This exercise required taking three images for the first part one in full sunlight during the middle of the day, one in shade during the middle of the day, and one in sunlight when the sun is close to the horizon. The course notes required the white balance of the camera be set to 'daylight'.
Sunlight on a clear day will be red-orange in the early morning, changing to yellow as it rises in the sky before turning white-blue at its peak. Humans do not detect differences in colour cast of different temperatures of light but CCD sensors pick up these casts, which show in the final image.
Photograph 1: Full Sun
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| Canon EF85mm f/1.8 USM Lens, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 100 This first image was taken in full sunlight and the skin has very little colour and the overall effect of the image is quite harsh. |
Photograph 2: In the shade during the middle of the day
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| Canon EF85mm f/1.8 USM Lens, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/100s, ISO 125 |
This second image was taken in the shade in the middle of the day and the blue colour cast is much more noticeable. Even though this image is a little cooler than the first I prefer it has it has more colour and not so harsh.
Photograph 3: In low sun
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| Canon EF85mm f/1.8 USM Lens, 85mm, f/6.3, 1/80s, ISO 160 |
This third image was shot in low sun and the warmth of the orange colour of the sun is evident on the skin tone.
Light from different sources, or from the same source under different conditions, produces a colour cast, the extent of which depends on its colour temperature. This colour cast can be controlled to a certain degree by the white balance of the camera.
