A beginner’s guide to light, from warm to cool – and how the camera captures it.
StudioBinder offers a short introduction to measuring light on the Kelvin scale, by way of their Cinematographer’s Guide to White Balance & Color Temp Fundamentals:
More detailed info, including their downloadable color chart, can be found on the StudioBinder blog.
Colour temperature is determined by the light – and also in-camera, by setting the white balance. We can either set the camera to match the light…
… or we can get creative, as Rob Ellis demonstrates How to Turn Day into Night with White Balance:
Further Viewing
A short intro guide with info on adjusting this and other camera settings:
There’s how temperature lights can be used to create different colours – and then there’s why. This intro to colour theory can help create look, mood, even story:
Related Posts:
Film School: Practical Lighting Placing light sources within shots - and how it can improve them.
Film School: Chiaroscuro & Contrast Ratio Balancing light and dark in your image - the cinematic way.
Film School: Colour in ‘Euphoria’ "Sometimes, in order to get to the deepest emotional depths of a character, capturing a feeling, rather than reality, is more important."
Film School: The Cinematography of Roger Deakins A collection of videos on the cinematography of Roger Deakins.
Film School: Recreating Shots from Movies A fun, hands-on way to learn the craft - and illusion - of film-making.
Film School: Who’s Who of Cinema Lenses An introductory overview to the glass through which commercial feature films are captured.
Film School: Working with Natural Light A roundup of tutorials about working with only natural or available light.
Film School: the Cinematography of Bradford Young A masterclass in the director of photography's ambient, low key visual style.