Creating Nighttime during the Daytime

Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/640–Alienbee B1600 with CTO +1 triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 system

If you need to create a night time scene the easiest way to do this it so turn your color temperature to 3200º Kelvin or even lower. Then the daylight will appear blue.

Next warm up your subject with an Color Temperature Orange filter over your flash. This will make their skin appear more neutral in color.

Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/400–Alienbee B1600 with CTO +1 triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 system

How bright it is outside is controlled with your shutter speed. The proper exposure for the subject is more about ISO and Aperture.

Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/1000–Alienbee B1600 with CTO +1 triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 system

As you can see the 1/1000th of a second darkens the available light as compared to the 1/400th exposure.

Just experiment and see what you like the best. By the way you need to be able to shoot with High Shutter Speed Sync to make this work with a wide aperture of ƒ/1.4 like I did here.

To do this I am shooting with the Pocketwizard Flex TT5 system and using the AC9 plugged into the Pocketwizard and then plugged into the telephone cord slot of my Alienbees B1600 flash I can shoot HSS and also control the flash from the camera. Very cool!

These are all test shots. I will later add a smoke machine and have the people in costume–so stay tuned for more photos outside during the daytime that look like nighttime.