Resembling streetlights

Emil Soderman · February 26, 2008

Hello all

I was wondering if anyone could please assist me whit a question I got.

We?re going to do a shoot under the lights you see in the first image.

The background will be HMI through Haze and in the foreground I want to keep the colure of the streetlights, for the foreground I got 2x 2K Blondies. I?m wondering if there are any gels that resemble that look? Or any other tips on how to achieve it?

I think turning the streetlights of might be a bit difficulty.

I also attached 2 previews of other streetlights in the area, as some kind of reference to the one I?m aiming for.

I hope this is information enough to help you help me!

Thanks for your help.

This is what im going for:

Reference:

Edited February 26, 2008 by Emil Soderman

Phil Gerke · February 26, 2008

Well you have two different kinds of lights you want to emulate, the first pic is sodium vapor and the other two are mercury vapor. Clearly you will need different gels to mimic both. Please somebody correct me if I am wrong.

I did a shoot recently and used full CTO and Bastard Amber, I liked it, pretty sure I got that mix from somebody on these boards. That will probably be my go to combo. Though I want to try straw in place of CTO as well.

As far as the mercury vapor goes I did not quite get what I wanted. Depending on how green you want it, maybe start with 1/8 +green and half CTB. Thats a combo I will be trying next. I had some flexibility with believability on the last shoot and used 1/2 +green and a sheet of "Summer Blue" from Lee. It was interesting, a little too green and a little to "party" blue for me, however it looked pretty great considering the subject matter and the director was pleased.

This all assuming a 3200 stock/white balance.

Have fun,

Phil

Emil Soderman · February 26, 2008

Thanks for your quick reply!

Sorry to confuse you but I just noticed that in the background of the first pic

there actually is the same kind of light like in pic nr3. Which i dont need to resemble.

Its only the main light in the first pic, sorry.

But hey greate tip anyway!

Concering you tips on the first pic, CTO + Bastard Amber sounds nice

But can you explain what "Straw" insted of CTO would be?

Thank you!

Michael Collier · February 26, 2008

To my eyes the first two pics look like sodium vapor, the first pic being daylight balanced, the second being tungsten balanced.

The last pic looks daylight balanced sodium vapors (being that there is more green than blue)

Take that into consideration as you pick which light source you want to emulate. Bastard amber and CTO works. I have always favored plus green and CTO, since it more closely emulates the color of sodium vapors. For a look that matches the first pick, maybe double CTO and 1/2 plus green. Second full CTO and 1/2 plus green. last pick maybe 1/4 CTB and 1/2 plus green, or maybe calcolor cyan30+ 1/2 CTB.

Keep in mind there is actually matching the look and using it as an inspiration. On several projects I find myself trying to find a stylized color that evokes the feeling of moon, street, candle light etc, without keeping myself so strict to actually replicate it. It all depends how natural/stylistic you want the look to be. If its more impressionistic peice (or director) you get to start playing around with gels that you wouldn't normally use.

If the background is lit with practicle city lights, and you can't gel or change bulbs you might be forced to tone down your stylization, lest your foreground looks artificially lit, or somehow seperated from the natural background. If you shoot with a slow stock you can light the background yourself, without fear that the actual color of the lamps will spoil your artifice. if you need the extra stops or lights from the city to do the work, you get a little more pinned down to a naturalistic look.

CTS (straw) is similar to CTO, but it is a bit more yellow than CTO. If CTO to your eyes reads too reddish, try CTS.