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07/28/2002 04:41:04 PM · #1 |
..how do folks get those completely white backgrounds, like here or like here? I've tried taking photos on light backgrounds, then brigtening the file until the background is completely white, but the subject always gets washed out.
Any tips? |
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07/28/2002 04:59:38 PM · #2 |
| welcher, i'll be writing one of those 'how to' tutorials for another one of my shots that has a white background (beauty for a day), so keep an eye out for that. basically, try and get your background to be as white as possible initially and then play not just with the brightness, but also increase the contrast and gamma. that ensures that your subject won't be too washed out. |
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07/28/2002 05:59:35 PM · #3 |
Actually, this is quite simple to do in Photoshop:
Open up the photo, go to Adjustments-->Levels. You will see a histogram with three slidebars beneath it: one black, one grey, and one white. Adjust the white slidebar (should be the one on the far right) to the left while watching your photo until the background is to the level you desire.
While you here, you might want to adjust the blackness of the photo as well: move the black slidebar to the right until areas in the photo that are supposed to be truly black appear that way.
You can then adjust the overall brightness of the photo by adjusting the middle gray slidebar to the left or to the right to suit your taste.
Not only do you get that white backdrop you'd been seeking, you've also enhanced your dark areas and increased your overall tonal range! |
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07/28/2002 08:04:56 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by sohr:
Actually, this is quite simple to do in Photoshop:
Open up the photo, go to Adjustments-->Levels. You will see a histogram with three slidebars beneath it: one black, one grey, and one white. Adjust the white slidebar (should be the one on the far right) to the left while watching your photo until the background is to the level you desire.
While you here, you might want to adjust the blackness of the photo as well: move the black slidebar to the right until areas in the photo that are supposed to be truly black appear that way.
You can then adjust the overall brightness of the photo by adjusting the middle gray slidebar to the left or to the right to suit your taste.
Not only do you get that white backdrop you'd been seeking, you've also enhanced your dark areas and increased your overall tonal range!
On a related note, when you open up the Levels adjustment, take a look at the three "dropper" tools that are below the Options box. The one on right is the white level dropper. Take this tool and click it on an area of you photo that you want to be completely white. It will do some automatic adjusting to the levels to make that area completely white, and most of the time it does a better job of keeping other colors regular than you can do with just the slidebars.
In the same vein, the dropper on the left is the black level dropper. You can use this the same way, by picking an area of your photo you wish to be completely black.
- Mike
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07/28/2002 08:15:28 PM · #5 |
| I use Corel Photo Paint. Level equalization there has only two droppers (black & white) and no slidebars. Can anybody tell me how to handle it there? |
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07/28/2002 08:51:32 PM · #6 |
of course, you wouldn't want to use the droppers on a photo that you are submitting to a challenge here ... :)
Originally posted by mci:
On a related note, when you open up the Levels adjustment, take a look at the three "dropper" tools that are below the Options box. The one on right is the white level dropper. Take this tool and click it on an area of you photo that you want to be completely white. It will do some automatic adjusting to the levels to make that area completely white, and most of the time it does a better job of keeping other colors regular than you can do with just the slidebars.
In the same vein, the dropper on the left is the black level dropper. You can use this the same way, by picking an area of your photo you wish to be completely black.
- Mike
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07/28/2002 08:53:42 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by gr8photos:
of course, you wouldn't want to use the droppers on a photo that you are submitting to a challenge here ... :)
Why's that? Level adjustment isn't against the rules.
- Mike
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08/10/2002 01:45:37 PM · #8 |
1) The "droppers" are for sampling white and black area's in a photo for auto adjustment of white and black levels. Perfectly legal!
2) Using a flash unit (not the build-in flash) espisially at an angle or "bounce flash" is very effective at creating a white background.... anyway it's 5:44am and I havent slept ... I also am about to go take same photos... hopefully my something new entry...
No... it probably wont be a sun rise :-P |
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08/10/2002 03:18:21 PM · #9 |
ooops, sorry. different software, different terminologies... i thought you were talking about something else.
Originally posted by mci:
Originally posted by gr8photos:
[i]of course, you wouldn't want to use the droppers on a photo that you are submitting to a challenge here ... :)
Why's that? Level adjustment isn't against the rules.
- Mike
[/i]
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