Some Helpful Tips for Getting the Most You Can From Flash Gels

Flash gels are a fun, easy, and cheap way to add a splash of color or get really creative with a shot. This quick video will give you some helpful tips for working with them more efficiently and getting richer color.

Coming to you from David Bergman at Adorama TV, this helpful video will show you how to get the most out of your flash gels. If you do a lot (or a little) portraiture work with strobes, I totally recommend keeping a set of gels around. They're a quick and effective way to add a smidgen of interest to a photo, change a background color, or do something really experimental, and they're quite cheap. As Bergman shows, however, there are a few things you need to consider to ensure you get punchy, vibrant color from your gels. In particular, you need to pay really careful attention that nothing interferes with the color or you risk it becoming washed out and ruining the effect.

If you want to really dive into using gels, check out our complete guide, which will show you not just how to use them, but all the different looks you can achieve with them.

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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