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I can't achieve the famous white background... Can you help me?


anne_paula

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<p>Hi everybody!<br /> Sorry to bother with this subject again, but believe me, I've been trying to achieve this effect for a very long time...<br /> Well, I want to get into product photography, so that is essential for me. Im using a Nikon D700, I have a Interfit EX 150 kit (2 lights, 1 umbrella and 1 softbox). I also have the SB600 Nikon flash. <br /> For this photograph, I had the lights about 2m from my subject, on the sides. I also had 2 sheets of tracing paper on both sides, very close to my subject to soften a little more the lights, since I was getting very hard reflections.<br /> The back looks actually cool for me, but the from the front or lets say the "floor" and specially in front of the mayo, its so grey... But how could I light there? Because I liked the way that the subject is lit, I don't really want to throw a front light, also because of reflections on the brand, etc. And mainly because I'd have only my SB600, which would only work attached to the camera, since I don't have a trigger, and they don't sync with the other lights, so I get a bit limited on where to put the flash.<br /> I tried to remove the background on photoshop, but it just don't look right. It looked very flat. Maybe I'm still doing something wrong generally speaking.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for helping!</p>

<p>(And also, sorry if my english is not correct, I'm brazilian)</p>

<p> </p><div>00WAR5-234459684.thumb.jpg.212b1a3d99a6915fa173825985ef39ad.jpg</div>

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<p>It's always hard to get a perfectly white background on any subject because of the difficulty in lighting it evenly. One suggestion is that you use hot lights instead of flash so you can see exactly what you're getting. Another is to photograph your subject on glass with the white paper on top of the glass so the bottom can also be illuminated from underneath. A third suggestion is to elevate the jar off the paper by putting a small spacer of some kind underneath so you can illuminate the foreground better. Any or all three of these in combination may help. Good luck.</p>
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<p>Just thought of another idea. Substitute a lime green or some other color very different from any in your subject in place of the white paper and then use PS to change that background color to white. Hollywood film makers use this all the time, it's called a Green Screen.</p>
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<p>Another idea would be to use something like clean white ripstop-nylon (often used as a diffuser panel) for the backdrop. Use at least one light to properly illumine that b/g cloth (the white ripstop nylon) so that you are getting enough brightness level off the b/g. Then carefully adjust the aperture till you have enough DOF to keep the whole product in focus, but keep the backdrop (the ripstop nylon) blurred out (you do not care about seeing any fine details in the texture of the white ripstop nylon texture). You can get white ripstop nylon at a good fabric store. I have some at home, and it is about the "most white" material I've seen. You can light it from any angle since its translucent.</p>
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<p>You need to light the background separately from the subject. If you want pure white, the backdrop needs to be slightly over exposed. How are you metering the scene? If you're using the camera's metering system, you're always going to be fighting the fact that it doesn't know what you want, and it doesn't know if all of the white is supposed to be white, or gray. In fact, it will assume gray. So: you need to manually set power on the lights, and manually set up the exposure. No auto ISO, and manual shutter/aperture. That's what allows you to take control over how white white is.</p>
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<p>I use some cheap alternatives at times ..I loved this one so much I covered a wall.<br /> Go to the white goods retailers..fridges, washing machines etc.<br>

Ask if you could take some waste product off their hands. The foam sheeting used to protect the goods in transit.<br>

It's white..and neutral..and very reflective.<br>

Try the pic of my friend Harry..change the hue of the image. You will find the foam sheeting stays neutral..whilst letting Harry become any colour you want.<br>

<br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7703677-lg.jpg" alt="" width="511" height="511" /><br>

I didn't use any background lighting in this frame. You can see how adding a little will create the white background you want.<br>

My last shoot was a white neutral family image, for an ad. The client was thrilled with the finished image..three of the family wore white, with no loss in detail in the white fabric.</p>

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<p>A background of pure white needs up to 2 stops more light than the subject (vary for brightness of the white), with the right lighting and distance you can get a neutral gray background to be be white or black.<br>

The background needs separate lighting to get that effect well. Using reflectors (cardboard covered with tinfoil for the budget conscious) out of shot can help direct more light at the background, though this probably won't solve it.<br>

Get your background exposure right, then light your main subject so that it is the couple of stops below (or do it the other way round). Trial and error is generally needed in the absence of a decent light meter.</p>

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<p>I hate to say this, but I think that you will need more equipment to do what you want on a consistent and efficient basis. I also teach beginning photography classes, and normally I tell students that the equipment is less important than their ideas and skills because I believe that, but for commercial work you will need to have enough equipment to work efficiently if you are going to get and retain clients.<br>

In my studio, for work like this, I have a Cambo shooting table with a piece of matte finish plexiglass that I can light from below, plus 5 White Lightning X series monolights with various reflectors, soft boxes, snoots, grid spots, etc. and a good Sekonic flash meter with a 5 degree reflected light attachment to measure the background and subject. This isn't cheap, but it allows me to deliver quality work in a small market, and the Cambo table is still going strong after 20 years of regular use.</p>

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<p>I agree with Matt - you need to light your background separately. And this, unfortunately, means you need another light hitting the background, probably from above and slightly behind your mayonese jar. In theory, maybe the SB600 could fulfill that role - assuming you could somehow suspend it and command it in some way.</p>

<p>Another very correct point was moving away from any kind of auto setting. You camera will always try to average 18% gray, so if you need to have a pure white background you'll need to set your exposure manually (and that of your flashes) - maybe start with adding about a stop of overexposure and see how that works for you.</p>

<p>Finally, if you are indeed trying - as Felix suggested - to get a pure white background so that you can then use PS (or whatever) to cut the jar away, then you're going about it the wrong way - completely. Never use white or black or grey as backgrounds when attempting something like that. Always go for colours which are NOT prevalent on your item - that is the only way you'll be able to properly automatically create the mask you want. That is why a specific green or blue colour are used by movie makers - because they make sure these same colours never exist in the actors' clothes and hence, the masking software can automatically remove the background on the fly...;-)</p>

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<p>My solution<br>

I bought a $7 11 x 14 picture frame<br />2 x $3 plastic boxes (holds up the frame)<br />$2.5 for white foamcore<br />$4 for silver reflecting paper<br />$2 for a white plastic table cloth <br>

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4501454153_eb4c3c4a61_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="612" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4501453565_a178ebe3e1_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="856" />I use two strobes under the glass. One to light the background, one to light up the area under the subject.<br>

I have one strobe on top the light the subject again.<br>

Output<br>

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4516618223_482ba29959_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1024" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4517252476_46855242aa_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1024" /><br>

After taking the pictures I dump them into Lightroom and use a graduated filter to make sure everything is 255<br>

You can see on the memory card I missed some. The Shadow on the tea ball is intentional but I missed a spot on the bottom.<br>

The key is to use an overwhelming amount of light from below going up the back side. For underneath the object I use the white plastic as a diffuser if it is too bright - no fold, one fold, two fold, etc. It reduces the intensity and spreads it out - double bonus. I have also put a "spacer" of bubble wrap for even more diffusion. The silver paper is really important. The light that bounces off the glass goes right back up for a second try.<br>

$20 total</p>

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<p>Thanks everybody for helping!<br>

I decided to give a little upgrade on my equip, I was thinking to get a kit: shooting table and 2 more lights (the picture below has 4 lights, but I'd get only 2).<br>

Also, I just lost one of my strobe lights, I had a problem on the dimmer, I wasn't having any control on the light, I tried to open it to see if I could fix, but I just broke it and got a electric shock...<br>

So, my boyfriend told me to get another SB600, and use it with the soft box and umbrella. Would it be the same as having the strobe lights? Would it be better? Because I don't really see people using flash instead strobe lights...</p>

<p>Thanks in advance! </p><div>00WGh4-237499684.jpg.88a4a9e3587f2071813b691c93f68df0.jpg</div>

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