Removing background for product shots

[logopro_imaging]

Hello, ( my first post :-) )

I am looking for info on how professional photographers remove

backgrounds for product shots.

 

You know those studio shots where you see a product.... say a can of

soup, and there is no backgrond at all,, it's totally white behind

the can of soup for example... and there's a man-made shadow below

the product ....

 

Here is a super example I found:

http://nataliaworthington.com/things/slides/boots.html

 

The photographer told me she underexposed the boots, then somehow in

Photoshop she bumped up the exposure and this turned

the background a really overexposed white. ( there was a white cloth

behind

the boots, and also a white cloth on a little set of steps )

 

I really don't understand the steps, and need a bit of help, does

anyone have any techniques they could share with me, starting points

etc ?

 

Thank much in advance,

Mark

 

p.s. I hope I posted in the correct forum.

[alexdi]

Depends on the product.

 

Generally, the white sheet is the lightest part of the image, so it's trivial to open Levels and

drag to the top-right slider to the left until the sheet disappears.

 

Products with white labels or reflective highlights are slightly more involving. For a simple

shape like a soup can, selecting with the paths tool, inverting the selection, and painting

over the background works well. Intricate shapes are more suited to the Levels method

above, with some additional layer masking so the adjustment won't clip the product.

 

Daniel Rutter of Dan's Data (http://www.dansdata.com) wrote an excellent tutorial on the

specifics of product shots. I've having some trouble with the system I'm writing on, so I

can't give you a direct link, but it's definitely worth your while.

 

DI

[basscheffers]

Start with a very white background that curves up, not a 90 degree angle. Hanging a pure white cloth over something will do, as long as it doesn't have any creases.

 

Then you need difused light. An on camera flash bounced off a white ceiling will get you a long way there, but two flahses from above/side with softboxes will work even better.

 

To totaly remove it in PS, use the magic wand to select the wite background and then use levels to blow them out completely.

 

Hope that helps!

[greg_miller3]

As long as the backgound is a consistent color and a color that is different than the product you can just do a color selection and then paint the background white (or any other color that you want).

[garry edwards]

Interesting answers, but my own approach is very different.

 

As a commercial photographer, I can't afford to spend unnecessary time doing something on computer that can easily be done at the time of photography.

 

Using a combination of underlighting and controlled overexposure of the background normally does the job. A very small adjustment in curves, if absolutely necessary, finishes the job

[malcolmdwyer]

For lots of great details, see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0735712794">This Book</a> -- Photoshop Masking & Compositing by Katrin Eismann

[peufeu]

<p>Put your product far away from a white, smooth background and overexpose the background with a dedicated soft light.

</p><p>

Distance is important so there are no shadows on the background, its irregularities are blurred, and you can overexpose it without backlighting the subject. Use a soft light to attenuate background irregularities. Don't overexpose too much it if you use a cheap lens, or it will flare. You'll still need something to support your product if it can't fly by itself, you'll have to remove this in PS later. You can use a glass panel.

[meatwagon]

yeah i just use a white paper backdrop and overexpose it by 1 stop... works fine for me.