Photo Lighting Question


I think I've got my photo set-up down pat, using Joy's technique and what I learned in college, but my some of my colors are coming out wrong. This reddish basket is really a dark plum and the brown basket is actually black. I am sure it's the GE 100 and 150 Reveal bulbs that are causing me troubles. I tried the 300 watt bulbs but got a lot of glare and hot spots. Help!

Comments

Marian Parkes said…
Are you setting your white balance with a gray card?
Joy Tanner said…
That's what I was going to suggest, too. Try your gray card if you aren't already to adjust to the color and lighting you are using.

Other things to check: are your lights off in the room, do you have diffusers when you tried the 300 watt bulbs to diffuse those hot spots? Do you have your flash off?

Some cameras have settings where you choose the color, like 'vivid, cloudy, tungsten, florescent, neutral, black and white, etc. Depending on your camera I would think you want this feature on 'off.' Do you have a completely manual setting for your camera? Some cameras that don't have manual option or white balance options, you can try to make it work by using florescent, incandenscent, etc, and just choose the one that matches your bulb type. But if you CAN set your white balance, use the manual setting and then your colors should match up more accurately.

Hope that helps!?
Kari Weaver said…
I just don't get the fray card thing...guess I need to look into that more.

Joy, Flash is off, no outside or indoor light, I did use diffusers, but looking back at your set-up I think my side lights might be too close to the pots. I so set the camera to manual and I thought I had the white balance set properly according to the owner's manual.

I suppose I could just take the next class you and John give, eh?
Marian Parkes said…
Kari, there's a pretty good explanation of the whole gray card/white balance thing at this page. It's pretty easy to do. I'd try it out the next time you're shooting. Almost any camera shop can sell you a gray card. They cost about five or six dollars.

http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/white-balance-gray-card.html