Your cyan candidate
Cyan on one side; inspect the nose and cheek transition.
Gridded softbox · -70° from the camera direction · 1.2 m from its target · height 2 m.
Illustrative starting placement; adjust to the subject, beam and space.
Split-color beauty
Color placement follows the face.
The lighting plan
Your magenta candidate
Magenta on the other side, with deliberate central overlap.
Gridded softbox · 70° from the camera direction · 1.2 m from its target · height 2 m.
Illustrative starting placement; adjust to the subject, beam and space.
Make the test frames
- Set the lighting pattern to split; choose the exact transition by turning the face.
- Test each light alone before comparing their brightness.
- Combine and decide whether the overlap should be neutralized, colored or darker.
Keep camera WB fixed for comparisons. Begin with your neutral key reference, then adjust deliberately.
Meter with the actual gel fitted. Keep filtration loss separate from your chosen creative level. Unknown source output and camera settings remain unknown; no universal flash fraction is implied.
When the first frame differs
- Equal display swatches or equal flash fractions do not establish equal illumination.
- Opposite hues on a design wheel need not mix to white in a real photograph.
Adapt the kit
- One light: keep one colored side and let the other fall dark.
- Three lights: add a low neutral front fill only if wanted; it will alter saturation.
Evidence & publication record
Editorial status: published. Evidence status: illustrative.
Prepared by Learn Studio Lighting editorial · Published 2026-10-22 · Updated 2026-10-22.
No photographer is claimed to have tested this setup. No finished photograph, actual meter readings or original flash settings have been supplied. Replacing a diagram with an illustration does not establish testing evidence.
Sources, evidence & screen previews
These tools propose experiments. Screen colors are appearance targets, not recovered spectra, gel identities or guaranteed camera results. Numeric measurement inputs are supplied by you; publication and studio testing are separate checks.
- Rosco · Guide to Colour Filters ↗
Selective transmission, source spectra and materials. This is technical background, not proof that our starting setups were photographed.
- Rosco · Choreograph Your White Balance ↗
A photographer’s documented example of camera white balance interacting with filtered light; not a universal Kelvin prescription.
- Rosco · White Walls Don’t Have to Be White ↗
Examples of isolating colored contributions and testing the combined result.
- Learn Studio Lighting · Rim light placement, power & gels ↗
Placement, lens flags, metering methods and a downloadable f/8 reference card.
Keep the plan moving.
Light & Tone Mapper ↗Compare rendered appearance targets, not recovered meter readings.Reference Photo Planner ↗Study visible light, color and retouch clues in your reference.Portrait Recipe Builder ↗Choose the shadow pattern independently of your color placement.Lighting Variations Planner ↗Build a sequence of looks around the lights you have.Flash Power Calculator ↗Use a measured reference from your exact gel and modifier.Modifier Calibration ↗Measure filtration loss separately from creative brightness.Light Spill Mapper ↗Measure contributions at the face, body and background.My Gear & Shoot ↗Review your saved kit and camera targets.Saved Setups ↗Keep, print and back up your local lighting plans.On-set Field Card ↗Carry the plan and record the real test frames.
Make color a deliberate choice.
Learn gel types, white balance, natural skin, spill control and repeatable exposure checks.
Read the flash gels & color guide →