Digital Lighting & Rendering, Second Edition

236 Digital Lighting and Rendering

Perhaps the only constant rule that you can determine from studying color

temperatures is that a source listed as having a lower color temperature

should always appear more red than a source with a higher color tempera-

ture. For example, in Figure 8.19, the light coming in from the window

appears to be more blue in color than the light from the lamp. In a real pho-

tograph, how much more red the lamp light appears than the daylight would

vary according to the settings on the camera, the type of bulb, and other

factors, but the fact that an interior bulb appears more red than daylight is a

constant factor.

[Figure 8.19]

In a mixed lighting situation,

daylight naturally appears

to be more blue than inte-

rior lamps.

Some 3D graphics programs include menus of color temperature settings for

lights, but not a setting for the color balance of the camera. They may have

chosen to always simulate 5500K outdoor fi lm or some other color balance,

but be cautious when using these presets, as they might not be based on the

color balance most appropriate to your scene. Using a color from one of the

tables above, or picking a color from your background plate, could give you

a more appropriate color for your lights.

Picking Colors from Pictures

Color temperatures may be your only resource if you are starting from

scratch in lighting an all-CG scene. However, if you have an image avail-

able to you as a starting point, you should take advantage of it.