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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Can someone please help me re; white backgrounds
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11/21/2006 06:30:27 PM · #1
Can someone please advise me, and help me with achieveing a very white background when taking photos.
Is there any particular setting I need to have re my camers a "Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT".....
Does white balance have anything to do with it.
Also, how does one enhanse this in photoshop, as I am still a novis when it come to photoshop, as I am self taught.
I still have no idea re layers at all.
Thank heaps.
11/21/2006 06:33:38 PM · #2
First, when shooting for a white background, it helps to do a exposure reading from a greycard (filling the frame). This will give you a neutral exposure point and should get your whites close to white.

In Photoshop, using the levels is the quickest way to make those whites white. Just click somewhere (usually towards the corners) on the background with the highlight dropper and wala, your whites are white.
11/21/2006 06:35:02 PM · #3
While you can do all that post-processing malarkey, the best way to get a white background is to light it separately and more brightly than your subject.
11/21/2006 06:37:07 PM · #4
Originally posted by Gordon:

While you can do all that post-processing malarkey, the best way to get a white background is to light it separately and more brightly than your subject.


Yup! Blow it out a little and white is white is white is white.
11/21/2006 06:41:16 PM · #5
To make a background stark white I light the background with two lights, and sometimes I even use three.
11/21/2006 07:00:37 PM · #6
We have 4 lights in our studio. When we shoot with a white background we tend to put two lights at the back just for the backdrop. Blows it out nicely!
11/21/2006 11:56:30 PM · #7
I agree with the others--use a white paper background, and put a light on it to blow it out. But if you don't blow it out completely, no biggie. Just use the wand tool to select the background from your subject. Feather it about 2 pixels, and use levels to make it pure white. Check out my portfolio here or my istock portfolio if you like. LOTS of isolations on white!

-Don
11/21/2006 11:59:17 PM · #8
light your background seperately and about 2stops more light
11/27/2006 08:07:26 PM · #9
I found this by doing a search here at DP Challenge as I am also interested in getting the whites white! I took some photos today with a white background and they turned out more greyish/brownish/pinkish cast to them. I read the suggestions and I am wondering if it will be possible for me to do this with only two lights? The two lights are Opus 500 and I have a softbox I can put on one and an umbrella on one. Would it be suggested that I use the umbrella and put it near the camera and put the other light w/o anything attached to it behind the subject and shine on the white background? Also how would I do this if I am trying to have a full figure photo (won't the light show?). My lights are portable as is my background stand and I am using a paper roll. I did also try the suggested photoshop techniques and those did work great, but would prefer to get them white w/o post processing if possible. Thanks for any help!
11/27/2006 08:11:42 PM · #10
Originally posted by cabshutterbug:

I found this by doing a search here at DP Challenge as I am also interested in getting the whites white! I took some photos today with a white background and they turned out more greyish/brownish/pinkish cast to them. I read the suggestions and I am wondering if it will be possible for me to do this with only two lights? The two lights are Opus 500 and I have a softbox I can put on one and an umbrella on one. Would it be suggested that I use the umbrella and put it near the camera and put the other light w/o anything attached to it behind the subject and shine on the white background? Also how would I do this if I am trying to have a full figure photo (won't the light show?). My lights are portable as is my background stand and I am using a paper roll. I did also try the suggested photoshop techniques and those did work great, but would prefer to get them white w/o post processing if possible. Thanks for any help!


OK, I'd go with the softbox on the Subject and then use barn doors on the second light to light the background (using the barn doors to flag the light from spilling onto the subject). I'd place that light off to the side of the subject.

And as stated earlier, go ahead and crank that background light up.

Message edited by author 2006-11-27 20:12:59.
11/27/2006 08:52:04 PM · #11
Sherpet,
Just this weekend I had to take photo's of handbags for a friends shop to put on the web. I got 2 sheets of foamcore I put one flat on a table and one resting up against a wall facing directly into the afternoon sun (living in queensland this shouldnt be a problem). I sat the subject on the foamboard using my 50mm lens with spot metering, I had my shutter set to 4000 and depending on the subject and light overexposed by around 1 stop to blow out the background. I surprised myself with how well they turned out (because I had never tried anything like it before) with very little processing required all for around $20 using only natural light. I will post an example if you like later.

A cheap no lighting alternative.

nick
11/27/2006 08:55:24 PM · #12
Sunshine works wonders for white backgrounds. I use custom white balance read off a grey or white (when I can't find the grey) paper in the sunshine, then overexpose by about 1 stop, sometimes a bit more, sometimes less, then make the image in the same conditions as where the white balance was measured.

11/27/2006 09:23:30 PM · #13
The secret to my ground scraping Light on White score would be the light tent and pair of halogens I bought 6 months ago and have used maybe twice since the first week. Blast lights into tent, white foamcore under subject, shoot in raw. White background is no problem.
11/27/2006 09:27:54 PM · #14
Using a white piece of art paper or other "white" background works wonders for achieving that elusive "white background" effect.
2 easy steps.
1) get a white background
2) set white balance to "white"
3) take picture
4) revel in your accomplishment
11/27/2006 09:30:07 PM · #15
Originally posted by rswank:

Using a white piece of art paper or other "white" background works wonders for achieving that elusive "white background" effect.
2 easy steps.
1) get a white background
2) set white balance to "white"
3) take picture
4) revel in your accomplishment


White poster board (shiny side up) sitting on my bed with some books behind it to support the back.



Message edited by author 2006-11-27 21:30:32.
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