Illumination is a fine art. It appears in the photographs of Ansel Adams, the cinematography of Haskell Wexler, and the paintings of Caravaggio. Take away illumination and there is no color, no shadow, no contrast and no art, no science, no plant life, no anything. Light fills the void and is the and is the fundamental building block of life, and hence art and culture. Light is a big deal. Yet tons of folks treat light like a forgotten mistress. The giant solar orb rises and and they grumble ’cause the got to get out of bed. The glowing orb sets and the streetlights come on. The house lights could be oil lamps, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, moon light or the glow of the television. The natural lighting of the sun, fluorescent lighting, and the glow of a light bulb all illuminate, but they are not the same. Light has a color temperature. Artists, cinematographers and designers are well informed of the color temperature of lights. They use them to great affect. Understanding color temperature is an important skill for any artist or designer.

Color temperature is discussed in terms of warm and cool. The warmest temperatures run in the reddish hues, the coolest in the bluish hue. Average person on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source should create the warmest colors. The opposite is occurs. The sun has blue tones and a flame has red tones. A flame is perhaps the easiest way to visualize the difference in shades. The hottest part of the flame is the part closet to the burning surface. This part of the fire is usually blue. The edge of the fire is yellow, orange and sometimes even a bit red. This can also be witnessed in the daily passage of the sun. In the cooler hours of the day, the rising or setting sun is red, while the midday sun shines down hot and blue. Our eyes view sunlight as white and therein exists the challenge in photography, cinematography and design.

The human eye operates like one of the best filters ever invented. Whenever the eyelid opens, the eye and the brain work work in conjunction with each other to determine color. A space painted white lit by tungsten lightbulbs will appear white. During the day the same wall will appear white. The ocular nerves and the brain adjust. This is demonstrated when taking a photograph with the camera white balanced incorrectly. If it is white balanced for sunlight and the room is illuminated by tungsten light it will appear very yellow. If it is white balanced for tungsten bulbs and shot under sunlit conditions the picture will appear very blue.

Interior designers, photographers, filmmakers and painters all take into account color temperature. The paint on the wall whatever color it is, will vary with the quality of light. A good designer considers the color of paint in tandem with the source of light. Colors help create ambiance. Even when a person believes they are looking at white, the body reacts to the warm and cool tones.

Knowing color temperature is a helpful tool for anyone interested in art or home design.