p.1 #1 · Help needed for the choose and use of flash gel
Hi, I need some help for the choose and use of flash gel on my 580EXII for wedding and portrait work. Usually, I found gels are needed in reception session when the interior lighting is complicated.
I checked some books and contents on the internet, some suggest to use full CTS and 1/2 CTS instead of CTO for wedding reception shots. My question is:
1. I had some CTO, CTS, plus green, CTB with double, full, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8, when should I use each of these and how can I choose among double, full, 1/2, etc. And how to properly set WB on the camera then?
2. For daylight or overcast outdoor portraits, if I need to use speed light to fill light, should I also use certain gel? If so, which one to use?
3. To use gel, sometimes I may also need to use Steffen Omnibounce cap. Shall I put the gel in the cap or attach the gel right outside the cap?
I know the recent LR 4 beta include local WB adjustment that might be used to adjust the inappropriate cold color cast caused by flash without gel, but it's always better to get the image right out of the camera.
Any suggestion and comments are greatly appreciated.
p.1 #2 · Help needed for the choose and use of flash gel
silentwings wrote:
...I checked some books and contents on the internet, some suggest to use full CTS and 1/2 CTS instead of CTO for wedding reception shots. My question is:
1. I had some CTO, CTS, plus green, CTB with double, full, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8, when should I use each of these and how can I choose among double, full, 1/2, etc.
Only experience can tell you for sure, because different venues will have different lighting. Taking along an assortment and making some test shots before the event is a good idea until you get a feel for what will work best when.
silentwings wrote:
... And how to properly set WB on the camera then?
Since the gel is matching the flash color to the ambient, you'd set your flash balance for whatever the ambient is; fluorescent or tungsten, for example. Better yet, do a Custom White Balance using a gray card lit by the gelled flash.
silentwings wrote:
...2. For daylight or overcast outdoor portraits, if I need to use speed light to fill light, should I also use certain gel? If so, which one to use?
I only gel my flash outdoors if I'm trying to match a very warm sunrise or sunset. For normal daytime use I set my WB to flash, if I'm using the flash as the main light, or to Daylight or Cloudy (as appropriate) if I'm using the flash as fill.
silentwings wrote:
...3. To use gel, sometimes I may also need to use [Sto-Fen] Omnibounce cap. Shall I put the gel in the cap or attach the gel right outside the cap?
I put the gel in the cap; the cap nicely holds the gel in place. I also have two colored Omni-Bounce caps, one green and one orange, that work well in many situations.
silentwings wrote:
...I know the recent LR 4 beta include local WB adjustment that might be used to adjust the inappropriate cold color cast caused by flash without gel, but it's always better to get the image right out of the camera.
p.1 #3 · Help needed for the choose and use of flash gel
Thanks so much for your helpful tips, Brian!
BrianO wrote:
Only experience can tell you for sure, because different venues will have different lighting. Taking along an assortment and making some test shots before the event is a good idea until you get a feel for what will work best when.
Since the gel is matching the flash color to the ambient, you'd set your flash balance for whatever the ambient is; fluorescent or tungsten, for example. Better yet, do a Custom White Balance using a gray card lit by the gelled flash.
I only gel my flash outdoors if I'm trying to match a very warm sunrise or sunset. For normal daytime use I set my WB to flash, if I'm using the flash as the main light, or to Daylight or Cloudy (as appropriate) if I'm using the flash as fill.
I put the gel in the cap; the cap nicely holds the gel in place. I also have two colored Omni-Bounce caps, one green and one orange, that work well in many situations.
