Purpose for Colour Diffuser

[hx632]

Hi,

I am a newie, recently i just purchase some pop up flash colour diffuser (White, Blue and Yellow).
What is the purpose of the blue and yellow diffuser? :dunno:
When will i need to use the blue or yellow diffuser? :think:

Can someone help me on the above questions?

 

[GoheadGostern]

hi

i may be wrong but i believe the colored diffuser is used to match the ambient lighting.

Cheers
shaz

 

[aryanto]

I think it is more for old school film day to compensate white balance, not so relevant now.

 

[calebk]

I think it is more for old school film day to compensate white balance, not so relevant now.

Not true. If you shoot in tungsten lighting, for instance, your flash still fires at 6,000K, so you need a coloured diffuser or coloured gel to bring the flash's colour temperature to that of the ambient lighting.

 

[zac08]

Not true. If you shoot in tungsten lighting, for instance, your flash still fires at 6,000K, so you need a coloured diffuser or coloured gel to bring the flash's colour temperature to that of the ambient lighting.

Yes... it helps balance the light properly even in DSLR situations...

here's one example which I shot for fun.

I set my camera to tungsten WB and shot using a tungsten balanced flash. Here's the result



The whole scene is now balanced for tungsten and is now treated with a bluish cast. But the subjects here, the swans are illuminated by the tungsten balanced flash light and is correctly balanced (i.e. white)

 

[erictan8888]

they can help give you creative shots too...

 

[hx632]

so other than for creative shot purpose, it dun have more practical usage???

 

[hx632]

hi

i may be wrong but i believe the colored diffuser is used to match the ambient lighting.

Cheers
shaz

Hi GoheadGostern,

Can u explain in which colour of diffuser to match what kinfd of ambient lighting??? :sweat:
Sorry I am really new in photography...

 

[zac08]

Hi GoheadGostern,

Can u explain in which colour of diffuser to match what kinfd of ambient lighting??? :sweat:
Sorry I am really new in photography...

Go read up on gelling the light sources to match the ambient lighting...

 

[calebk]

so other than for creative shot purpose, it dun have more practical usage???

Didn't you read these posts?

Not true. If you shoot in tungsten lighting, for instance, your flash still fires at 6,000K, so you need a coloured diffuser or coloured gel to bring the flash's colour temperature to that of the ambient lighting.

Yes... it helps balance the light properly even in DSLR situations...

here's one example which I shot for fun.

I set my camera to tungsten WB and shot using a tungsten balanced flash. Here's the result



The whole scene is now balanced for tungsten and is now treated with a bluish cast. But the subjects here, the swans are illuminated by the tungsten balanced flash light and is correctly balanced (i.e. white)

 

[hx632]

Didn't you read these posts?

Thanks calebk... bsmilie:
I did read those posts but dont understand.... :sweat:

 

[geraldkhoo]

Thanks calebk... bsmilie:
I did read those posts but dont understand.... :sweat:

Here's a scenario to help you understand...

Let's say you are taking photos for a wedding dinner in a hotel ballroom. Most hotel ballroom lights are warm, so let's just assume that it is tungsten. However, the hotel ballroom lights are insufficient to take group shots and you need to use a flash. The flash light is normally around 5500k, so lets say that it is white. When you take a group shot, with a flash, you find that the people whom your flash light hits has normal skin tones (WB: flash), but some distance in the background, you realize that the the skin tones for background people is very warm and orangy. So...

1. People who are lit by the light from the flash has ok skin tones (WB: flash).
2. People who are not lit by the light from the flash but by the hotel ballroom's tungsten lighting (and WB is still on flash) gets orangy skin tones.

The solution here is to make the light from the flash the same color as the light in the ballroom (i.e. tungsten) by putting an orangy gel in front of the flash light, then set the WB to tungsten, and wah lah! When you take the pictures, you get a consistent color throughout!

Hope this helps

 

[hx632]

Here's a scenario to help you understand...

Let's say you are taking photos for a wedding dinner in a hotel ballroom. Most hotel ballroom lights are warm, so let's just assume that it is tungsten. However, the hotel ballroom lights are insufficient to take group shots and you need to use a flash. The flash light is normally around 5500k, so lets say that it is white. When you take a group shot, with a flash, you find that the people whom your flash light hits has normal skin tones (WB: flash), but some distance in the background, you realize that the the skin tones for background people is very warm and orangy. So...

1. People who are lit by the light from the flash has ok skin tones (WB: flash).
2. People who are not lit by the light from the flash but by the hotel ballroom's tungsten lighting (and WB is still on flash) gets orangy skin tones.

The solution here is to make the light from the flash the same color as the light in the ballroom (i.e. tungsten) by putting an orangy gel in front of the flash light, then set the WB to tungsten, and wah lah! When you take the pictures, you get a consistent color throughout!

Hope this helps

Thanks geraldkhoo....:bsmilie:
It really help me to understand.. :sweat: