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03/19/2005 10:17:44 PM · #1 |
| What's the easiest/best way to make the pictures with the black backgrounds but where the subject is lit really nicely. (like a bright flower on black for example). Also, how do you light it? |
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03/19/2005 10:22:00 PM · #2 |
black velvet.
but the background 3 to 5 feet behind the subject so that you can light the subject and NOT the background.
Or...as i did here, a black tshirt, halogen hot lights, and slight underexposure..
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03/19/2005 10:23:15 PM · #3 |
I got a large piece of black felt at a fabric store. I make sure the background is more than 2 or 3 feet behind my subject and then use oblique lighting. The background stays nicely dark.
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03/19/2005 10:44:03 PM · #4 |
The background for this image was simply some cheap black foam core board (matte--avoid shiny!), and it was only about 8 inches from the subject. Still, as far away as possible is best, and as was said above, it's important not to get any light on the black.
Message edited by author 2005-03-19 22:44:52.
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03/19/2005 11:14:55 PM · #5 |
For my pink entry I shot this flower using a navy blue fleece coat as a backdrop. And I was in a pitch black, windowless room. The light source was a very bright and narrow light source from piece of optometric equipment (a transilluminator)-- but a good quality flashlight and maybe some tinfoil to help narrow the beam would probably work nearly as well.
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03/19/2005 11:52:44 PM · #6 |
Or, decrease brightness and boost contrast, comme-ça:
  
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03/20/2005 12:04:39 AM · #7 |
In this case, red (!) velvet curtain behind and oblique lighting..
It is often the difference in lighting that will give you the best black, rather than having a black background, if that makes sense...
Your camera will only see a certain range of light levels from black to white (Dynamic Range). If you have enough light on your forground object that the background is effectively below this range, it will be totally black, no matter what colour it is.
Using lighting at an angle, with something to block stray light hitting the background will be just as effective as buying a huge sheet of velvet.
edit: forgot to mention, this was pretty much straight out of the camera, I didn't do anything to the background...
Cheers, Me.
Message edited by author 2005-03-20 00:05:41. |
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03/20/2005 12:05:08 AM · #8 |
daylight
In ps cs raw conversion:
desaturate -100
red hue +100
red sat +55
green hue -100
green sat +80
blue hue +20
blue sat +98
also in this image very slight + settings for tint; exposure; contrast
Message edited by author 2005-03-20 00:18:13. |
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03/20/2005 12:23:49 AM · #9 |
This shot was taken in a dimmly lit room - and the back drop is White - a snoot was used so it looks black
This was taken with a black non light reflecting cloth and was placed about 4-5 feet behind the subjects... further back the better!
This is the best when you need lots of light! |
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03/20/2005 12:26:12 AM · #10 |
My surrealism entry was shot under a skylight, diffused natural light, with a black ballistic-nylon cloth-covered "notebook" propped about a foot behind the setup. Absolutely no manipulation of the background was required.
Robt.
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03/20/2005 01:50:37 AM · #11 |
This was taken outside at night, not much blacker then that.
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03/20/2005 02:20:01 AM · #12 |
Would halogen lights work best? Or would it not matter as long as the light was very direct and didn't reach the background and only the subject?
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03/20/2005 02:25:10 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by justin_hewlett:
Would halogen lights work best? Or would it not matter as long as the light was very direct and didn't reach the background and only the subject? |
If you're wanting to take shots of something that's not moving, any light that shines in the right area is fine. Just use a tripod, or sit the camera on a box and use the self-timer.
For people shots/portraits you generally need a good level of light, as with slow shutter speeds you will wind up blurred from small movements... The best 'bang for buck' bright lights are the halogen worklamps.
Cheers, Chris H.
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03/20/2005 02:43:34 PM · #14 |
| Thanks! I remember reading about some pictures where people have said that they put the objects inside of a box and set the timer and took the pictures that way, but off the top of my head, I can't remember the reason the pics were taken this way. Is this method for a different effect then? When would you do this instead of the above methods for a black background? (& do you put a small light in the box or just have the camera flash?). |
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03/20/2005 08:30:15 PM · #15 |
| ebertdj, by the way, what's a "snoot"? |
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03/20/2005 08:34:15 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by turquoise919:
For my pink entry I shot this flower using a navy blue fleece coat as a backdrop. And I was in a pitch black, windowless room. The light source was a very bright and narrow light source from piece of optometric equipment (a transilluminator)-- but a good quality flashlight and maybe some tinfoil to help narrow the beam would probably work nearly as well.
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I love that shot!
Btw, thanks for the tinfoil trick! That's a great idea. I'm not clever enough to come up with my own tricks. :-)
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03/20/2005 08:40:22 PM · #17 |
| ok, i can do black. What about white? |
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03/20/2005 09:20:56 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by pianomom:
ebertdj, by the way, what's a "snoot"? |
A snoot is a covering that goes on a strobe light that focuses the light in one direction like a spot light - you can even put a honeycombe filter on the end to focus it even more like in the picture I posted above.
I hope that helps ...
ebertdj@hotmail.com |
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03/21/2005 08:15:37 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by ebertdj:
Originally posted by pianomom:
ebertdj, by the way, what's a "snoot"? |
A snoot is a covering that goes on a strobe light that focuses the light in one direction like a spot light - you can even put a honeycombe filter on the end to focus it even more like in the picture I posted above.
I hope that helps ...
ebertdj@hotmail.com |
Yeah, that helps. Thanks! Sooo much to learn!
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03/21/2005 08:23:29 AM · #20 |
kevrobertson, here's where I asked the question about white backgrounds and the answers that the people on here gave me. Hope this helps!
//www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=182454 |
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03/21/2005 08:24:45 AM · #21 |
Originally posted by pianomom:
Thanks! I remember reading about some pictures where people have said that they put the objects inside of a box and set the timer and took the pictures that way, but off the top of my head, I can't remember the reason the pics were taken this way. Is this method for a different effect then? When would you do this instead of the above methods for a black background? (& do you put a small light in the box or just have the camera flash?). |
What about these questions? :) Thanks!
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03/21/2005 09:16:49 AM · #22 |
I used a light tent for this one. The reasons were because I wanted as much control on the lighting as possible. By using the box, I was able to flag off any light reaching the back and also make the light softer on the pine cones and fork. To get a neutral color on the fork and make it pop out I used a small mirror to bounce light back in. You can use anything as a background and it will be black if no light hits it. |
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