Coloring shadows can make your photo, this is how you do it with gels

Do you use gels to add color to your photos? Jay P. Morgan shows you four different ways to use them, but with a twist – he focuses on adding color only to the shadows. By using gels, he achieves the desired effect in camera. Some of these four methods can work for you too, and they’re great ways to minimize the time you spend editing the photos.

1. Gel on white foam core

You probably already use white foam core to add some fill to the shadows. Now, just attach the gel onto the foam core. It will fill the shadows on the subject’s face, but with a dash of color.

2. Gel on a mirror

Instead of the foam core, you can also use a mirror. Attach the gel on the mirror and place it opposite the key light to add fill. Since it’s a harsher light source than the foam core, the mirror will add harder color to the shadows on the subject’s face.

3. Gel on a strobe

This is the way most people probably thought of at first – add the gel to the strobe. You can use it as a rim light or hair light, and it will add pretty obvious color to the shadows.

4. Gel in a softbox

The last way of adding color to the shadows is putting the gel inside of the softbox. Then, you can place this light either above or below the camera to be your fill light. Just make sure to dial the light back. Otherwise, the color might overpower the subject’s face instead of just filling in the shadows.

How do you add color to the shadows? Do you rely on some of these techniques to do it in camera, or you rather do it in post?

[Adding Color to Shadows Using Gels via The Slanted Lens]