Color Temperature

The color of light expressed as a number in kelvin (K). The lower the number, the more orange (warm); the higher, the more blue (cool). It is not an actual temperature but how warm the light looks. Warm light feels cozy and friendly, cool light tense and lonely, and mixing the two creates color contrast.

Lighting positions seen from above. A warm orange 3200K key light shines from about 45° to the camera’s left.

Camera view. The white mask and white suit are tinted orange, giving a warm, cozy feel.

How it feels

Warmth
Coziness
Nostalgia
Coolness
Solitude
Tension

When to use it

Interiors lit by candles, a fireplace or lamps
Scenes cold outside the window and warm inside the room
Night, moonlight and dawn
Keeping the color mood consistent from shot to shot

In the movies

Lost in Translation (2003) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

Not to be confused with

Neon Lighting: Color temperature is the range within white light, from orange to blue. Neon lighting is distinct color outside that range, like green or pink.
Golden Hour: Golden hour is the warm amber light (about 3000-3500K) when the sun is low, the classic time for low color temperature.
Blue Hour: Blue hour is the cool blue light (about 7000-12000K) after sunset, a time of high color temperature.

Prompt

Keyword

warm 3200K tungsten light

Descriptive

Warm 3200K tungsten key light from 45 degrees camera left, bathing the face in soft orange tones. Cozy, intimate portrait.

Try these combinations

Warm key + cool fill: a color-contrast interview
Interview close-up, warm 3000K main light from left, cool 6500K fill from right creating subtle color contrast
Medium shot + warm interior and cool window: a room at night
Medium shot, warm 3200K tungsten key light on the face, cool blue moonlight from the window behind, quiet night room