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There may be times when you are required to photograph a person in a room lit entirely with fluorescent lights. If you cannot turn off the fluorescent lights and use studio strobes, or natural light, then a green gelatin sheet may be the right thing for you.
This sample photo was such that the model needed fill light, as the fluorescent lights were shining solely from above. If you currently don't have softboxes or umbrellas, you can still get a decent look by using your on-camera flash.
The first step is to order a square sheet of light green plastic from your camera store. These plastic sheets are also called gelatin filters or films. The reason they are so important for every photographer is that they transform your own daylight-balanced flash into a fluorescent-balanced flash. Ask for a dedicated fluorescent-balanced green gelatin filter sheet.
If, for example, I photographed this model using overhead fluorescent lights, but used a normal flash for the fill light, her face and body would turn out to be a different color than the rest of the room. Why is this? Fluorescent light is greenish in color, and your camera flash is normal white (also called
daylight balanced). For you to give the model the same color tone as the room, you need to make your camera flash emit greenish color light. Simply take the green plastic gel that you purchased, and tape it over your flash!
The next step is to set your camera's white balance to the Fluorescent Light setting. This is indicated by a long fluorescent bulb icon. Put your camera on a tripod, compose the photo including the model, and take the photograph. In full Program or Auto mode the camera flash should act as a fill light, with the background room evenly exposed. If you need a brighter room, adjust your exposure compensation. If you need a brighter subject, adjust your flash's exposure compensation (check your manual to see if your camera has this feature).
Balanced light is very important when photographing people in interior locations. The only time you would not want balanced color tones is for artistic effect, which can also add greatly to your finished product.
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Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.
