Green In Glass

I have a shoot coming up next week in a modern riverside apartment (opposite the MI6 building in London).

We are shooting in one room with huge glass windows that give attractive views over London, that are required. The problem is, that the windows are double-glazed and have loads of green in them. I am not mega-experienced and have not encountered this situation before. I'm thinking of adding half plus green to my HMIs and then using a, say, CC30M on the camera.

What does anyone else think of that solution? Are my strengths correct?

Ian Samels

DP, London

Dear Ian,

1) Try & get hold of colour meter. I don't have any in but try one of the major Photographic suppliers hire dept !! or ask lighting company if the Gaffer can be supplied with colour meter...

2) That glass seems to have a cyan tint in it (from the outside !). Why not try and open one of those vast windows with a gel swatch in one hand and try and match the colour of the glass by way of elimination against some gels..... then add your CC Magenta.

3) Move to a unit next door which hasn't got any window in yet !!

Carey Duffy

South London Filter Ltd

http://www.camerafilters.co.uk

Ian Samels wrote :

>The problem is, that the windows are double-glazed and have loads >of green in them.

How do you know how "green" the windows are.

>I'm thinking of adding half plus green to my HMIs and then using a >say, CC30M on the camera.

Borrow or rent a color temp meter or shoot some Polaroids or find out who made the glass and ask them about their glass -- most manufacturers are very willing to help.

If you can open a window, tape up some plus green over the clear space an visually compare it to the glass. I seriously doubt that there are any commercial windows green enough to match 1/2 plus green. The people inside the offices would look dreadful.

Brian Heller

IA 600 DP

Thanks for your help with my green in glass problem, Carey and Brian.

My gaffer has a colour temperature meter and I also like your suggestion of comparing the windows to a sample of plus green, something obvious that I hadn't thought of!

Ian Samels

DP, London

>My gaffer has a colour temperature meter

Not all colour temp meters will tell you anything about the green content of light. They just compare red with blue to determine the colour temp.

Dominic Case

Atlab Australia

Dominic Case wrote:

>Not all colour temp meters will tell you anything about the green >content of light. They just compare red with blue to determine the >colour temp.

Just be sure it's a 3 color meter, like Minolta's.

Wade K. Ramsey, DP

Dept. of Cinema & Video Production

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC 29614