Speedlight gels

[SabrinaO]

Right now I have one speedlight, and im thinking about getting some gels because im tired of the boring white and black paper backdrops that I have. So right now im just looking for more info on these gels. Would they work on a white paper backdrop? Do you think one speedlight (sb600) is enough to color the whole backdrop or do you think I need another light? Do they always look so neon-y? And lastly... please post pics of your gelled backgrounds if you use them! I would love to see them!

 

[Lodd]

A tip is to order a free swatchbook from leefilters. then you'll get like 350 filters for free. THAT's a good deal.

How to you wanna color you backdrop? with a snooted flash? (the backdrop will look like it's lited with a single spotlight) Or one big evenly colored backdrop?

 

[mwcfarms]

Two lights for a big evenly spread of light. I tried it with one and you get too much fallout.

 

[Buckster]

Would they work on a white paper backdrop?

Sure, no problem.

Do you think one speedlight (sb600) is enough to color the whole backdrop or do you think I need another light?

Depends on how big it is and how far away the light is from it, but generally speaking, yeah, one light will work. That said, you'll likely want a second light for your subject if you've dedicated the one you have to coloring the background.

Do they always look so neon-y?

Not if you don't want them to. It's a matter of your aperture setting and the ambient light that will also play into the mix. You can adjust from just a slight tint of color all the way to the full neon-rich color you often see.

And lastly... please post pics of your gelled backgrounds if you use them! I would love to see them!

Here's a few of mine:

 

[Derrel]

On a white backdrop, gels tend to produce rather delicate,pastel hues. On a black background, the same gel will tend to create a darker, richer colored background. On a gray background, somewhere in between.

When firing gels onto white paper backdrops, one must be careful of colored light reflecting back onto the subject; this type of blowback is much less of a problem on darker backgrounds.

 

[Big Mike]

Like Derrell said, you almost have to think about it like mixing paint. If your backdrop is white and you hit it with a red gelled flash, you end up with light red or pinkish. If your backdrop is black, you end up with a deep, dark red. And grey is somewhere in the middle.

 

[Buckster]

Like Derrell said, you almost have to think about it like mixing paint. If your backdrop is white and you hit it with a red gelled flash, you end up with light red or pinkish. If your backdrop is black, you end up with a deep, dark red. And grey is somewhere in the middle.

I have to disagree. All else being equal, if you use a smaller and smaller apertures, it will deepen and darken and the color will get deeper and richer, all the way to black if you want to go that far (may need to move the light back to get all the way to black, but it can be done).

 

[Big Mike]

Well, yes of course, you can control the brightness with control of your exposure. But I think you still tend to get more pastel tones with a white backdrop and deeper tones with a dark one.

And if you use your aperture to lower the exposure of your background light, you may need a whole lot of lighting power for your other lights.

 

[Buckster]

The pepper drop is a white background. Not very pastel looking to my eyes.

 

[Big Mike]

I'll give you that...it's a nice deep dark blue.

 

[flightless_beaker]

A tip is to order a free swatchbook from leefilters. then you'll get like 350 filters for free. THAT's a good deal.

Link?

I almost spent hard earned money on gels

 

[Buckster]

Related:

Watch the video of Dean Collins (one of my favorite photo gurus when it comes to lighting) on this page. It's the one titled "Dean Collins On Lighting - Live at Brooks Institute of Photography".

I think you'll find it "enlightning". (yeah, I said that! )

 

[Derrel]

I'll give you that...it's a nice deep dark blue.

And, had the paper been gray, it would have been a darker blue...

...and had the paper been black, the blue would have been even darker and more saturated...

 

[Buckster]

I'll give you that...it's a nice deep dark blue.

And, had the paper been gray, it would have been a darker blue...

...and had the paper been black, the blue would have been even darker and more saturated...

Unless I dialed the aperture to compensate. White, gray or black background makes little difference, it can be dialed in to any color depth desired.

Watch the Dean Collins vid. Collins has (had - he's dead now) a great way of explaining these kinds of things.

 

[Lodd]

A tip is to order a free swatchbook from leefilters. then you'll get like 350 filters for free. THAT's a good deal.

Link?

I almost spent hard earned money on gels

Lee Filters Contact us

Just tell them you want a free swatchbook. mine showed up after about a week.