Lavender-colored diffusion net by Lee Filters — reduces light intensity by approximately 50% and produces soft, violet-tinted light.
Technical Details
Lavender Nets are made of synthetic mesh fabric with a mesh size of 0.8 to 1.2 mm and a material thickness of 0.1 mm. The violet coloration is achieved through woven-in fibers or subsequent coating with lightfast pigments. Standard sizes range from 12"x12" to 20"x20" for flag mounting, and 6"x6" to 8"x8" for smaller luminaires. The material is heat-resistant up to 120°C and transmits approximately 60-70% of incident light. Variants differ in net thickness: Single Net (finer diffusion), Double Net (stronger scattering), and Half Net (gradual transitions).
History & Development
Lavender Nets evolved in the 1980s from classic white diffusion nets, as cinematographers sought ways to color-balance daylight and artificial light without separate color gels. The first documented use was in 1984 on "The Natural" under DoP Caleb Deschanel. Matthews Studio Equipment standardized production in 1987 and established the currently common sizes. With the advent of digital cameras from 2000 onwards, the Lavender Net gained new significance, as digital sensors react more strongly to color temperature deviations than film.
Practical Use in Film
Roger Deakins extensively used Lavender Nets in "Blade Runner 2049" (2017) for night exterior scenes to color-correct sodium vapor lamps. Typical workflow: Mounted on a C-stand with a flag arm 60-80 cm in front of the light source, combined with barndoors for light shaping. The net creates softer shadows than diffusion gels and retains more directional light than softboxes. Disadvantage: The net structure can become visible when directly illuminating reflective surfaces. Particularly effective with LED panels with a high red component.
Comparison & Alternatives
Unlike CTB (Color Temperature Blue) gels, the Lavender Net offers simultaneous diffusion and color correction. Silk diffusion creates softer transitions but without color shift. In modern productions, digital color correction in post-production often replaces physical filtering, but mechanical light scattering remains irreplaceable. Lee Filters 3/4 CTB + Opal Frost achieves similar results but requires two filters. For LED lights with variable color temperature, the coloration can be done digitally, while the diffusion effect must be physically created.