What, No "Dusky Rose"?

I believe that flash gels and lipsticks are named by the same person.

A House For Lions

Lead singer Daniel Norman and guitarist Mike Nissen of A House for Lions perform at the Tarfest Music Festival in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 25, 2011.

Wendy Wang

Bassist Wendy Wang performs with Obi Best at the Tarfest Music Festival in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 25, 2011.

The Winners

The winners of a "Pet & Person Look-a-Like" event appear on stage during the "Strut Your Mutt" event at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

Tar Fest

Tiyona Osorio hoops with her husband Michael Osorio during "Tarfest" at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 25, 2011.

Kofie Augustine

Kofie Augustine paints a mural during "Tarfest" at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 25, 2011.

It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated

Competitors in a costume contest await judging during the "Strut Your Mutt" event at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

Strut Your Mutt

A dog owner watches her pet explore an agility course tube at the "Strut Your Mutt" event at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

Rocky Returns

Who is he? Rocky, the Fleeing Squirrel.

What does he do? He flees, generally.

What is he escaping? His past, the law, maybe other squirrels.

What does he seek? Underwear. Could really use some boxers. Briefs would be fine.

Have we seen him before? Oh, yes.

Flash Color Correction: A Quick and Dirty Example

Above: a quick demo of the effect of color correction gels on a hotshoe flash.

You can put any sort of gel on the head of a hotshoe flash. Attach a blue gel, for example, and you can turn a white wall into a blue background. Easy.

The more refined skill to master, though, is using color correction gels.

The idea: put the right gel on your flash so that the light from your flash matches the ambient light in a location.

Shooting in someone's living room at night? You're probably seeing tungsten-balanced lights. Add a Full CTO (Color Temperature Orange) gel and the light from your flash will change from daylight-balanced (5500k) to tungsten-balanced / indoor (3200k). Or, maybe you need a bit less: a 1/2 CTO or just a 1/4 CTO.

Shooting in an office? Add a Full+Green and your flash will better match the greenish light the overhead fluorescents probably provide.

Shooting in open shade outside? The light is probably quite blue in color temperature ... so put a 1/2 CTB (Color Temperature Blue) on your flash.

Now, that's step one.

The quick example above is a reminder how the gels change the look of the light -- in a shot that is white-balanced for about 6000k. (That's not a magic number -- it is just a match for the light present for the first, ungelled shot.)

So, you've done step one: you've matched your flash to the color temperature of the ambient light.

What's step two? Change your white balance to match.

So, let's say you are in a living room at night: gel your flash (with CTO) and then set your White Balance to 3200k (or "indoor" or "tungsten).

Try it out.

Day 263

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/reader-photos-southern-california-moments-day-263.html

Writers In The Sky

Skywriters create a message about ending a mural moratorium, Los Angeles, Monday, September 19, 2011.

Say ... "Steak Pie"

A woman dressed herself and her dog to participate in the "Slice of Pie" event at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Sunday, September 18, 2011.

It's A Walk-Off

Four participants in an "Apron Walk-Off" greet the crowd during the "Slice of Pie" event at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Sunday, September 18, 2011.

At Our Front Door

Three crows, Los Angeles, Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Aftermath

Elmo hangs bodyless after serving as a piñata at a birthday party for one-year-old twins in Upland, Calif. on Sunday, September 11, 2011.

Saturday Samba

A dancer performs during Brazilian Day festivities held at Hancock Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

Friday Jazz, September 9 Edition

Chloe Feoranzo plays the saxophone at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Friday, September 9, 2011.

Primaries

Earlier today. 45mm, f/2.8, 1/3200th, ISO 100.

Adamant

A child's chalk drawing. Or, maybe I'm assuming too much ... maybe it's made by an adult. I don't really know. Only "Adam" knows.

On Certainty

Simon the Cat arrived on our doorstep the other day, convinced he lives here. He does not, but there was no dissuading him. He remained, and waited. His owner came by an hour or so later and took him home.

Labor Day?

12th and 3rd in Brooklyn from Ted Fisher on Vimeo.

Above: a short film made on the Sunday after Labor Day a few years back.

Two More Jazz Silhouettes

A trumpet player performs with the Michael Session Sextet during a performance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Friday, September 2, 2011.



A trombonist plays with the Michael Session Sextet during a performance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Friday, September 2, 2011.

Friday? Jazz!

Saxophonist Michael Session performs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Friday, September 2, 2011.

Friday Flower, Getty Edition

A flower floats at the Getty Villa in Malibu, Calif., Friday, August 26, 2011.

September?

How the heck did it get to be September? I mean ... it's almost Fall?

A new term, new classes ... a lot going on. But September? Really?

Above: a little experimentation with flash gels.