White balance techniques 109No more fi lm storage
The ability to change White Balance and ISO settings on the go
are two of the most important benefi ts of digital photography for
the photo storyteller. Barry and Joe both kept an extra refrigera-
tor at their homes just to hold all the different types of fi lm they
were likely to need on any given assignment. If they were not
careful, some of the fi lm would go out-of-date waiting to be put
to use. Barry recalls several stories justifying this added expense.
Time magazine assigned him to photograph an on-air radio talk
show host. No problem, except that they called Barry after the
three-hour program had already begun. He had to drive 30
minutes across town to the radio studio, gain admittance, and be
able to produce quality images on color transparency fi lm. This
type of assignment was usually lit with his Dyna-Lite portable
studio strobes, but their recycle noise would be too loud in a
radio studio. Fortunately, Barry had a handful of high-speed,
tungsten-balanced fi lm in the fridge. As he raced to the studio,
he opened the fi lm boxes and took the fi lm out of their plastic
containers, allowing the rolls to warm up more quickly. Assign-
ment completed successfully.Barry donates his photography services to the annual Columbine High School Run For Remembrance. Race
day begins inside under fl uorescent lighting, as people register, pick up their race day gear, and pin numbers
onto their shirts. This tight close-up of race preparation was taken with the Fluorescent White Balance setting.
© 2006 Barry Staver.