Color correction for night photography

**ShivaShakti** · 4-Aug-2009, 16:27

I would like to take industrial and cityscape photography at night. I would like to decrease the effect of the artificial light on my scenes. I know 2 solutions: tungsten ballanced films, and the 80B/C color correction filters to increase the color temperature.
Is there any usable selective filter / artificial light conversion filter / like FLD filter , or any astrofilters to convert the non continous spectrum of the Natrium lamps of the cities? Have anybody any experience on using astrofilters for non-astro application? Can we /photographers/ use those things in our works?

Thanks for your help.

**Walter Calahan** · 4-Aug-2009, 17:36

Color negative film.

**mandoman7** · 4-Aug-2009, 20:19

The downside with filtration is that, while you can neutralize an offending light source with filters, there's always a side effect that may offset the advantages. Dual light sources, such as an interior scene with warm sources coupled with a cooler outdoor look, have been explored for decades. Improving one may diminish the other in that example. No easy answers.
For me, there needs to be clear advantages to bother carrying the stuff around.

**W K Longcor** · 5-Aug-2009, 07:40

Many, many, many years ago - when I was a student of photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, we were priviledged to have several of the Kodak staff photographers as instructors. One of these guys, who I feel very lucky to have known was Ray Holden ( I do hope I spelled his name correctly after all these years). One time Ray told us of a dfficult situation. He was to photograph a large industrial / office complex at night. There was flourecent light in some windows, incandescent in others and both mercury arc and sodium arc lighting on the outside of the buildings. Which film - which filters to use??? Daylight Ektachrome - type B Ektachrome --or??

Finally, he told us - he said to himself --" hey! I work for Kodak!" He photographed the area on 8x10 color negative film with no filtration, packaged up the exposed sheets and sent them back to Rochester with a note " Enclosed color neg film C-41. Develop normally -- make a good looking print!"

**Gordon Moat** · 5-Aug-2009, 13:09

Most of the time I will use an 82A or 82B, rather than an 80A. I think the effect from the 80A is just too much most of the time. If you are scanning the film later, then you can further adjust to compensate. My preferred film for night city shots is Kodak E100VS, especially for longer exposures like this one:

That was with an 82A filter using Kodak E100VS. Best I recall the exposure was six (6) minutes, and probably my Nikkor-W 180mm f5.6.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography