White background on large set

[scoop_mcd]

<p>Need help for an upcoming shoot. I'm shooting models jumping in mid air off a trampoline. The set is fairly large to accomadate all the movement--we may be shooting 2 people jumping at once. Having a hard time making the "white box" we've created--read an even white all over. We have set up 2 8x8 reflectors, white seamless on wall and floor.<br>

<br />Any recomendations for getting the large spance of white seamless on the wall to be a fairly even white-while trying to leave lights out of the shot?<br>

<br />many thanks!!<br />Cathy</p>

[mark_schafer1]

<p>Short of a cyc, get 13" super white paper, curve on bottom (and maybe ceiling), then add at least 3 heads on both sides (i sometimes used up to 6), in umbrellas with v-flats to set. Now if your white space is about 8"x10"wide you should be fine, the center will have a slight falloff with the backlight alone (around 2-3/10 f-stop). For incredible large width, add a cross bar above and below the set (the trampoline should give you clearance) and add as needed these lights. Obviously you can scale this. And now with the main light source in front, it should get you a pretty even white all across. But for freezing jumps you need some serious power, a pack a head at low power. I love Profoto Pro-7 due to their incredible quick flash duration (if you don't believe me try the jumprope test and see for yourself, broncolor didn't used to cut it, sorry, love the light quality, but flash duration claims, have a lot of marketing department input).<br>

Consider that you build up electric charge while jumping and handing a meter or other small electronics can zap them to death.<br>

Also, make sure you have crash pads and don't go overboard with the amount of jumps, shoes can get very painfull after some time.</p>

[morgan_brown]

<p>I would make sure to keep track of your power outputs/durations for your subject lights and background lights. If you're shooting fast action and your background lights are more powerful/slower duration than your subject lights, you'll get edge blurring due to the disparity in durations (especially with a white background). The faster the average duration between lights, the more room you have to vary the two because you eventually reach a point where everything is frozen solid if you dial down far enough.</p>

[bob_osullivan]

<p>As long as you have decent lights, duration shouldn't be a problem. Just over expose the background by around 2 or 3 stops beyond zone 9. If you don't know what a zone is do a search on the zone system. The idea is that if you have insufficient lights, you get hot spots and some grayer areas on the white seemless. By overexposoing beyond blown out, you get the whole thing blown out, which is what you want. Be careful not to go too far though or you will end up with an unwanted backlight.</p>