Lighting an OR?

[2000lux]

I'm going to be shooting in an operating room soon. Are the lights they use over the table generally bluer or greener than regular tungsten lights? I'm wondering if I'm going to need to gel my lights to match them.

[Chicago Dog]

Are you actually allowed to use your lights in an OR?

[NEWSSHOOTER3]

Available light should be adequate. But, I think these days they are LED's, or "white" (blue) light?

[Buck]

I would never bring my lights into an OR, even if allowed to.

[thru-the-lens]

When in doubt white balance. Then white balance again under the lights at the table. Take note of the difference in the calvin temp in your viewfinder. Then shoot accordingly depending where you are shooting the action. Hope this helps.

thru-the-lens.

[photogguy]

When in doubt white balance. Then white balance again under the lights at the table. Take note of the difference in the calvin temp in your viewfinder. Then shoot accordingly depending where you are shooting the action. Hope this helps.

thru-the-lens.


What he said. Perfect advice.

However, I have some nits to pick. It's Kelvin, not "calvin".

[Baltimore Shooter]

Also note that they light the doctors use during an operation is super bright. It's a spotlight and your iris will be nearly closed when you're shooting something that the light illuminates, where as with the rest of the room (or operating tabel fo that matter) you'll have your iris nearly fully open. It's a great light for operating but terrible for video. You'll see what I mean.

BTW, you're not shooting for a medical marketing company in WI are you?

Warren

[shoot da parrot]

Lighting color temps on OR lights will very. The lights also have many different settings depending on the procedure the surgeon is performing. If it is a endoscopic procedure most surgeons will turn off the main room lights and just use a very direct light on the patients sterile field so they can see the monitors easier.
When I shoot in the OR I usually ask the surgeon if we can keep the room lights up and turn the surgical lights to backfill (shoot up and bounce rather than direct.) The Berchtold lights we have have multiple focus settings and bulbs that either shoot up or down. If you are going in to shoot for the doctor they should understand you when you ask to adjust their lights. If it is for a news story you might have to shoot under whatever conditions the or lighting is in for the procedure. Remember that the procedure is way more important to the doctor than your news story. Don't expect them to let you bring in your own lighting. If they will you might have to let bio-med check them out for power leaks, which could take a few days. Any more questions feel free to contact me, shooting in the or is what I do.

[Hiding Under Here]

I was just shooting in an operating room last week. And I 've done it many many times. We lit the room.

Generally, operating rooms are pretty well lit. Unless the procedure requires a reduction in lighting (angioplasty usually takes place in low light because they need to see the obstructions on a video screen), the rooms tend to have enouhg of a base light level to get an adequate exposure.

Until they turn on the operating lights.

The lights used overhead for operating are very very bright. They tend to be warmer than tungsten units -- about 2900K. So, if you use tungsten lights on the periphery, when you go in for a close up, things will get a little warmer.

Why light the periphery? Because when you pull out from the close ups, you'll have less of a jolting contrast, and less of an iris pull. You SHOULD light the scene in order to bring the base light up closer to the level of the hot operating lights. You will never be able to fully compensate for the operating lights because they are too hot. You'd need to shoot bare naked 2Ks right into the middle of things.

Also, when you go into an operating room things will be very restrictive. The prep team will drape blue cloth over everything they want to remain sterile -- they call it the "sterile field". If you touch that blue barrier, they will have to reset the entire operating room from scratch. And they will be extremely angry with you. So when you go into the room, move slowly to place your camera. You will probably need to put the camera at the base of the operating table, where the patient's feet will be. Then you want to raise your tripod very high in order to see down into the body cavity. Place the lights you are using on either side of the camera so that you illuminate the things between you and what the operating lights will be pointed at.

One other suggestion, see if you can get the surgeon and his/her assistants to wear brown surgery gloves, not white ones. The darker the gloves, the less hot their hands will be when the operating light shines down on them. Most hospitals have brown gloves as an option. See if they will wear those. You also might want to find out in advance if they have them available. Having brown instead of white will make a HUGE difference for your shot on the close ups.

[thru-the-lens]

What he said. Perfect advice.

However, I have some nits to pick. It's Kelvin, not "calvin".

You are correct. My bad it was really late at night and I should not have been typing, much less trying to spell.

thru-the-lens

[Baltimore Shooter]

You are correct. My bad it was really late at night and I should not have been typing, much less trying to spell.

thru-the-lens

Yeah, it's hard to type w/ a drink in one hand. :D

Warren

[thru-the-lens]

Yeah, it's hard to type w/ a drink in one hand. :D

Warren

Guilty! Damn Wi-Fi hotspot in a bar.

thru-the-lens.

[Canonman]

You are correct. My bad it was really late at night and I should not have been typing, much less trying to spell.

thru-the-lens

Yeah, here in Texas, we call it the Shiner Bock effect.

-gb-

[thru-the-lens]

Yeah, here in Texas, we call it the Shiner Bock effect.

-gb-

DING! DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!

Does this "Shiner Bock effect" qualify me as handicapped so I can park in those really great parking places?

thru-the-lens.

[Stoney]

I'm going to be shooting in an operating room soon. Are the lights they use over the table generally bluer or greener than regular tungsten lights? I'm wondering if I'm going to need to gel my lights to match them.

It's tough to light the whole state of Oregon.

Sorry, every time I see that thread title I think it means Oregon not operating room.

If it's a decent size room, light it ahead of time. Use KinoFlo's if you have them, or whatever else to raise the overall light because, like many have said, the operating table's light is super bright... making it hard to adjust between the room and the table. Keep your lights up and away, obviously. Wipe some of that crusty dirt off your gear, too. And, whatever you do, don't fling a Junior Mint into the body cavity.

I've shot lots of operations. They are pretty boring, usually. Plus, there's not a lot to really see. You have to be off to the sides but they usually try to make room for you to see over things. But, you get to wear some really stylin' scrubs. Bonus!

Surgeons love it when TV crews are in the room, I think it breaks up the monotony for them.

[cameragod]

One other suggestion, see if you can get the surgeon and his/her assistants to wear brown surgery gloves, not white ones. The darker the gloves, the less hot their hands will be when the operating light shines down on them. Most hospitals have brown gloves as an option. See if they will wear those. You also might want to find out in advance if they have them available. Having brown instead of white will make a HUGE difference for your shot on the close ups.

Damn it Tom you stole my best tip! :D
Great minds think alike and all that.
As someone who faints out at the slightest hint of blood (thank God for B/W viewfinders) I always seem to get assigned the major operations. White gloves were the bane of my life till I moaned to a surgeon who said “I could use the brown ones?”
Sometimes it pays to ask.

[tvguide]

I can't believe the stuff they let you drag into an OR. They make you scrub off 2 or 3 layers of skin and then you haul a filthy betacam in. What's up with that?

[quicklad]

I can't believe the stuff they let you drag into an OR. They make you scrub off 2 or 3 layers of skin and then you haul a filthy betacam in. What's up with that?

Surgeons love it when TV crews are in the room, I think it breaks up the monotony for them.


I think it's because surgeons think they are gods among men who have the power of life and death and want all the glory they can get.

I suppose a few deserve it - but that attitude is pretty pervasive.

[Mighty Dyckerson]

I shot a surgery once. I didn't like the lighting, so I asked the doctor to stop while I added some gels to their lamps. He was pissed...but not nearly as pissed as when I asked him to do the surgery a second time so I could shoot it from a different angle.

[2000lux]

I shot a surgery once. I didn't like the lighting, so I asked the doctor to stop while I added some gels to their lamps. He was pissed...but not nearly as pissed as when I asked him to do the surgery a second time so I could shoot it from a different angle.

Now THAT'S funny! :D

Thank you everyone for all your help!