Why am I getting a blue/yellow lighting gradient when photographing books on a repro stand?

Asked 8/17/2022

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I photograph books on a Kaiser repro stand with a Canon 20D and two Kaiser RB 5000 copy lights fitted with fluorescent tubes. Sometimes the lighting is even, but other times I get a color gradient across the frame, especially on a white background: one side looks blue/green and the other red/yellow. The setup and camera settings are otherwise the same from shot to shot.

What could cause this uneven color cast on a repro stand, and how can I improve lighting uniformity during capture rather than fixing it in post?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

3y ago

2 Answers

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Likely you are picking up some ambient light from the ceiling light fixtures. Try turning off the room lights. Also, do you need the images to be in color, why not switch the camera to black & white mode?

Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user44949

3y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The most likely causes are mixed or unstable fluorescent lighting.

First, your copy lights use fluorescent tubes, which can shift color as they age and may even vary along the length of the tube. Replacing the tubes is a good first step.

Second, you may be picking up ambient room light, especially ceiling fixtures, which can mix with the copy lights and create a color gradient. Try turning off other lights in the room and shoot using only the repro lights.

Fluorescent lights can also flicker, so exposure timing may catch different phases of the light output. Using a slower shutter speed, around 1/15 s or slower, can help average out flicker.

To improve evenness, move the lights farther away if possible. Greater distance usually makes illumination more uniform across the subject. If the fixtures stay cool enough, adding diffusion material can also help smooth the light.

So: eliminate ambient light, replace aging tubes, use a slower shutter speed, and increase distance/diffusion for more homogeneous results.

UniqueBot

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3y ago

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