Of white balace, Kelvin and mireds.

[480sparky]

OK, I'm getting a headache trying to figure this out!

Let's say I have a light source of 4500K. If I set the WB manually in my camera to the same number, 4500K, then the colors in the scene / subject should come out accurate.

But let's say I want to emulate how the scene would look by adjusting WB in post to say, 3000K. Obviously, setting my camera's WB to 3000K isn't going to make the subject / scene look yellow, but blue. What I want to do is not 'correct' for the lighting difference, but to 'highlight' it. I want the scene to actually have that yellow cast.

Now, I know the Kelvin scale isn't linear, and I understand mireds. But I can't figure out how to 'reverse' the process and light a scene with a 4500K light and make it LOOK like it was actually shot with 3000K lighting and the camera set to 4500K WB.

I can't just dial the WB in the opposite direction to 6000K and call it a day since the mired difference between 3000 and 4500 isn't the same as it is from 4500 to 6000.

What are my 3 brain cells missing? (besides too much to do on a weekend and needing to get back to work and take it easy!!!!)