How to Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs for Photo Light

Set your white balance doing photography with CFLs.

Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs come in an array of color temperatures and thus pose a unique problem generally not found with tungsten bulbs. Color temperature is the hue of the light a light source produces. Light may look more or less the same to us most of the time, but to a camera the differences are stark. Many digital cameras have light presets that adjust for the orange light of a tungsten bulb, and film is made for tungsten light, but since a CFL can be almost anywhere on the scale you need to do a custom white balance on a digital camera to get a decent shot.

Things You'll Need

• Digital camera with custom white balance
• White paper or card

Instructions

1. Arrange your subject in an open area in your home.

2. Set the lights with the CFLs nearby. One light on each side of the subject, to the left and right, should offer adequate light, but if you have more CFLs feel free to use them. The more light the better.

3. Pick up your camera and bring it close to the subject. Place the white paper or card directly in front of the subject, so it gets the same light as your subject. Point the camera so the white of the card fills the viewfinder and press the white balance set. This feature is located in different places depending on the camera brand. Check your manual if you are in doubt. The camera will adjust its sensor to read the CFL light as normal, and normalize colors accordingly.

4. Return to the desired position for your shot and take the picture.

References

• Popular Mechanics: Best Fluorescent Light Bulbs
• Lonestar: The Fluorescent Lighting System