight, but the actual FLASH output being more along the lines of 5,100 degrees Kelvin to 5,600 degrees Kelvin.

 

[Newnan3]

I never use the modeling light as I began using lights "strobist style" with speedlights and the modeling light gets too hot anyways.

Its been a while since Ive shot with the octobox but Im pretty sure I had the WB set appropriately. I use the monolight with a few other modifiers (umbrella, beautydish, umbrella-softbox-thing, etc) and the color with those looks fine.

I believe there's a custom WB setting in the camera so maybe i can fiddle with it in that regard.

I will track down some green gel while im at it.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

 

[Mach0]

I never use the modeling light as I began using lights "strobist style" with speedlights and the modeling light gets too hot anyways. Its been a while since Ive shot with the octobox but Im pretty sure I had the WB set appropriately. I use the monolight with a few other modifiers (umbrella, beautydish, umbrella-softbox-thing, etc) and the color with those looks fine. I believe there's a custom WB setting in the camera so maybe i can fiddle with it in that regard. I will track down some green gel while im at it. Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

I have that box and no issues with color cast. Be sure to set the wb.

 

[tirediron]

Looking at the image, I think the colour cast is actually a result of your key light hitting her hair and reflecting back on to her skin. I don't think it's a WB issue simply based on the fact that it's not consistent across the image.

 

[hirejn]

No soft box worth owning will give a color cast. Since I see a reddish hue in the whites of the image, including eyes and teeth, I'm lead to believe this is a combination of blown highlights plus poor white balance and possibly poor editing. If it is the soft box, which you can prove by reproducing the same result with any image for which the soft box was used, then it's time to get a good one. Or maybe it's just a poor quality light. None of the generic budget lighting kits online are worth buying so it's possible the kit is that bad. This is why for critical equipment I never recommend off brands, for any reason or purpose.

 

[Derrel]

I never use the modeling light as I began using lights "strobist style" with speedlights and the modeling light gets too hot anyways.

Its been a while since Ive shot with the octobox but Im pretty sure I had the WB set appropriately. I use the monolight with a few other modifiers (umbrella, beautydish, umbrella-softbox-thing, etc) and the color with those looks fine.

I believe there's a custom WB setting in the camera so maybe i can fiddle with it in that regard.

I will track down some green gel while im at it.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Reading this it sounds like you're just letting the white balance control run in AUTO. Indoors, what do you suppose the white balance of the room light happens to be?

Unless you happen to have some kind of magical "electronic flash continuous lighting light bulbs", your White Balance WILL BE OFF when making flash exposures and the WB allowed to run in AUTO mode.

Panasonic DMC-GF1 Review: Full Review - Exposure

As you can see, the GF1 has a Kelvin setting range from 2,500 up to 10,000 degrees Kelvin, as well as pre-sets. You're missing a **critical** step in the elementary basics of studio flash use. There's no need for green gel if you do things right. SET a WB.....

Do you realize that the GF1 allows the users to custom-tune the WB settings? Have you messed the camera up accidentally?

"In most of the white balance modes, you can fine-tune the color by pressing the down arrow. You're then presented with a x/y axis graph with which you can adjust between Amber and Blue levels and Green and Magenta levels by using the four arrow buttons."

 

[Newnan3]

WB was always set on the "flash setting"

I will have another look at the custom WB settings next time I use the octobox.

Thanks for input everyone