LED Color Gel

Color gels are a great way to correct problems that can be difficult to fix in post-production. They are an inexpensive addition to any lighting kit and will last a long time.

Gels can be attached to a light fixture with gaff tape or with frames specifically designed for them. Some brands like MagMod have gels that snap directly onto the front of speedlights.

Color Temperatures

There are a number of color gels available that can help to warm up, cool down or correct the color of LED light. Many color filters also come with a variety of effects such as diffusions, flexi-frosts and grid cloths that can be used to create subtle textures, soften or spread a light beam and reduce the contrast between highlight areas or to cast interesting patterns across your subject.

The most commonly used LED color gel is CTB (color temperature blue). This is a blue colored gel that can be used to match the color of daylight to the output from tungsten lighting. This is useful if you are shooting outdoors during the day but want to make your subject look as though it is being lit by artificial sunlight rather than an incandescent light.

Some color correction gels are also available that offer different degrees of “temperature adjustment.” These include CTO, which is orange in appearance and can be used to warm up or cool LED color gel down white lights and even some fluorescents; and minus green and plus green which are both used to reduce the amount of magenta in a light source.

It is important to note that color gels will cut the total output from your flash by a certain percentage depending on how much you use. This can be compensated for if you are using a TTL metering system on your camera, but it is not something that should be left to chance.

Color Density

Color gel (also known as a color filter or lighting gel) is a thin sheet of transparent colored material used in theatre, event production, photography and cinematography to add or correct color to light. These modern filters are often made from polycarbonate or polyester. They are inserted in front of the light source in the path of the beam to project the desired color onto the subject.

Different manufacturers produce their own range of gel colors, and the exact color transmission will differ slightly between the various lines. For this reason it is important to specify the manufacturer, line and color number when ordering gel sheets. The spectral transmittance curve for each gel is usually shown on the online product page or in the accompanying swatch book.

All gels come in a variety of gradations, but you may have to test multiple options before finding the one that works best for your specific circumstances. This is especially true for neutral density gels, which are like sunglasses for your lights, pulling down the brightness without changing the colors.

This unique set of five multi-color gels pairs with the Dedolight Eflect boards to create incredible color blends and a multitude of light characters. They are also sized to fit the gel holder included with the Optical Spot.

Neutral Density (ND)

For decades, lighting designers used colored gels to add ambiance and set the tone for theatre, event production, videography and cinematography. These modern gels are thin polycarbonate or polyester sheets that are placed in the path of a light source to color the light. They are identified by name, manufacturer, line and color number (e.g. Rosco Cinegel #3202 Full Blue CTB).

ND gels control light intensity, often in combination with other effects such as diffusions, frosts, flexi-frosts and grid cloths. They are available in a wide range of shades and degrees to suit any scene.

The 5-pack of creative LED gel filters fits in the scrim/accessory slot of all classic DLH4 / DLHM4 – 300 and LED focusing lights (DLLED4, DLLED7), allowing you to create incredible palettes of color blends and light characters with just a few simple tools. They are also a great way to practice wholesale matte nail polish manufacturer gauging exposures under changing conditions and getting to know your camera’s histogram. They will give you a solid working understanding of how the different ND gradations work together to create unique and creative effects.

Effects

In filmmaking and theater, colored gels are often used to add a stylized or natural color to the light coming from a fixture. These modern, thin sheets of polycarbonate or polyester are a far cry from the early days of theatrical lighting, when designers would use anything they could find in front of their lighting to create an ambiance and set the tone of a production.

Gels are available in a wide range of colors, but it’s important to keep in mind that different manufacturers’ gel sheets have slightly different transmissions. This means that the same color name (such as steel blue) may have a different shade in each manufacturer’s line of gels. When working with gels, it’s helpful to have a Lee Filters swatch book or app handy so that you can quickly select the exact color you’re looking for.

When working with gels, it’s also important to remember that they block a portion of the light that is projected by the fixture. So, when using a darker gel, such as a deep red or blue, it’s important to consider that you may need to increase the power of your flash or place it closer to the subject to compensate.

Regardless of the type of lighting you’re using, adding some LED color gel can help you achieve just about any look you’re going for. So, be sure to experiment with all the possibilities and find the combination that works best for your specific project.