TOP TIPS FOR TINTED SHADOWS
01
ATTACH THE GELS
You can find decent
inexpensive gels online to
attach to your three lights.
If you’re using studio flash,
keep the modeling lights off
if you can, as the heat can
melt the gels. The order of
the red, green and blue lights
will have an impact on the
order of the shadows, so
experiment with different
light sequences.
02
BALANCE THE LIGHTS
Turn the lights on one
at a time and play with the
output, taking test shots
until each records a deep
color, like the red above.
Then turn all the lights on;
combined, they will create
white light but may have
a red, green or blue cast. If
so, lower the output of the
relevant light until the light
looks balanced.
03
CREATE HARD
SHADOWS
Our shadows need to be
hard-edged to make each
color stand out. Small light
sources create hard-edged
shadows, so the smaller
the flash bulb, the better. It
also helps if you put some
distance between the flash
and subject, as this makes
the light source smaller in
relation to the subject.