Lighting at the Hangar - what is it?

[Edk001]

Does anyone know what kind of lighting they use at the Hangar for indoor speedpoint? They look like incandescent lights (vs. fluorescent) but I'm not sure.

Need to know to set the white balance on my camera for photos. Been using auto white balance setting up until tonight, but it leaves a greenish tinge to the photos.

[discjockey]

My guess, Ed, is that they're high pressure sodium vapor lamps. I say this because, when initially turned on, they take a little while to 'warm up' and reach full discharge, which is characteristic. Colour temperature should be in the range of 2700K.

Some basic info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_vapor_lamp

And some comment on shooting in these conditions here: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132667
See the second comment in this forum thread - it seems that sodiums flicker through the spectrum, so depending upon the exact moment at which you shutter the image, you can get a red, blue, or green tint. Annoying, yet interesting.

[lwswong]

Does anyone know what kind of lighting they use at the Hangar for indoor speedpoint? They look like incandescent lights (vs. fluorescent) but I'm not sure.

Need to know to set the white balance on my camera for photos. Been using auto white balance setting up until tonight, but it leaves a greenish tinge to the photos.

Hey Ed, a few alternatives:

1) try both out at the field. It should be pretty obvious on the view finder if you've got something different.

2) why don't you just try shooting in RAW? Then you'll have full flexibility to change it up afterwards. Granted, it takes some effort afterwards to process, but at least you'll get the colour that you want.

3) Alternatively, shoot in RAW/JPEG mode (on a Canon that's an option). It'll take up more memory, but you'll get the shots in both formats (so you can quickly post jpegs, then take the time to colour match the RAW photos at your convenience)

[Edk001]

Thanks for the tips and the links to those threads. I suspected they were sodium lamps as well but wasn't sure. Will experiment with my WB settings at the next few games and see what happens. RAW's one of the things on my longer term to-do list.

[Sheff]

Ed,

Get a grey card from the camera store and use that to set the white balance through the custom WB function. The card shouldn't cost you more than about $10 and then it'll just take you a second when you're at the field to set the WB correctly no matter what type of lights they use.

Dave

[Edk001]

Thanks, Dave. I'll pick one of those up.

[GregS]

Get a grey card from the camera store and use that to set the white balance through the custom WB function. The card shouldn't cost you more than about $10 and then it'll just take you a second when you're at the field to set the WB correctly no matter what type of lights they use.Dave

Does that work even though

it seems that sodiums flicker through the spectrum

[Sheff]

Greg,

Didn't catch that last bit about the colours changing. I would suspect that once the lights warm up they stay at a relatively constant colour temperature. If it does, however, change significantly throughout the night then even the grey card thing won't necessarily work perfectly. Hopefully though, it would give a better starting point than the built in settings (none of which include sodium vapour on any camera I've owned )

Dave

[Edk001]

I have sodium lamps as a sub-option under the WB menu (fluorescent). Don't know about whether the lamps fluctuate throughout the evening (makes sense that they would) but I do notice that some areas of the field are brighter than other areas (i.e., neither of the playing fields is consistently lit).

The mesh netting between the two fields also plays havoc with the focusing (similar to wire fences outdoors) but that's a whole different issue.

[brooks]

hey ed,
screw the grey card for ten bucks when all you really need is a white sheet of paper. then shoot custom. that's the best way. you can also shoot raw and batch the colour and conversion and image size all at the same time. easy peasy. the vapor lights won't change terribly after they warmed up. and, some of them are different degrees K so we're all f*ed.
as for the mesh and auto focus under the low loght at the hanger good luck. just shoot lots.
if you want help on the colour i can show you on Tues at bmo.
Brooks

on a side note: anyone ever considered bringing in some flash to a game.
strap it in the endzone or on a player even. that would be kewl! and don't tell me about the flash distracting players any real photographer will have made the shot as the disc is in the hand. and if it's me probably with both eyes closed!

B