Need to Eliminate Backgrounds for Print in a Book

[sean_gunn]

I would like to create a set of photographs of plants

for a book that seem to "float on the page."

 

Basically, I want the subject to print on the page but

no background. Another way to look at it is that I don't

want two colors of white on the page. I want the page

color to be the same as my background color.

 

I don't know if this is a job for lighting, software,

or both.

 

Does this question belong in another forum?

[clay_ransom]

You can white out a back drop buy making it a 1/2 stop above the light on the subject. Make sure the it is even. We do this buy shoot 2 light, on each side, into white reflector panels. It give a even light. You can also do chroma green, which need to be lit even as well.

[phil_planta]

For lighting, you would want to light a plain background evenly, and use something that is easy to "cut out" in a software such as Adobe Photoshop (or Corel etc). It's not an easy project if you are starting from scratch, I would suggest a studio lighting course/book and also Photoshop course/book to help you along the way. There are also some great threads on lighting in the threads from Brooks and, Tom etc.

[scottconners]

Use a white seamless paper for background, sized to fit your subject. Curve it smoothly from underneath your subject all the way up behind, and light it evenly, 1/2 to 1 stop above your subject. You will probably have to clean it up a bit in photoshop if you want it 100% perfect, or spend a lot of time shooting.

 

Google "seamless background technique" for more help.

[g._armour_van_horn]

How big are the plants? Assuming the scale works, I'd hang a diffuser behind the plant and blast it from the back. For small plants I'd use "sign white" plex as the diffuser, larger I'd use ripstop.

 

Van

[sean_gunn]

Can anyone recommend a good studio/lighting course book?

 

The plants will be from about 4 inches to 3 feet in most cases, maybe

some larger.

 

"hang a diffuser behind the plant and blast it from the back" is

what I had in mind. I was thinking that a piece of very, very

well-lit fabric in the background might eliminate anything but

the subject.

 

This technique may be too ambitious for my project but I think it

is still worth an attempt.

 

I will further research the "seamless background technique."

[scottconners]

The bible for tricky lighting is <u>Light: Science and Magic</u>. I can't personally recommend any of the books I've read recently on studio work unfortunately.