Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Photography and portraiture - What is the normal color temperature of the light source?

What is the normal color temperature of the light source?

5200-5600K

The "normal color temperature" in photography refers to the color temperature value of the light source that can make the color of the object most truly expressed. Generally, it is based on the color temperature value of the indirect sunlight in clear and cloudless noon, which is about 5200-5600 K. Due to the complicated reasons such as observation time and latitude, there are certain differences in the "noon sun" around the earth.

In fact, cameras and photographic lamps produced by manufacturers are calibrated at 5500 K.

Color temperature and light source color display reference diagram:

Understanding the relationship between light and color temperature is helpful for photographers to shoot under different light, calculate in advance what color tone photos they will take, and further consider whether to strengthen or weaken this color tone, and which function of the camera should be used to strengthen or weaken this color tone in actual shooting.

Different color temperatures of light sources bring different feelings. Under the irradiation of low color temperature light source, too high brightness will give people a sultry feeling; Under the irradiation of high color temperature light source, if the brightness is not high, it will give people a cold feeling. The lower the color temperature, the warmer the color tone (reddish); The higher the color temperature, the colder (bluish) the hue.

Extended data

Photographers not only need to know the color temperature of the light source, but also need to know how to use the color film with the same color temperature as the light source in order to get accurate color reproduction.

If the color temperature of the light source and the color temperature of the film are not balanced with each other, it is necessary to raise or lower the color temperature of the light source through a filter to match the color temperature of the film, so that accurate color reproduction can be realized.

Generally speaking, there are two types of filters used to balance the color temperature. One is the blue 82 series filter, and the other is the red 8 1 series filter. The former is used to treat red light and improve the color temperature; The latter is used when the light is too blue (that is, when the color temperature is too high). Series 82 filters are not used as often as series 8 1 filters.

In fact, the experience of many photographers is to increase the color temperature as much as possible, not to decrease it. Shooting the most common sunset phenomenon with a light yellow filter will produce an extremely spectacular effect.

The experience of an American photographer is that the use of blue filter can make the sunlight film suitable for the color temperature as low as 4400K, while the red filter can reduce the color temperature when the color temperature is as high as 8000 K..

Usually, by using these filters, you can shoot at almost any time of the day and get natural colors. However, under special circumstances, when the color temperature exceeds this range, it is necessary to use a color conversion filter, such as amber 85B filter, which can make the color temperature as high as 19000K suitable for solar films.

On the contrary, the color temperature of the optical film with 82 series filters can be reduced to 2800K K.

If you need to shoot with a light film in the sun, you need to use an 85B filter to increase the aperture by 2/3. When shooting with daylight film under tungsten lamp illumination, you can also use 80 filter. If you didn't use TTL exposure meter to measure light at that time, you should add 2-level aperture to make up for the loss of light.

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