janiece_struble Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>I have beat the white background look to death. Everything I've always been told to seperate the backgrou nd as far away from the subject as possible- to blow out the white backgrounf to give an infinity feel. Then I s ee this. I LOVE it! So how does she make the background (and the floor) stay so white without blowing out h er subject? The images I'm referring to are the ones of the little girl (in black and white leg warmers) - especial ly those where she is writing on the background. You will have to scroll down on her blog to see which images I 'm referring t o. I have a Nikon D200 and 3 strobes. I have a soft box, a shot thru umbrella, and a reflector umbrella. I also ha ve a large reflctor (than can go white, silver, or gold). Any suggestions as to lighting setup, camera settings, et c. would be awesome! I want to do this with my kiddos so I can play around. I have a white vinyl roll from Dennys '. <br> http://shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/ 20 10/2/</p> < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Laur Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>You'll have to be more specific. I don't see any images on that page that include the subject writing on the wall, or wearing black <em>and</em> white leg warmers.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiece_struble Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>Thank you for the reply. I guess it would help if I gave you the proper link. I hope its not agains the terms, but for some reason I can't get the link to work. The image comes from shannonsewell.com though. Thank You!<br> <img title="maryblog1" src="http://www.shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/maryblog111.jpg" alt="maryblog1" width="860" height="690" /><br> <a href="http://shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/2010/2/">http://shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/2010/2/</a><br> <img title="maryblog2" src="http://www.shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/maryblog21.jpg" alt="maryblog2" width="860" height="619" /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_meador Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>I don't see the ones referenced either, but a browse though the blog looks to me like the indoor photos were taken in a white room that has a lot of window light. Not seeing any pics that look like flash was used. Most look like they are just taken in a bright room or near a window. The lighting is pretty flat overall imo, the outdoor portraits also seem to use natural light only. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_meador Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>oh, you found it. Again, just looks like a brightly lit room. One of the pics I saw on the blog shows a window is on the left hand side of this room, which explains the slight fall-off of light on that side of the pics. That plus a shallow DOF on some.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiece_struble Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>Thank You! I'm supised you can't see the images referenced. They show up in my response on my computer. How weird. I was wondering if they were using the sun! Thanks so much for taking the time to check that out for me!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_ludwig2 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>This is definitely NOT blown out. In fact, I wish we could see the actually lighting set up, because I suspect that the background isn't even separately illuminated. I looks very much like it is just catching the spill from the subject lights since it is actually a very high zone of gray rather than being white at all.</p> <p>Could be super white paper lit as described, or white vinyl. Either one would be reflective enough to assure lots of bounce back to maintain the high value. Of course, white or black (regardless of the background's original color or gray value) are simply a function of how much illumination reaches the background....compared to the subject brightness.</p> <p>A couple of big umbrellas or soft boxes for fill with a key light off to the side and aimed at only the subject should very much give this effect with the extremely smooth lighting on the background and the floor.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>It helps to make links work if they don't have extra spaces included in the URL. I believe <a href="http://shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/2010/2/">this is the page you meant.</a></p> <p>I can't believe this is purely natural window light. The shadows are far too filled and soft. It also looks like a fair amount of post-processing has been done to maintain the high-key look throughout the portfolio and to selectively desaturate the colours. I can't see anything particularly out of the ordinary though. The "white" background is actually greyer than the girls clothing and shows creases and some shadowing, although I suspect that some shadows and creases may have been obliterated or reduced in PP.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_meador Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>Another reason it looks to me like just a white room is the various shots using the white background all have the same darker regions to camera left as well as toward the 'ceiling' where less light is coming thru the window. If lights were used I wouldn't expect to always see the same area of the 'set' showing the exact same light falloff. Plus the subjects are always lit the same in the 'white' room shots. I think it is just a window to the left with a white wall on the right providing the lighting in all of these.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_stiles Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>This reminds me of something that was discussed in the Portrait forum a while back-- within the last year, but I can't find it. I think someone there said the photoshop styled had a name, and it was named after the photographer that made it's famous. There is definitely a curves layers used, as the blacks are crushed, and the highlights enhanced. There maybe an Overlay layer set at low opacity, but I'm not sure.</p> <p>As far as lighting, there seems to be a a fill light just to the left axis of the camera and high angling down. From the shadows and round catch light on her shoe, I think it's a Beauty Dish with a diffussion sock being used more like an umbrella. It's possible it's a shoot through white umbrella, I'm feeling rusty :-( It just seems like the fall off on the zoomed out shots are a little too fast for a shoot through, but I've not used a shoot through in so long...</p> <p>I think the key light is a 48" or larger flushed face softbox to left of camera and slightly angled in. It seems to be a static position on the girl shots, as the shadow's angle changes depending on how close to the wall she is. I guess that could be a window-- since I don't shoot that way, I wouldn't have thought of it. I think there's a white panel in front on the ground acting as fill.</p> <p>More than likely there is a back ground light, but I'm unsure as to what it maybe. As a guess, I'd say it's suspended above the background and is roughly a 10" reflector pointed down unto the background. That could account for the fall off seeming to rapid for me if it is a shoot through.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiece_struble Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>You all are aMaZiNg. You are really teaching me to disect the light- it really helps. You have for sure given me things to play around with. I love that its not blown out, and would like to be able to achieve this with evenness and without discoloration (my "white" backgrounds always end up discolored especially in around the edges. They always turn a redish/orangish color, and I can NEVER get them lite evenly).<br> Nathan Stiles: Do you mind explaining an "overlay layer" to me? I'm very familiar with photoshop, but are you referring to a duplicate layer overlayed?<br> Thank you all SO much for your help!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_stiles Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>Yes, you can duplicate the layer, and after that you have the option to leave it as it, desaturated it, or run a highpass filter on it as common manipulation techniques. The high pass will sharpen an image. Then set the blend mode to overlay and adjust the opacity.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_stiles Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 <p>I just emailed the photographer a couple of hours ago and she responded:</p> <blockquote> <p>hi nathan, </p> i wonder why they wouldn't have just asked me? haha it is a simple set up.. diffused natural light to camera left, large reflectors camera right. very minimal post. hope that helps... <p> </p> ~S </blockquote> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 <p>If that's "very minimal" post, I'd like to see what classes as heavy processing. Still, everyone's entitled to their own trade secrets.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlon Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 <p>I see that as minimal post. 1 curves layer if anything and a vignette.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 <p>The curves layer ain't all. There's been some manipulation of colours to get that faded Ektachrome look as well.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flaviosganzerla Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 <p>It doesn't look like what I'd call 'very minimal' too, but unfortunately I'm not the photographer to be 100% sure.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiece_struble Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 <p>Thank You all SO much! I guess I didn't even bother to ask... just assuming that she wouldn't tell! It seems like a lot of photographers like to keep secrets. Well you know what they say about "assuming"! Next time I'll ask them before I bother you guys. I really, really, appreciate all the responses! You've given me a lot to play with! Thank you!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_stiles Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 <p>Bad photographers keep secrets. If it's a "secret" that's keeping your business, you are about two years away from losing it then.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studio460 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 <p>The common method used to light white coves, or white seamless backgrounds, is to aim two softboxes or umbrellas from each side, toward the background only. These sources are typically flagged using 4 x 8 sheets of black Foamcore, often, four sheets (two on each side), with the pairs taped together to form an 'L,' and are oriented vertically, so that they both stand-up more easily, and also block any spill on the subject. The subject is lit separately.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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