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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> black background
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 03/17/2006 06:28:39 PM · #1
Hello everybody.
I would like to know what is the most common way to make a black background for objects. For example when shooting a glass of milk how can I add a good black background.
Thank you in advance
 03/17/2006 06:36:46 PM · #2
Originally posted by alintatoc:
Hello everybody.
I would like to know what is the most common way to make a black background for objects. For example when shooting a glass of milk how can I add a good black background.
Thank you in advance


I have learned in these forums that "posterboard" could be your cheapest and best friend. There are many guru's @ DPC that could probably give your many ways to do it tho. Works great for me!
 03/17/2006 06:38:16 PM · #3
i use a black muslin backdrop ;) just make sure that if you use a black background, clean it up first with those sticky roller tapes. you cant clone them out in basic editing ;)
 03/17/2006 06:40:40 PM · #4
Told you the GURU's woould come.... :O)
 03/17/2006 06:45:42 PM · #5
thank you for the answer. is there any website you tips and tricks for studio photography?
Is it the same for the stock images which have the white background?
For a white background I should use the backdrop?
thank you
 03/17/2006 06:46:22 PM · #6
Originally posted by dolphnz8:
Told you the GURU's woould come.... :O)


not even sista! :)
 03/17/2006 06:48:17 PM · #7
for white backgrounds, i use plotter paper that comes in rolls. This was when i'm done shooting, i just roll it back up and store it. the problem with backdrops if you use paper is that they wrinkle kinda like the same way fabric does. So not only should you use the roller things but iron your backdrops as well ;)
 03/17/2006 06:50:42 PM · #8
For really black backgrounds, black velvet absorbs the most amount of light.
 03/17/2006 06:52:41 PM · #9
Originally posted by Rikki:
for white backgrounds, i use plotter paper that comes in rolls. This was when i'm done shooting, i just roll it back up and store it. the problem with backdrops if you use paper is that they wrinkle kinda like the same way fabric does. So not only should you use the roller things but iron your backdrops as well ;)


Ok,I will keep that in mind. Can you please tell me how can I make the photos with fruits for example like the stock photos, which are very bright and sharp?

Message edited by author 2006-03-17 19:00:49.
 03/17/2006 07:27:16 PM · #10
Use a light tent. You can buy a 16"x16"x16" for $35 on Ebay. Another trick is to use PAM on your food items (sparringly of course). It creates the shine that makes for perfect catch lights ;)

Why PAM? I learned that on Iron Chef ;)
 03/18/2006 04:25:58 AM · #11
Thanks Rikki! I've found an light tent on ebay with a good price I will surely buy one! Can you tell me please what's PAM? :)

Message edited by author 2006-03-18 04:26:12.
 03/18/2006 04:27:50 AM · #12
Originally posted by Rikki:
Why PAM? I learned that on Iron Chef ;)


That's a great idea!! And the Iron Chef...what an amazing program that is!

Oh, and for small items I normally use just black cardboard stuck to my wall and on the table. If it's a larger item I use black sheets. The effect I get varies depending on people's monitors. I have the occassional comment saying they can see a crease or a bit of light catching the background but it looks fine on my PC. Working with contrast helps that a lot.

Message edited by author 2006-03-18 04:29:55.
 03/18/2006 04:45:55 AM · #13
A basic, very easy trick to getting pure black backgrounds is to move your lights closer to your subject, that way you can adjust your shutter speed/aperture to let less unwanted light into the camera whist keeping the subject correctly exposed.

As for white backgrounds, do the opposite and put loads of light on the background so that it's overexposed.

Hope this helps

Darren
 03/18/2006 04:49:45 AM · #14
I will try what you've said Daren, but I must buy a white tent :)
Is there any website which provides the name of all the products for studio work?
Thanks
 03/18/2006 04:58:46 AM · #15
Yeah, what colda said. I've recently been doing shots with black backgrounds with strong lighting on the subject and moderate lighting in the room. I've been able to use the poor dynamic range of P&S cameras to my advantage here.

Can't provide a good example until the current challenge is up.

I also use dark sheets, a black fleece blanket and black plastic and cardboard sheets. One thing to watch for with black is shine. It's bad.

Using white, overexposing your backgrounds is the best way to go.

When you get really close, sometimes this can be a bit more difficult. When doing still-life, you get a lot more freedom though.



There's a very mediocre result that I didn't really work at making. I just took this outside on a peice of white paper in daylight. By pumping the exposure by 2 stops, I was able to whiten the background quite a bit and get this result.

That's a straight crop, no curves, no contrast, no brightness, nothing.
 03/18/2006 05:01:49 AM · #16
Originally posted by alintatoc:
I will try what you've said Darren, but I must buy a white tent :)
Is there any website which provides the name of all the products for studio work?
Thanks


I dunno any links off the top of my head but I have quite a bit of studio stuff (for big and small things) so I'll happily help with anything that I can.

Light tents are good, I've got a couple of them myself, what will you be using to provide the light? - I usually use a couple of really cheap flash units (from ebay) with slave triggers.
 03/18/2006 05:07:14 AM · #17
Originally posted by colda:
Originally posted by alintatoc:
I will try what you've said Darren, but I must buy a white tent :)
Is there any website which provides the name of all the products for studio work?
Thanks


I dunno any links off the top of my head but I have quite a bit of studio stuff (for big and small things) so I'll happily help with anything that I can.

Light tents are good, I've got a couple of them myself, what will you be using to provide the light? - I usually use a couple of really cheap flash units (from ebay) with slave triggers.


that's the issue, I don't know what I need to light the tent...how powerful must be the light?
 03/18/2006 05:36:26 AM · #18
Originally posted by alintatoc:
Originally posted by colda:
Originally posted by alintatoc:
I will try what you've said Darren, but I must buy a white tent :)
Is there any website which provides the name of all the products for studio work?
Thanks


I dunno any links off the top of my head but I have quite a bit of studio stuff (for big and small things) so I'll happily help with anything that I can.

Light tents are good, I've got a couple of them myself, what will you be using to provide the light? - I usually use a couple of really cheap flash units (from ebay) with slave triggers.


that's the issue, I don't know what I need to light the tent...how powerful must be the light?


Well I use 2 of these with these attached to light a 80cm light tent, although for very small macro subjects I use my SB600 handheld (on a cable) inside the tent.

The cheap flashes in this configuration are very useful as you will be able to trigger them with your built-in flash and reposition as required (just remember to set your flash to manual - or the pre flash will set off the slaves).
 03/18/2006 05:58:58 AM · #19
Originally posted by colda:
Originally posted by alintatoc:
Originally posted by colda:
Originally posted by alintatoc:
I will try what you've said Darren, but I must buy a white tent :)
Is there any website which provides the name of all the products for studio work?
Thanks


I dunno any links off the top of my head but I have quite a bit of studio stuff (for big and small things) so I'll happily help with anything that I can.

Light tents are good, I've got a couple of them myself, what will you be using to provide the light? - I usually use a couple of really cheap flash units (from ebay) with slave triggers.


that's the issue, I don't know what I need to light the tent...how powerful must be the light?


Well I use 2 of these with these attached to light a 80cm light tent, although for very small macro subjects I use my SB600 handheld (on a cable) inside the tent.

The cheap flashes in this configuration are very useful as you will be able to trigger them with your built-in flash and reposition as required (just remember to set your flash to manual - or the pre flash will set off the slaves).


thanks for the pictures, this is a good help because I know what I am looking for...and the flashes are very cheap...
How about a light tent? how much it's one, 80cm?
 04/03/2006 11:16:56 AM · #20
Originally posted by eschelar:


There's a very mediocre result that I didn't really work at making. I just took this outside on a peice of white paper in daylight. By pumping the exposure by 2 stops, I was able to whiten the background quite a bit and get this result.

Just resurrecting this thread with a quick question about *white* backgrounds.

When people say to increase the exposure by two stops, does that mean to meter as normal, and then change the shutter or aperture by 2 stops in order to overexpose the background?

My problem at the moment is my white backgrounds look grey. I'm doing the exposure as normal, and checking the histogram to make sure the curve is on the right, but not blown out.

Is the intention to blow out the white background?
 04/03/2006 11:42:14 AM · #21
Originally posted by jhonan:

My problem at the moment is my white backgrounds look grey.

In that case, I'd try to use curves. Get the little picker - the "set white point" tool, and click on the part that should be white.

If you don't totally like the result, keep clicking away in different spots until you find one that makes it look right.
 04/03/2006 11:51:00 AM · #22
Originally posted by Beetle:
In that case, I'd try to use curves. Get the little picker - the "set white point" tool, and click on the part that should be white.

Thanks for the reply. That's the method I use at the moment. I select the background and then create an almost flat curve fairly high up the chart to flatten the contrast and increase the whiteness

But I hate having to fix this in post-processing. I'd love to get it pure white straight out of the camera. (White balance etc. is fine, it's just that I'm always getting grey, not white)

The 'light on white' challenge a few months ago was a real tough one for me, and I still haven't quite figured out how to do it!

Message edited by author 2006-04-03 11:51:30.
 04/03/2006 12:54:16 PM · #23
Originally posted by jhonan:
The 'light on white' challenge a few months ago was a real tough one for me, and I still haven't quite figured out how to do it!


Keep an eye on the landscape/natural light learning thread, we're about to post a lesson on basics of metering that will help you understand. Sometime tonight or tomorrow.

Robt.
 04/03/2006 12:56:51 PM · #24
Originally posted by jhonan:
But I hate having to fix this in post-processing. I'd love to get it pure white straight out of the camera. (White balance etc. is fine, it's just that I'm always getting grey, not white)

Ok, here is another thing that I have found made a HUGE difference: buy some "full spectrum" light bulbs, also called daylight bulbs.
The light from those is much more blue rather than yellow, which ends up looking white with a white background.
 04/13/2006 03:53:42 PM · #25
Some times I use a dark room
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