Project 2 Flash project Wait until sundown
Create striking portraits in the blue hour just after sunset with a flash gel
Most photographers have shot in the golden hour – the period where the rising or setting sun bathes everything in golden
light. But stay out around 20 minutes after sunset (or get up before dawn) and you’ll see the sky and everything around turn a deep blue. This is called the blue hour. If you turn your camera’s white balance to Tungsten, the effect becomes even more pronounced. But then your model will look blue, too. Correct this by putting a colour temperature orange (CTO) gel over your flash for a natural skin tone. Let’s see how…
Step 1
In Aperture Priority, dial in a wide aperture (we used f/2.8) and take a photo of your location in the blue hour light. Look at the recommended shutter speed: change to manual mode and dial in one stop less than this recommendation, to underexpose a little.
Step 2
Put the CTO gel on your external flashgun and fix it onto a light stand. Add a diffuser, too – we opted for a beauty dish. Trigger the flash with wireless flash triggers, which sit on your camera’s hotshoe and under the flashgun.
Step 3
With the flashgun set to manual, dial in 1/16th power to expose the model’s face. By underexposing the background and correctly exposing the model with a flash stronger than the ambient light, you put the emphasis on the model.
Step 4
Still with the CTO gel over the flash, switch your camera to Tungsten white balance. This setting will make the backdrop even bluer, and the CTO gel will ensure the model has a natural skin tone, relative to the white balance.