How to use Color Omni Bounce?

Brian Cheung said:

Hello all,

Recently I have bought Omni Bounce (gold & green colors) because I
saw the review from Neil Turner
" http://www.dpreview.com/learn/Lighting/Sto_Fen_Omni_Bounce_01.htm "
It seems very interesting and I think it should adjust the
background white-balance without changing the subject's color.

Does anyone have successful portrait samples with color Omni Bounce?
Is it appropriated to use green one for portrait shots?
Is it necessary to "custom White-Balance" to get the correct color
for the subject?

Pls advise!

Brian

Click to expand...

Barrie Davis said:

The Gold one will do the same in tungsten (domestic incandescent)
lighting, when used with Tungsten WB preset.

Click to expand...

Barrie Davis said:

Brian Cheung said:

Hello all,

Recently I have bought Omni Bounce (gold & green colors) because I
saw the review from Neil Turner
" http://www.dpreview.com/learn/Lighting/Sto_Fen_Omni_Bounce_01.htm "
It seems very interesting and I think it should adjust the
background white-balance without changing the subject's color.

Does anyone have successful portrait samples with color Omni Bounce?
Is it appropriated to use green one for portrait shots?
Is it necessary to "custom White-Balance" to get the correct color
for the subject?

Pls advise!

Brian

Click to expand...

--
Hi Brian,

Why did you buy the coloured Omnibounces? Green and Gold versions
have specific uses, and portraiture wouldn't be first on the list.

They are meant to filter your fill-in flash to match different
colours of ambient light.

The Green one is for use with flourescent lighting. After a white
balance has been perfomed under the flourescent conditions (or the
'Flourescent' preset has been selected) the camera will accomodate
their somewhat green colour and render it neutral. So that any
flash fill-in is colour correct as well it needs to be made green
too. Then the camera correction works for that too.

The Gold one will do the same in tungsten (domestic incandescent)
lighting, when used with Tungsten WB preset.

Neither of these conditions would be so controlled as to yield very
good portraits, although snaps should turn out fine.

The Omnibounce range are really for lighting large areas, like
rooms, and they don't do a brilliant job, either. The result is
merely the best compromise that may be achieved with a single
on-camera flash.

Regards,
Baz

Click to expand...

Brian Cheung said:

As you mentioned ...

Brian Cheung said:

The Gold one will do the same in tungsten (domestic incandescent)
lighting, when used with Tungsten WB preset.

Click to expand...

In this case, the background color will be shown in Tungsten WB.
The natural color should be shown within the flash coverage (gold
Omni offset Tungsten WB).
My target is to have more controls on the portrait background WB.
e.g.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4289508833&congratulation_page=Y

Click to expand...

Barrie Davis said:

Brian Cheung said:

As you mentioned ...

Barrie Davis said:

The Gold one will do the same in tungsten (domestic incandescent)
lighting, when used with Tungsten WB preset.

Click to expand...

In this case, the background color will be shown in Tungsten WB.
The natural color should be shown within the flash coverage (gold
Omni offset Tungsten WB).
My target is to have more controls on the portrait background WB.
e.g.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4289508833&congratulation_page=Y

Click to expand...

Hi Brian,

I have not been able to get into the site you linked, so cannot see
exactly what effect you want.

I'm guessing that the picture has neutral colour on foreground of
shot, and a distinctly "warm" or orange colour to the background.

Well, you DO NOT need a coloured filter or Omni Bounce to achieve
that result. You need a plain white one. (This was why I queried
buying coloured ones, they are used to CANCEL such colour balance
differences, as detailed in previous post.)

If I'm right, and a warm background is what you want, simply use a
WHITE Omni Bounce, or any other light modifier that you choose, and
set White Balance to DAYLIGHT. (Flash is daylight balanced by
default). Then the differences in colour balance will show as a
special effect. Do NOT use "Auto WB".

In order that the weaker orange light from the background is able
to record along with the flash, which is neutral, your shutter
speed will need to be long enough to let it burn through. The
technique is called "dragging the shutter" or "slow synch",
sometimes even "night portrait". Check your manual as to how to do
it with your camera.

Hope this is now clear to you. Don't worry if it's not. Just keep
asking.

(BTW, I was confused by your use of the term "Tungsten White
Balanced" to describe areas which are orange. Such areas are NOT
white balanced at all, that is why they are orange instead of
neutral!)

Hope I've understood the question this time.

Regards,
Baz

Click to expand...

Brian Cheung said:

Hi Barrie,

Sorry about the link file, pls try this sample photo again

http://www.clubphoto.com/_cgi-bin/app.pl/albums/large_image_view?id=1500739&link_code=sa01_17
In this case, I am actually looking for the effect is "warmer color
on the person and blue color for the background".

Certainly I also need to learn how to make warmer background for
sunset shots.

I think the color Omni Bounce may product different color in
foregound and background. Otherwise, it will be useless.

Some photographers bring color O.B.
( http://www.dg28.com/camerabag.html ). It should be useful for
portraits.

I will try to take portraits with color O.B and then use software
to adjust.

Click to expand...

Barrie Davis said:

Brian Cheung said:

Hi Barrie,

Sorry about the link file, pls try this sample photo again

http://www.clubphoto.com/_cgi-bin/app.pl/albums/large_image_view?id=1500739&link_code=sa01_17
In this case, I am actually looking for the effect is "warmer color
on the person and blue color for the background".

Certainly I also need to learn how to make warmer background for
sunset shots.

I think the color Omni Bounce may product different color in
foregound and background. Otherwise, it will be useless.

Some photographers bring color O.B.
( http://www.dg28.com/camerabag.html ). It should be useful for
portraits.

I will try to take portraits with color O.B and then use software
to adjust.

Click to expand...

Ah, yes! Now I see the picture! (Very pretty lady!)

The foerground subject is not really 'warm', she just looks 'warm'
in colour because background is so VERY blue. She is actually
fairly neutral = 'normal'

To do this effect set TUNGSTEN colour balance on camera and arrange
daylight to light background. This makes background blue.

Then light subject with TUNGSTEN coloured light which matches
camera white balance. Three ways to try :-

1).Could be tungsten studio lights, if you have some, which will be
very neutral in balance (GOOD white balance). Easy to control with
light stands.

2).You could use domestic tungsten lights from around the house,
which will be slightly 'warm' (because they have a lower colour
temperature.) Less easy to control unless you have something to
hold lights in position.

3).Yes, you could use GOLD (orange) Omni Bounce! But it will be
tricky to control. Omni Bounce makes light go everywhere in an
uncontrolled way. Very "Hit and Miss".

Your GREEN OB will do the same with Flourescent light.

a). Set white Balance to FLOURESCENT. (Daylight will become magenta.)

b). Light subject with flourescent lights, (office desk light?) or
flash with green OB. Subject will be neutral in colour (GOOD colour
balance).
----------------------------------

Sunsets with lighted foreground subjects? Use normal flash, or
white OB. Not too much flash, please. Then adjust whole picture in
software.

Is this some help Brian? I hope so.

Good Luck,
Baz

Click to expand...