Lighting is an art. It can be seen in the pictures of Ansel Adams, the cinematography of Haskell Wexler, and the paintings of Caravaggio. Without light there is no color, no shadow, no contrast and no art, no science, no plant life, no anything. Light splits the darkness and is the foundation of life and culture. Light is a big deal. Yet most people take light for granted. The sun comes up and they can see just fine. 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 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 very aware of the color temperature of lights. They use them to great affect. Understanding 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 coolest in the bluish hues. Most people on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source would produce the warmest colors. The opposite is true. The sun has blue tones and a candle has red tones. A candle is perhaps the easiest way to understand this range of tones. The hottest part of the flame is the part closet to the burning surface. This part of the flame is usually blue. The tip of the flame 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 see the daylight as white and therein exists the challenge in photography, cinematography and design.

The human eye works like one of the finest filters ever invented. In any given situation, the eye and the brain work together to produce the interpretation of color tone. A room with white walls lit by incandescent bulbs will appear white. During the day the same wall will appear white. The human eye and the brain adjust. This can easily be seen by taking a photograph with the camera adjusted to the wrong color temperature. 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 tungsten bulbs and shot when lit by daylight the picture will appear very blue.

Cinematographers, artists and designers all take into account color temperature. The paint on the wall, whatever color it is, will change tone with various lights. A good designer will always check a color of paint under the various lighting sources that will illuminate the room. Colors help set a tone and a mood. Even when the untrained eye thinks it is looking at white, the body responds to different color tones.

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