Gels, Filters, or Photoshop

[steve_strawn]

In a studio setting, I'm looking to create a slightly colored effect

(somewhat like what Rene Asmussen or Lasse Hoile do), and I'm

wondering what the best way to go about this is. Gel the lights,

filter the lens, or just do it in Photoshop.

 

I'm goign to assume there are advantages and disadvantages to each,

but for the life of me, I don't know what they would be. Photoshop

would be easiest, but I'm worried about things looking "fake" and

colors running out of gamut all over the place. Gels sometimes give

much too strong a color and are difficult to put over softboxes, and

filters are expensive.

 

Anyone who can help will receive rolls of T-Max that were fixed then

developed (courtousy of a horrendous darkroom mixup).

[brooks short]

Steve,

 

I'm not familiar with Rene Asmussen or Lasse Hoile's work. But there are differences between using color filters on the lens versus gelling the lights.

 

The most obvious difference would be that a filter on the lens will change the color of everything in the shot. Gels on the lights can be used to change just portions of the scene. Gelling the lights also allows for several colors if you are gelling several seperate lights.

 

Photoshop would be perhaps the most controllable way if you are working in a digital world either from a digital capture or scan.

 

Color gels on the lights can also produce colors that are out of gamut, especially if your capture is originally done digitally. If you shoot film, the film will mask some of that out of gamut color but gels can still be recorded differently on film than they appear to the naked eye on the set. And then, after a scan there can be another reduction in color saturation especiallyif you are doing a CMYK conversion from RGB or printing those images in an ink-get printer.

 

I'd say you should try a filter over the lens and then reshoot with gels over your lights and see which you prefer.

 

I hope this answers your question to some degree.

 

So.... are those rolls of T-Max 100 or 400 iso ? 120 or 35mm ?

[bob_lazzarini]

I strongly agree with Brooks.

 

Speaking from experience, it is far easier to colorize or tint an image, or areas of an image in Photoshop, rather than attempting to fixup an image which had already been given a colorized effect via filters or gels.

[l._nelson]

I love to use gels. They don't have to give a strong color, you might be looking at the wrong gels if that is your impression. Check out the Roscolux series. There are all different densities in there, and some really complex and beautiful shades. Much prettier than Lee

gels, in my opinion.

 

I believe that correcting in photoshop is harder than using gels - you can spend DAYS working on a single image trying to make it perfect. And you'll have to spend lot's of extra effort trying to make it look believable. And since their is no limit in photoshop, it's easy to find yourself adrift.

 

Another advantage of gels is that you can work with them in real time, moving around the lights and seeing the effect. I've even spent time alone setting up lights, mixing colors and experimenting with set lighting.

 

Also, the gel colors have been chosen by smart people. It's wonderful to have a pallette of GORGEOUS colors at your finger tips.

 

Lastly, gels are just plain fun. People who are around at the time of the shoot (models, assistants, etc.) will also get involved and may have some really good ideas.

[emre]

Use gels to get in the general direction, then do color correction in Photoshop. Don't bother with filters.

 

Usually I create multiple Hue/Saturation adjustment layers with Layer Masks. I am guessing--and don't be offended if I am mistaken--your problem is not one of vision, not technique. If you can see the destination in your mind's eye, then getting there should be easy.

 

What I often do is take pictures with ugly color I see on the Web and fix them for fun. A little practice goes a long way.

[emre]

That should read: "...one of vision, not technique".

[steve_strawn]

Thanks for the tip on Roscolux, Lee. I didn't realize there was such a variety out there. The ones I have right now are the standard set of primary colors.

 

Emre, thanks for the ideas. I've got some of the vision, but not all of it. I'm working on it, though.

 

Oh, and the film is 135 TMax 100, or at least it used to be.

[steve_hovland]

If nobody mentioned it, you can use strips of gel to cover part of the light.