Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

2 Einsteins but all I get is pink. Any suggestions on how to get a deep red?

Paul

Two things will be at play here.

1- The power coming through the light with the gel. The more light, the lighter the color. Think of it like this. If you photograph a red wall, the more exposure you give it, the lighter it will be. Slightly under exposing is often used to saturate colors.

2- If you get the red gel on a white background correct, once you add white light from the main/fill/kicker/etc., the color will be diluted.

You will need have two completely different exposure scenarios in the same image, one for the background (gelled) and one for the subject. When you light the subject, the lights should be close enough to the subject and/or the background should be far enough away that it reproduces a black or very dark gray when the back ground light is not used. Then the background light can then be added to taste.

Check this: http://markie.us/Page_2.php

This is a red gel using a PCB gels, gel card and a Stein Barn door/gel holder from overhead-center

To get deeper richer red, or any other color you have to shoot gel on black velvet.

Ken
kenrichmond.net

Adding red to white gets you pink. Adding white light to a red background gets you lighter red. You can use exposure to help in both cases. I have found that red gel on red is really saturated. I have used blue on blue as we'll and it works great.

You'll always get pastel pink if you shoot a red gel onto a white background. For deep saturated gelled backgrounds, use as black background paper and more power. You'll be amazed.