Photography Lingo
If we spend enough time hangin' around photographers, we've probably heard a lot of phrases that have to do with what we do as photographers.
The problem with these phrases is they're open to interpretation.
And the meaning is dependent on the photographer using it.
This inconsistent use from photographer to photographer is confusing at best.
So, let's develop a visual vocabulary specific to light, camera
operation, and compositional intent instead of relying on inconsistent jargon.
This week lets talk:
Photography Lingo:
Color Temperature
Hello ,
One of the characteristics of transmitting light is color.
The sun, daylight at different times of the day, light bulbs, etc., these light sources have colors we generally describe as neutral, cool, or warm.
Specifically, light sources have a color temperature.
We describe color temperature in degrees Kelvin on the Kelvin scale.
For example, a clear sunny day at noon in the northern hemisphere at the latitude of Washington DC is approximately 5,200K, while the lightbulbs in our homes are probably around 3,200K.
On our digital cameras, color temperatures relate to the white balance function/settings.
If using film, the film has a color balance related to color temperature.
Usually, our digital cameras have an automatic white balance (AWB) setting.
AWB does a decent job of reproducing colors as we see them.
The reference for observing the effect of white balance on our photograph is a white part of the picture with detail.
And if our picture doesn't have a white area with detail?
Then, recognizing the effects of white balance/Kelvin temperature isn't as easy. But it's still there.
If we're feelin' curious, most cameras have a "manual" way
of changing white balance settings.
This manual way of changing white balance involves picking a specific Kelvin temperature.
Give
it a try.
If we change the kelvin temperature from higher to lower numbers while making pictures in the same color of transmitting light, we'll see color shifts in our photograph.
And it'd be good if there was something white with detail in the picture.
If we can figure out the color of the transmitting light we're working in, we can manually pick the Kelvin temperature.
The fun thing about this is that we can record white as white, just like AWB is supposed to do. But we can also get intentional color shifts, adding compositional depth to our pictures.
I
encourage experimentation with white balance and color temperature. But, if we're doing work that requires color correctness and don't understand how to work with white balance manually, we'll wanna work in AWB.
I introduce manual white balance at the end of the Introduction To Photography class and get into it more during Intermediate level instruction.
I also created a video tutorial accessible on my online learning platform for photographers. There's more stuff on the platform than the white balance tutorial. And if you have
any questions, you can ask via the comments area, and I'll answer. .
And remember, we learn and improve by doing, so practice making at least one picture today.
That's all for now; thanks for reading!
Sam
I'll help you be a better
photographer—study and practice photography with me.
And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? If that's the case, let's schedule a one-time lesson or a series of in-person or online private instruction that covers the same things as my group classes.
Ways to work with me are
listed below.
