When the light is very dull and you want to add some quality, you can add a bit of flash outdoors, I am sure you all do this.
But do you also think about colour?
I often add a gel for a little colour. Like in this image:
Burlington, 2010: A family celebrating their late father and husband
A half CTO gel (CTO means “colour temperature orange”) allowed me to warm up the light on the family here. I use the Honl Photo speed strap and gels: incredibly easy system that has revolutionized small flash use.
Make sure that if you want the effect in the image above, your white balance is set to “flash”.
TIP: If you use a CTO gel and set the white balance to Tungsten (light bulb), the family would look normal – but now the background would turn blue.
(I probably don’t have to mention it again – David Honl himself is joining me as Guest Star in Toronto on March 19, at the School of Imaging, for a special four-hour “advanced flash” course! Book now – there is still some space).
Could you do something similar on a sunny day by setting the white balance to “cloudy”?
Yes… kind of. Kind of, because then, the background would also turn warm. If that is what you want, sure, If you want the foreground to be warmer, no, you need gels.