How To Photography: Cross Balance Filter in Color Efex Pro 4

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The Cross Balance filter simulates a technique where daylight balanced film is used under tungsten lighting and tungsten balanced film is used in daylight. This technique produces a unique and interesting look and feel to images by warming or cooling the existing color temperature of a scene.

Color temperature is measured by degrees Kelvin. Candlelight for instance measures at about 2,000 degrees K. Color temperatures over 5,000 K are called cool colors (blueish white). Color temperatures balanced around 2,700–3,000 K are called warm colors (yellowish white through red).

By selecting from the drop-down menu from the Cross Balance filter, you can select three different variations of Daylight To Tungsten (1-3) and Tungsten to Daylight (1-3).

Drop-Down menu displaying the different Daylight and Tungsten options

Below are a couple of examples:

© Kevin Young

Daylight to Tungsten will result in warmer colors

© Kevin Young

Tungsten to Daylight will result in cooler colors

You can control the amount of the filter’s effect by moving the Strength slider to the right to increase the effect, or moving the slider to the left to reduce the effect. (Moving the slider to 0% will remove the filter from the image while increasing it to 100% will apply the filter to its full effect.)

The Strength Slider

Tip: Color Efex Pro 4 gives you the ability to stack filters so try experimenting by adding another Cross Balance filter to add even more of an effect to your image. 

Example of stacking the same filter twice