VectaMedia

Lighting is a fine art. It can be seen in the photographs of Ansel Adams, the cinematography of Haskell Wexler, and the paintings of Caravaggio. Take away illumination and there is no color, no shadow, no contrast and no art, no science, no plant life, just a big fat empty void. Light splits the darkness and is the and is the fundamental building block of life, and hence art and culture. Light is a big invention. Yet tons of folks treat light like a forgotten mistress. The giant solar orb rises and and they grumble ’cause the got to get out of bed. The sun goes down and the houselights come on. The house lights could be candles, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, moon light or the glow of the television. The natural lighting of the sun, fluorescent lighting, and the glow of a light bulb all illuminate, but they are not the same. Light has a degree of tonal color. Artists, cinematographers and designers are well informed of the color temperature of lights. Proffesionals use them to great affect. Knowing about color temperature is an important skill for any artist or designer.

Color temperature is talked about in terms of hot and cold. The warmest temperatures run in the reddish hues, the coolest in the bluish hue. Most people on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source would produce the warmest colors. The inverse is occurs. Solar light has blue tones and a flame has red tones. A flame is perhaps the easiest way to understand this range of tones. The hottest part of the flame is the part closet to the burning surface. This part of the fire is usually blue. The edge of the fire is yellow, orange and sometimes even a bit red. This can also be witnessed in the daily passage of the sun. In the cooler hours of the day, the rising or setting sun is red, while the noon day sun beats down hot and blue. Our eyes view sunlight as white and that is the challenge in photography, cinematography and design.

The human eye works like one of the finest filters ever invented. In any given situation, the eye and the brain work together to produce the interpretation of color tone. A room with white walls lit by incandescent bulbs will appear white. During the day the same wall still seems to be white. The human eye and the mind adjust. This can easily be seen by taking a photograph with the camera white balanced incorrectly. If it is white balanced for sunlight and the room is lit by light bulbs it will appear very yellow. If it is white balanced for tungsten bulbs and shot when lit by daylight the picture will appear very blue.

Interior designers, photographers, filmmakers and painters all take into account color temperature. The room paint whatever color it is, will change tone with various lights. A good designer will always check a color of paint in tandem with the source of light. Different chromatic shades help set a tone and a mood. Even when the untrained eye thinks it is looking at white, the body reacts to the warm and cool tones.

Understanding color temperature is a great skill for anyone interested in art or home design.