Balancing flash w/modifiers to ambient

Are there any common techniques for balancing an ambient light source, like a christmas tree, with flash when using a modifier like a shoot through umbrella or softbox? I know you can use CTO or CTS gels with a bare flash, but would these have any real effect when shooting through a white diffusion surface?

That's a nice shot.

I'm guessing you want to balance the color temperature of your flash with the tungsten tree lights. A CTO gel on the flash will accomplish that, regardless of other reflective or diffusive materials in the equation.

Thanks Curtis,

Yes, I should have specifically mentioned color temperature. I know how to accomplish it with bare flash, but never tried it when using other modifiers. Would it have the same effect for example with a shoot through white umbrella and a reflective silver umbrella, or would the silver umbrella cool the effect more noticably?

Various diffusion/reflection materials can cause minor changes in color temperature, regardless whether or not gels are used.

Honestly, don't sweat it. You're overthinking this. Throw a CTO gel on, set your camera to tungsten and make some more pictures of that cute kid.

Thanks Curtis. Overthinking is my specialty!

Look here
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=615810

BluewookieJim wrote in post #13561634
Overthinking is my specialty!

We must be related Nice shot.

You might not want to make the background lights exactly balanced to the main light. Viewers seem to naturally expect Christmas lights and such to be warmer than "normal". Maybe try a 1/2 or even 1/4 CTO filter. In your photo the warmth makes the lights seem to be candle glow rather than electric lights.

Here's something I put together tonight, testing out some new gear my wife got me for Christmas, 60" Westcott White umbrella with removable black cover, some Frio cold shoes, and a LumoPro century / boom combo stand.

Something that is pure white (as any good box or brolly should be) will not warm or cool the colour temperature. If you gel a flash with a CTO then put the light through a brolly, it will still be orange.

BluewookieJim wrote in post #13577087
Slightly camera left, almost on axis, I have 2 speedlights, each with a 3/4 CTO, fired into the 60" Westcott White umbrella as a reflective source. My manfrotto variable friction magic arm came in very handy here, allowing me to use 2 speedlights into one umbrella.

Camera right, slightly behind my subject I have a another speedlight, with a 3/4 CTO gel, and a 1/4" Honl Grid.

Now you're having fun!

Enjoy your new equipment.

John

Actually the second image looks more red to me than the first which is typical of a CTO. Not sure which one looks correct. Neither is bad. I found this on my searches. You may find this interesting.

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The CTO and CTS series gels have the both have the same amount of color temprature correction power (e.g. a 1/2 CTO and 1/2 CTS gel will both convert 5000K to approximately 3800K), so they will both correct for Tungsten lighting casts equally well. The only real difference between them is that the CTO has a bit more red, and CTS has a bit more yellow...

From a portrait photographer's point of view the practical usability difference is that CTO will tend to give subjects a bit of a tanned look (depending on the strength of the CTO gel), whereas a CTS will not. My personal 'rule of thumb' is to use CTO on pale subjects who I want to add a bit of 'healthy glow' to, and CTS on folks who already have a tan, and don't need any additional help in that department. :-

The Full CTS will bring your flash WB down to around 2900K, more or less neutralising the look of the Tungsten light. The 1/2 CTS will bring your flash WB to around 3800K, which will leave your backgrounds still with a touch of the warmth of Tungsten lighting

Unquote

If you read Neil van Niekerk's approach he prefers CTS because it is easier to work with skin tones. I have both CTO and CTS, half and full in my bag.

I'm looking for the article where he states that specifically. I will post it when I find it.

http://neilvn.com …sh-and-tungsten-lighting/

I have (and love) Neil's books. I'll have to go back to that for reference. I actually have the large sheets of CTS in 1, 1/2 and 1/4 strength from B&H, I just have no idea where I put them, so I shot these with the precut CTO strips I had on hand.

I find the discussion of CTO vs CTS above very interesting, definitely something I did not know, but will keep in mind in the future. Thanks.

I purchased circular velcro fasteners. About 3/8" in diameter. I put the rough half on either side of the flash head. I cut up the gels to size and put the soft parts go on them. I also colour coded all the gels so I know which are which. I purchased little coloured dot like stickers (red, yellow, blue, etc), just stuck them on and created a legend that a also lives in my gel pouch. Quick and easy to identify them.