How to Use LEE Filters: Correct, Diffuse, Cut and Colour Your Light

Last updated: 7 August 2026. Prices are in AUD and correct at the time of writing, check the linked product pages for live pricing and stock. For the full reference, see our complete LEE Filters guide.

Most on-set gel work is one of five jobs: match colour temperature, soften a light, cut brightness, fix a green spike, or add mood. Here's the practical recipe for each with the LEE gels to reach for, plus a starter kit that handles most situations.

1. Match your sources: colour temperature

Mixing a tungsten lamp with daylight from a window? Pick one colour temperature and correct the other. To warm a daylight source (LED at 5,600K, or an HMI) down to tungsten, add Full CTO (roughly 5,600K to 3,200K). To cool a tungsten source up to daylight, add Full CTB. If it's slightly off rather than fully mismatched, use a half or quarter strength, correct only as much as you need.

2. Soften a hard light: diffusion

A bare fixture throws hard, unflattering light. Clip diffusion in front to soften and spread it. Start with Quarter White Diffusion for a subtle knockdown, step to Half or Full (216) for progressively softer, and reach for Heavy Frost when you want to really wrap the light. Remember: more diffusion means softer light but less output, so balance softness against the brightness you need.

3. Cut brightness without changing colour: ND

When a window is blowing out behind your subject, or a lamp is simply too hot, neutral density brings it down without any colour shift. Tape .6 ND (two stops) or .9 ND (three stops) over the window to balance it to interior levels, or use .3 ND (one stop) for a gentle trim on a fixture.

4. Fix a green spike: Minus Green

Shooting under fluorescents or older LEDs that go green on camera? Add Minus Green (magenta) such as the Quarter Minus Green to your corrected sources, or gel your own lights with Plus Green to match the existing fluorescents, whichever gets everything agreeing.

5. Add mood: colour effect

For a warm practical glow, a moody blue night exterior or a bold background pop, reach for colour-effect gels, Bastard Amber for gentle warmth, Just Blue for night, or a saturated Primary Red for effect. Note the LEE number so you can repeat the exact look on the reshoot.

A sensible starter gel kit

If you're building a first gel kit, these cover most days:

A note on heat and fitting

Gels go in a gel frame or are clipped to barn doors, held off hot fixtures to avoid scorching, give LED and tungsten lamps some air gap, and use Heat Shield near very hot sources. On modern LED fixtures you'll often gel less (many do colour and CCT electronically), but diffusion, ND and effect gels remain everyday tools.

Frequently asked questions

How do I match a tungsten light to daylight from a window?

Add Full CTB to the tungsten source to cool it up toward daylight, or alternatively gel the window with CTO to warm the daylight down to tungsten, correct whichever source is easier to reach so both read the same colour.

Which diffusion should I start with?

Start with a Quarter or Half White Diffusion for a subtle softening, and step up to Full (216) or Heavy Frost for softer light. More diffusion is softer but dimmer, so balance softness against output.

How much ND do I need to balance a bright window?

It depends on how much brighter the window is, but .6 ND (two stops) and .9 ND (three stops) are the common choices; measure the difference and add ND until the window sits at the level you want.

Do I still need gels if I use LED lights?

Often less, because many LED fixtures set colour and temperature electronically. But diffusion, neutral density and colour-effect gels are still everyday tools even on an all-LED set.

What is a good first LEE gel kit?

A practical starter kit: Full and Quarter CTO, Full CTB, 216 and 251 diffusion, .6 and .9 ND, Quarter Minus Green, Black Foil and a swatch book, that covers colour correction, softening, window balancing, green fixes and flagging.