 Lisa Lenderink |
Inconsistent Skin/Hair Tones I am having a problem getting consistent/favorable skin/hair tones. I use hotlights w/ the blue photo bulbs as my lighting. I have not been using the professional film indoors...currently using Kodak High Definition. I use a commercial (retail) lab...sometimes the skin & hair have orange tint. Lab tells me it's my lights...Will using prof. film help when their machines are probably not calibrated for this film type? Thanks for any comments you may have, Lisa.
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Jon Close |
What is the color temperature of your lights? If it is below that of daylight (5000-5500°K) then you are going to get a yellow/orange color cast when using daylight film, consumer or professional. I could be wrong, but I think all hot lights, even "blue" bulbs have a color temp. typical of tungsten lighting, between ~3200°K to ~4000°K. You need to either use Tungsten-balanced film, or use an 80-series correction filter with daylight film.
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Lisa Lenderink |
How do I know what the color temperature of my lights is?? :(
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Jon Close |
I'd check with the maker.
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Lisa Lenderink |
I checked w/ my photoshop where I get the blue bulbs and I'm told that they are 5600k so I should be fine there. I really think it is in the printing because why would some of the shots be fine....and then others look yellow/orange. Even my kids noticed the difference between one print to the next! I'm taking this set of prints back and having them redone....I'm sure they will not be happy with me...but oh well!
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Lisa Lenderink |
I took all 3 rolls back in to have them reprinted tonight....keeping my fingers crossed that they get it right this time. A friend of mine also looked at the photos and pointed out that the little boys shirt was also a different shade of blue on a large number of them....so I really think it's the printing. Thanks for your comments Jon. I'm hoping to get new lights soon.....the hot lights are getting too cumbersome and of course "hot" I always have to be so onguard to make sure a toddler doesn't trip over them or try to touch them as everything about them is hot.
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John A. Lind |
Lisa, Jon has hit it . . . it's the combination of tungsten lighting with daylight film . . . likely driving the lab nuts trying to color balance it. Use a couple rools of tungsten balanced film . . . Portra 100T or Fuji NPL 160 and I'd bet things will dramatically improve . . . and your lab won't have nearly the problems trying to print the negatives. Likely won't be an exact match (film to lights) but it will be much, much closer and much, much less problem in color balancing the prints. I recently did some outdoor urban work using tungsten slide film (Ektachrome 64T) . . . not something I'd use for portraiture . . . but the tungsten balanced film worked out extremely well even with mixed lighting from higher wattage incandescent (tungsten filament) spotlights and old street lamps, neon signage and a few fluorescents under building overhangs (which still created a slight greenish cast, but only directly under them). -- John Lind
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John A. Lind |
I should clarify my remarks are about tungsten film with your current bulbs, not the 5600K blue ones! -- John Lind
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Lisa Lenderink |
John, I am using the 5600k blue bulbs....I've never used anything else! That's why I'm confused as to why I am all of a sudden having trouble w/ the skin tones. I had the 3 rolls reprinted and they look great! That's why I'm thinking it's the printing because I can go for a long stretch w/out any trouble (same equipment) and then a bumpy stretch. I would love to use my prolab for everything (I only use them for my outdoor work, families, seniors) and the other lab for indoor. Maybe when I get get a larger bankroll going (win lotto?) I can use them for everything :) Thanks for your comments!
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John A. Lind |
Yep . . . if you're using (and have always used) 5600K blue bulbs in the hot lights . . . then it's the print operator messing with the color balance. The only other possibility would be a bad batch of film, but that is so very exceedingly rare . . . unless it was stored in extreme heat at well over 120F for a many hours . . . or is seriously out of date (at least a year beyond expiration if not more) . . . as to be something I wouldn't consider until absolutely all other possible causes were completely ruled out. The satisfactory reprinting is the demonstration that it was print machine operator error. -- John Lind
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Lisa Lenderink |
I think you are right John. I just did 3 more rolls today....no problems! Thanks!
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Lisa Lenderink |
Ok, so I just did 6 rolls on the cutest little 6 month old strawberry blond baby. She came back looking like carrot top! Her skin looked as if she had consumed an entire bag of carrots as well. I'm at my wits end. The lab is telling me (they truly are trying to help) that it may be the film I am using. I didn't use professional film. I consumer Kodak High Definition 400 speed film. The lab said that I shouldn't be using any shelf film....only to use professional film purchased straight out of the fridge. I have been using this film for a long time and just recently started having troubles. To clarify again, I am using the blue photo bulbs with my hot lights. Am I just going crazy? I would post the pics as an example...but would I need to get permission from the babies mother before I post??? Going crazy!!!!!!!! And losing much sleep over this.
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Lisa Lenderink |
Sorry...In the next month or so I will be purchasing strobes/umbrellas. My light meter should also be here soon. I'm so frustrated because I can't figure out why I am suddenly turning my subjects into human carrots! Could I be putting my current lights too close to the subject? What else could be causing this? I have a lot of shoots scheduled before I receive my new lighting...and then I have to figure out my new lighting before I can use it on anybody but my family. I'm also going with the settings that my incamera meter is setting....but will soon change that when I get my meter...but that wouldn't cause the orange skin! Ugh! Sorry to rant....I'm just hoping that somebody out there says, hey that happened to me..and this is how I fixed it!
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Lisa Lenderink |
Thought I would mention that I am using a canon elan 7 w/ a canon ef 28-105 lens.
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