How To Use Custom White Balance to Create a Colored Background

Gary Fong takes 2 minutes to show us how you can trick your camera's custom white balance into producing a colored background in white environments. If you have some gels on hand you could play with this technique to turn out a multitude of colors.

GFIGARYFONG on Youtube:
"Gary Fong shows how playing with the custom white balance and special effects color gels can turn a very plain and boring background (in this case, a school hallway) into something spectacular."

via [KEH]

Kenn Tam's picture

Been holding this damn camera in my hand since 1991.
Toronto / New York City

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12 Comments

i believe you mean "How to..." in the title and not "Who to..."

Thanks guys. Let that be a leason... never post before your morning coffee.

that was my line...

Is there no editing process here on F Stoppers?

Fstoppers :)

mistakes happen!

def a neat trick!

Everytime this newbie brought up Gary Fong I was like STFU. This effect is easier to do it you use a speedlight gelled with a red gel and just light the model normal from the front

Its hard to gel the ambient, this gets it done with as little as a single speedlight and could work outdoors. Its another tool in the toolbox.

Not sure if trolling or just stupid..

Funny how you call people "newbies" when clearly you don't understand the basics of whitebalance yourself.

Piss poor production, but DAMN what a get effect!

thanks Gary, fun idea. I knew I could make different color effects with the white balance, but, balancing the subject with the same gel? COOL!  We have played with is all day ( not all day we did work some) using different filters. We got some cool stuff using the red but also with a yellow gel on a 3 light set up we made a cool looking purple background that will be using to jazz up a senior portrait set or two.  

Photo Mike

nice one! now how can we get that effect with video?