What can WarmCards do for you?

This series of photos of a typical interview setup was taken with a Nikon D200 -- but the lighting and camera do not matter. The effect would be similar with other SLRs or any professional video camera.

Notice that white balancing on a regular white card (or gray card) produces dull, neutral skin tones that will require post-processing with Photoshop, Aperture, etc. for a photograph -- or filters and/or color correction in an NLE for video. Those extra steps are usually a waste of time and can be avoided by white balancing with a WarmCard BEFORE you start shooting.

Here's the same setup, except the camera was white balanced using WarmCard #1. The skin tones are much more flattering and the the subject has a healthier, more vibrant look.

However, if #1 provides too much warming, then you can choose a different shade. WarmCards come with #2, #1, #1/2, and #1/4 shades so that you can select the strength of effect that works best for you and your client.

At the request of many customers, the WarmCards 2.0 kit also includes two shades of CoolCards for situations where just the opposite effect is desired. Although CoolCards are not something you will use as often as WarmCards, they do add another tool to your arsenal.

What are WarmCards?

The WarmCards White Balance Reference System is an easy-to-use set of white balance cards that make it easy to get a warmer (or cooler) white balance, and then to keep the warm-balance consistent throughout the shoot -- with precision.

Why do professionals need WarmCards?

An ordinary white balance is rarely acceptable these days in professional video production or photography. By tricking the camera's white balance into producing better colors, it is easy to get the "warm look" that audiences and clients prefer.

What are the benefits of WarmCards?

• Designed for professional use by experienced shooters.
• Perfect for extending the "golden hour" look throughout the day.
  
• Eliminates wasted time color correcting/matching footage in post.
  
• As easy to use as ordinary white cards.
  
• More cost effective and easier to use than glass warming filters.
  
• Do not interfere glass filters used at the same time.
  
• Ensures a consistent "look" from different crews working separately.
  
• A monitor is not required.
  
• Different grades (strengths) for different needs.
  
• Available in two card sizes -- large and pocket-sized.
  
• Strong, durable, water-proof, unbendable, and are easily wiped clean.
  
• Grommeted for easy carrying or hanging.
  
• Designed to improve skin tones for interviews and on-camera talent.
  
• Easier to use than adding "warming" gels to your lights.
  
• Clients, talent, models, and audiences prefer warmer-looking skin tones.

Which cameras work with WarmCards?

WarmCards work perfectly with any television, video, or digital camera that has a manual white balance control. Unlike glass filters, WarmCards will work with any camera, any lens, and with or without other camera accessories. They are as easy to use as ordinary white cards. Many producers, freelancers, and directors of photography who don't even own their own camera-- have their own personal WarmCards System to take to shoots because they know that it will be 100% compatible with any camera package they use.

Is a video monitor needed?

No. Once you have experimented with WarmCards and have an understanding of how they will affect the video you shoot, a monitor is no more or less necessary than if you weren't shooting with WarmCards. Unlike haphazard "warming" techniques, the results you get with WarmCards are very consistent. You'll feel confident in white-balancing with WarmCards without checking the results on a monitor.

How do I decide which of the WarmCards to use?

WarmCards can be an important part of the "look" of a production, and the extent of warming (or cooling) you desire won't always be the same. That's why WarmCards come in four grades of differing strengths so that the extent of the "warming" can be tailored to suit the needs of any production. The higher the number, the stronger the effect. Two Shades of CoolCards and a Minus Green card are also included with every system.

What are CoolCards?

CoolCards provide the opposite effect of WarmCards. Rather than using a WarmCard, sometimes you may want to choose one of the two CoolCards to get a totally different look for your video. For example, CoolCards are a great way to make skies and water look even bluer.

What is the Minus Green card used for?

Cheap fluorescent lighting usually has a green cast to it - thus, distorting colors and making people look unhealthy. This is a common problem at places such as car dealerships, factories, airports, schools, retail stores, office buildings, supermarkets and hospitals. Many shooters work under the mistaken assumption that a "normal" white balance will compensate for the greenish tint of these kinds of lights -- but it does not.

This unique card removes the greenish tint you typically get while shooting under common fluorescent lighting. If you think ordinary white balancing compensates for the green hues of fluorescent lighting, you'll be very surprised to see the difference that the Minus Green card makes. Colors are truer and skin tones look healthier.

How easy is it to use WarmCards when shooting a typical television interview?

1. Choose the card that will provide the amount of warming (or cooling) that you desire.
2. Setup your lighting.
3. Have your talent hold the card in front of him/her, where the lights are aimed.
4. Zoom in until the card fills most of the viewfinder. Put the camera on automatic exposure or adjust the exposure manually so that it isn't over or under exposed.
5. Set your camera's white balance control to manual (usually it's an A / B toggle switch), and then press the manual white balance button.
6. When the camera has finished white balancing, Zoom back out, compose your shot, set your exposure, and start shooting.
   
   
   
   

What's the difference between WarmCards Complete and WarmCards SLR?

The main difference between the WarmCards Complete and WarmCards SLR is the size of the cards that are included. WarmCards Complete includes both large and small cards, while WarmCards SLR only includes the small cards. Both products include all eight shades of colors, and all cards have metal eyelets for carrying with chains or lanyards.

Why does WarmCards Complete include two sizes of cards?

The small cards are portable and east to carry around in your pocket, but they are too small to use when you are setting up for a television interview. In a typical interview setup, after all the lighting is finished, the camera will almost always be located too far away to zoom in and fill the frame with the small card when it is held near the subject's face. The large cards are perfect for interviews, but they are too big to carry in your pocket. That's why television and video cameramen need both sizes. Most still photographers can get by with having only the small cards.

What shades are included with WarmCards?

• Four shades for warming:
  Warm #1/4, Warm #1/2, Warm #1, Warm #2
  
  
• Two shades for cooling:
  Cool-1, Cool-2
  
  
• One shade for use with fluorescent lighting:
  Minus Green
  
  
• One normal white card for neutral white balancing:
  White

How does WarmCards compare to ExpoDisc?

First of all, ExpoDiscs must be mounted on the front of your lens. So you'll need different sizes or buy adapter rings for every lens you own.

Second, ExpoDiscs are designed to only give you an ordinary neutral white balance -- while WarmCards are designed to give you a warmer or cooler white balance. Although there is new version of ExpoDisc called "portrait" that provides some warming, once again, it won't fit all lenses, and it only offers one shade. On the other hand, WarmCards work with all lenses and every kit includes 8 different shades to choose from.

Third, the biggest problem with ExpoDisc is one that you might overlook until you've used it. Once an ExpoDisc is mounted on the lens, it can only measure the light that happens to be hitting the front of the lens. Think about that. Is the lighting at the camera position the same light that is hitting your subject? Not always. There are many situations where setting a white balance based on the light striking the camera lens is not as accurate as aiming the camera at a specific target (such as a WarmCard) and taking a reading from that object only. With ExpoDisc, you have to physically move the camera to set your white balance if the lighting at the subject's position is different than the light at the camera's position.

For example, in a portrait studio or when shooting a television interview, the camera's shooting position is usually outside the sphere of lighting and in the dark. To use ExpoDisc in this type of shooting situation, because it acts as an incident meter, you must physically move the camera (after all the lights have been set) over to where the subject is located . . . aim the camera towards the original camera position so the lighting strikes the camera in the same way that it will strike the subject . . . set your white balance . . . and then drag the camera back over to the original position and frame it up on the subject. Not only does moving the camera waste a lot of time, it is really a hassle if the camera is tethered to a power adapter, flash sync cord, a monitor, audio, or other accessories. Why bother? WarmCards are so much simpler to use. You just hold the card in front of the subject . . . zoom into the card . . . set the white balance . . . re-frame the shot and start shooting. In fact, using WarmCards is sort of like using "spot metering" to get your white balance

How does WarmCards compare to WhiBal?

First of all, using a WhiBal card actually adds unnecessary time- consuming extra steps to your workflow. WhiBal might be a useful product if professional cameras didn't have any internal white balance controls -- but that's not the case. Today's cameras are very good at producing excellent results with no post-processing needed.

Second, WhiBal can only be used to give you an ordinary neutral white balance -- while WarmCards are designed to give you either a warmer, cooler, or neutral white balance. It's your choice.

Third, WhiBal is not really a white balancing tool at all because you don't use it to set the white balance on your camera while you're shooting. And if you don't set your white balance at the time of shooting, then you are NOT controlling white balance. WhiBal assumes that you will totally ignore white balance out in the field, and then "fix" it later on your computer. Does that sound like the right way to do it?

Why would a photographer want to waste time "fixing" the white balance with their computer when they could shoot their pictures correctly in the first place? Using WarmCards instead of WhiBal will save you several steps in your workflow -- plus a lot of time and hassle.

To use WhiBal you must take a photograph of the card while you're out on-location (make sure not to delete that photo!!!). Then, when you come back to your computer, you can use your editing software's "eyedropper" tool to click on the image of the WhiBal card and attempt to "fix" the white balance. If you like what you see, then you can apply that adjustment to the hundreds of other photos that you may have taken at that location.

Why bother with all that? Why not use the camera itself as as a sort of "eyedropper" tool while you're on-location to "sample" the color of the WarmCard? Then the camera is setting the white balance for you right when it takes the picture. That's the way professional video/TV cameramen have been doing it for over 40 years. It's fast, easy, and consistent.

How does WarmCards compare to glass warming filters?

Using dedicated "warming" filters is popular these days, but very problematic.

First of all, you have to remove the filter every time the lighting conditions change and you want to re-white balance -- otherwise the camera will compensate for the warmth created by the filter and the result will be a neutral white balance with no warming. Taking the filter on and off repeatedly is a hassle.

Second, unless you have a matte box, most lenses are only able to handle one screw-in filter at a time. What if you also want to use a SoftFX, ProMist, polarizer, or other filter at the same time? Yes, you can get "warm" versions of these filters but they only come in one grade, and each one of them will cost more than the entire WarmCards System.

Third, what about matching footage with other crews? Even if two crews have the same warming filter, the white balance will still be affected by what you white balance on. Sheets of paper, Porta-Brace white cards, tee-shirts, and other supposedly "white" references are not all created equal and will result in widely varying color temperatures. If everyone white balances with the same shade of WarmCards, then you greatly improve the odds of getting matching footage.

How durable are WarmCards?

WarmCards are strong and rugged. They won't get bent, folded, dirty, faded, or dog eared under normal everyday use in the field. They are water resistant, easily wiped clean, and the matte finish reduces reflections while white balancing. Note: WarmCards are no longer guaranteed for use underwater. If you choose to use your WarmCards in water, such as for diving, then the warranty is voided.

How can I get client or producer approval to use WarmCards?

When shown a side-by-side demonstration of a warm-balance vs. an ordinary white-balance, clients and producers will almost always choose the latter. The perception of what looks "correct" quickly changes when faces look ill when seen with a "normal" white balance. Unlike more subtle filter effects, the WarmCards difference is noticeable and very impressive to anyone looking at the monitor.

Most professional video cameras have two white-balance memories. We suggest that you white-balance with a WarmCard on memory A, and then use an ordinary white card on memory B. Now, switch back and forth between the two settings to demonstrate the difference. Your client will be impressed with WarmCards.

WarmCards help soften the harsh, cold, bluish hues produced by HMI lights and greatly improve the skin tone of on-camera talent without destroying the overall outdoor color balance of the shot.

Putting amber or straw-colored gels on key lights is a common warming technique, but can only be done AFTER the camera has already been white balanced. Furthermore, soft-boxes from Kino-Flo, Chimera, Photoflex, and Lowel are difficult to put gels on -- and the results you get are haphazard. WarmCards eliminates these problems, particularly for interviews. So, go ahead and use colored gels on your background lights, but let WarmCards handle the warming effect on your key light. It's fast, it's easy, and it's repeatable for different setups.

Why is a uniform consistent "look" among different crews so important?

Previously television networks, magazine shows, and other high-end producers had complete control over the "look" of their footage because their staff shooters used company-owned gear that had been setup by staff technicians. However, in recent years there has been a shift towards using independent, freelance, owner-operator crews with their own gear.

Short of having all the independent crews get their cameras setup by the same technician, how can producers effectively control the "look" of their footage? Even if a producer only hired crews with the exact same model of camera, there are too many other variables (camera age, camera setup, lens, lighting instruments, lighting techniques, etc.) to ensure that the footage will "match". The answer is often WarmCards. WarmCards can't guarantee 100% matching footage, but it can make a big difference.

How does WarmCards compare to other "warming" techniques?

WarmCards is not the only way to get warmer video. Other haphazard, hit-or-miss methods have been used for years. What WarmCards provides is a fast, easy, and predictable way to get consistent results without any hassle at all. For less than the cost of one Tiffen 812 warming filter, WarmCards provides so much more.

WarmCards vs. White Balancing through Blue Gels

This technique has decent results if you have the time; the camera is on a tripod or you have an assistant to help; and you don't care about consistency between different shots. The age, condition, and hue of the gel will all affect the white balance -- and so will the white card that you are shooting through the gel. Is it pure white? Is it the same white you used on previous shots? Is it the same exact gel? Can you hold the gel and the white card while you are doing hand-held b-roll? Are you carrying the faded, wrinkled gel in your pocket? Is your "warm look" going to be consistent from shot to shot, and match with other crews working on the same program? Do you dare white balance through a gel without checking the results on a monitor?

WarmCards vs. Adding Warming Gels to Your Lights

Once again this technique can have good results, but it is a hassle -- and only works if you are lighting the shot yourself and can white balance before you add the gels. What about natural light in the shot -- how would you warm it? What if you are shooting in available light only? What if you are shooting outside? Can you easily add gels to your Kino-Flo, Chimera, Photoflex, and Rifa soft lights? Are the results going to be consistent between setups? What about matching your "warm look" with other crews?

WarmCards vs. Camera Setup by a Qualified Technician

Having your camera adjusted by a service technician so that it always looks warmer is expensive and limits your flexibility. The "warm" look is not right for everything, and sometimes accurate color reproduction is very important. Do you want everything you shoot to look warmer? Investing in a set of WarmCards is very inexpensive and keeps your camera within factory specifications.