On my camera there is a menu where you can choose what kind of light you are using. The idea is to let the camera make corrections for the different "colour temperatures" of different kind of lights. I can choose between:
+ Auto (where the camera attempts to find the correct setting by itself)
+ Cloudy
+ Daylight
+ Fluorescent (fluorescent tubes, strip lights)
+ Incandescent (which is ordinary light bulbs)
Although I have tinkered with this from time to time, I never made a systematic study of what really would be the best setting for my specific lighting over my building desk. So here it is:
The lighting for the following five photos are four rather weak energy-saving bulbs in a ramp above the desk just outside and above to the left of what the photo shows, plus a halogen table lamp lifted up on the same shelve above the model for general lighting on this occassion.
The pictures have not been altered in any way for this test. Although in the usual course of things I generally have to lighten them up a bit before publishing. That's mostly when I go into extreme close-ups; and not this time. You will see very clear differences if you view the photos full-size, from the extreme yellow haze of the "Daylight" and "Cloudy" settings, to the extreme blueish-green tinge of the "Incandescent" setting.
The choice for me after this test is between "Auto" and "Fluorescent". But I think I will stick to "Fluorescent", which I have been using mostly. I'll rather have the photos tend towards warm yellow-red than towards cool blue-green, since that agrees with my impression of what my workplace really "feels like". I think it is - and want it to be - a warm and cosy place, not hard and clinical.
That setting also will result in prettier pictures of the models. At least to my mind.
I recommend this little test for everybody. Lighting is so specific for your own place. And don't forget to bring your own hand into the photo. Skin colour is a rather good indicator. Although the overall effect remains the deciding factor for me, rather than absolute "true-to-reality"-ness.
And why not publish your test here? It would be very nice to get another view of your workplace as well!
PS. I'm sorry for editing this post so many times. But I really wanted to get the main point of this across; plus I added captions in the photos for ease of viewing.
