Illumination is a fine art. It can be seen 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, just a big fat empty void. Light splits the darkness and is the and is the fundamental building block of life, and hence art and culture. Light is a huge invention. Yet tons of folks take light for granted. The giant solar orb rises and and they grumble ’cause the got to get out of bed. The sun goes down and the houselights come on. The house lights could be candles, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, moon light or the glow of a computer screen. The natural lighting of the sun, fluorescent lighting, and the glare of a bulb all illuminate, but they are not the same. Different sources of light have a different color temperature. Artists, cinematographers and designers are well informed of the color temperature of lights. They use them to great affect. Knowing about color temperature is a key tool for any artist or designer.

Color temperature is talked about in terms of warm and cool. The warmest temperatures run in the reddish hues, the coldest in the bluish hue. Average person on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source should create the warmest colors. The inverse 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 section of the flame that is hottest is the section nearest to the burning surface. This area of the fire is usually blue. The edge of the fire is yellow, orange and sometimes even a bit red. This can also be illustrated in the passing of the sun. In the cooler hours of the day, the rising or setting sun is red, while the noon day sun beats 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. In any given situation, the eye and the brain work together to produce the interpretation of color tone. A space painted white lit by tungsten lightbulbs will appear white. Under daylight the same wall still seems to be 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 lit by light bulbs it will appear very yellow. If it is white balanced for electric lights and shot under sunlit conditions the picture will appear very blue.

Interior designers, photographers, filmmakers and painters all consider 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. Different chromatic shades help create ambiance. Even when the untrained eye thinks it is looking at white, the body reacts to the warm and cool tones.

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