I can alter the backgrounds appearance dependent on how I place my lights, and if I want a deep black presentation, I have that option by just flipping it around.. Just sayin-. The white backdrop is versatile and works well for all types of photoshoots, from professional headshots to newborn photography. To do this adjust the brightness levels or curves from the left side (dark pixels) to the right side. Is it close to the amount of light on your subject? If you go past pure white and really overexpose a shot, the white will start almost glowing around the subject, just like if you had sun flare outdoors. Simply put your subject in front of the camera against a white background (preferably with a flash or strobe), and take the picture. When both the background and main lights are on, your metershould still give youf/8 on the subject, because you are metering the light that falls on your subject and not on the background. Again, being most careful not to read any light from the background. I had to do some retouching to it in photoshop, but it wasnt too bad. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by putting some distance between the two. If you are not seeing any change, check that you have the image layer selected, not the Adjustment Layer. You can find tables like this under $50 at your local hardware store or online. When photographing against a bright white background, the main goal is to make the subject and background work in harmony togetherrather than against one another. You might be working in a small photo studio or room. Whatever the size of your product, you will want the window to be significantly larger. Think about the emotions you want to convey before choosing your photo location. If your subject is being affected too much, edit the image in Photoshop. Thanks for the interesting post. I set the exposure for this tool at 100%. Usually, I have a good deal of space to work in when Im outdoors. For smaller applications, like product photography, using 3040white foam core board from your local craft store is one of the most economical ways you can go. See V flats below for an example of the styrofoam sheets Im using. You geta tone and color other than the intended white. Using a sheer curtain on a backdrop stand (or even hanging in a large doorway) with one strobe behind is a great way to get a nice bright white backdrop. Step 2: Seamless White Backdrop Paper & Tape (3 minutes). It doesnt matter what you can see through the window, you will blow out the window and it will be white. Therefore, the resulting imageis almost a silhouette of the subject. There are two key ways of doing this: You can use anything black to flag your lights: the black side of a reflector, black cardboard sheets, or black foam core. Product catalogs and websites like Amazon need a pure white background for products. This means we may receive a commission if you purchase something by clicking on one of our links. Even if the histogram shows a spike hard against the right side, you may not have a clean white background. All Rights Reserved, By clicking "Continue" I agree to SLR Lounge's, USING A SOFTBOX TO CREATE AN ALL WHITE BACKDROP FOR HEADSHOTS | GAVIN HOEY, https://www.amazon.com/StudioPRO-Double-Backdrop-Photography-Background/dp/B00FG5DOV6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1471542974&sr=8-5&keywords=flexible+photography+backgrounds, iPhone Photography Tutorials (And Other Smartphones). While not affordable to create (learn how to make one in the below video) you can usually rent a studio with a cyc for an affordable fee. If you dont flag (block) your background lights, your subject will end up with a halo effect and look very backlit. You can use this setup to shoot a range of products such as clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry, and more! The photos above show a properly-lit Sven. In full sunshine, the white background fabric is always at least three stops brighter than my subject. Take some test photos and check them over. Photographing against a pure white background bears many similarities to capturing images in harsh lighting, and both are pretty challenging. Lights placed under and behind this table get rid of the shadows from top lighting. This allows me to move the subject closer or farther from the background as needed. The best possible result would be an off-white background after you have done some edits. But since we need a higher aperture and won't be using lower ones, the benefit to having a zoom on your camera or lens is that you can position yourself close or far from your product, which allows much more versatility. Professional photo studio lighting equipment can be confusing and expensive. Try working with a smaller background and cropping tighter to your subject. $35 Savage Seamless White Backdrop Paper 53 wide x 12 yards. V-flats are a popular option, especially if you intend to shoot a white background portrait. As you can see in my images above, the bounced light fills in the back and side of the shoe nicely allowing for detail to be present. Sliding these towards the right will lighten the background. Often it is quicker and easier to photograph white products on an opaque background. Your account will be downgraded to a Free Account at the end of your Premium Membership trial. It doesnt show you where the tones are in the image. Keep in mind that your camera is just 1 of 5 factors that will affect the final outcome of your product images. Here are some tips to help. Thestyrofoam boards work amazingly well and I love them, but theywere very difficult to transport from the hardware store. You can see this overexposed effect in the images below: I hope this little tutorial has shed some light on basic techniques forcreating a white background, and that it has solved any and all mysteries regarding how to achieve such a look. Creased fabric will result in an uneven light on the background. When you rotate your product, make sure to keep your tripod, camera, and object in the exact same place for each shot, so that the product is framed the same way for all images. Perfecting your white balance can automatically elevate your photography, and focusing on this area is particularly important if you plan on taking pictures against a bright white background. This may change what you set your aperture and shutter speed to, but I will explain those in the next lesson! Businesses hire her to create story-telling content that sells their high end products and services. If you know that youre going to shoot against this kind of background, think about how you can make your picture really pop. This may result in light from them spilling onto your subject. She also teachings photographers her unique business model for making serious money as a corporate and personal branding photographer. Print out the cheat sheet & start shooting. Placing lights in front of your subject will cause shadow to be cast on the background. Once Ive switched to Photoshop, I will add a Levels Adjustment Layer and move the sliders most of the way to the right. Point them at the wall, away from the background. There's a reason e-commerce photography is synonymous with white background photography. I have replicated the setup with my little model, Sven (Kristoffs beloved reindeer in the movie Frozen). A white background photoshoot makes sense if youre taking pictures for a brand with vibrant and fun marketing or if youre going to take portraits where the person looks happy. Take note of your exposure settings. Good vs Great | Free 1 Hour Training by Pye, Copyright 2019 SLR Lounge. Photographing product on an opaque white background often results in shadows. I pointed the light toward the window so it would bounce back into the curtain, converting the one small light intoa nice big, even light source. You can do it in camera. Now unroll your white background paper roll and tape it to a wall, ceiling, or something that can hold it up (like a large box or a book stand). That being said, if you have room in the budget for a quality machine, go for it. It is also important to take your exposure meter reading only from your subject. If you dont have a backdrop stand, paper, fabric or v-flats, you can always use an existing white wall in a home or office or even on the exterior of a building. Thankfully, Ive known about using sheets of styrofoam insulation from the hardware store for awhile now (thanks to Sue Bryce) but had never tried it until recently. Ha! I cant say I have a favorite. When the background light did fire on the left, this shadow was eliminated (right photo, above). To get you started, here are 8 white backdrop options that are affordable and accessible. Youll learn quick editing techniques to create mind-blowing photos with: Whether you are a professional photographer or a hobbyist, wouldnt it be nice to make some money from your images by selling photography prints? You can add lights from the front to help reduce or get rid of the shadow. Tape the sides of the paper to the table as well, so your setup doesn't move while you are shooting pictures. Reserved / Disclaimer, Your email is safe with us. It is even possible to do product photography outdoors using this method. Then check the light on the white background. You will want to fill your product in the frame of your camera, but make sure to leave extra space around your subject so you have room in the image. I always use manual mode and spot metering when I am making portrait photography like this. Using the method described above would result in a photo with either a gray, dull, or muddy-toned background. This consists of a sheet of white acetate. You can bend this to provide a horizontal surface and a vertical background. In addition to the white background, ensure that you have everything else you need to master your photoshoot. Use a piece of white foam board ("foam core") as your reflector. Its inexpensive, compact and easy to use, and a white backdrop generally can be made to look grey and even to black it lit correctly. The black, red and yellow areas show where the background is not a clean white. Your exposure settings for the background might be 1/250th of a second, f22 and ISO 100. Finding large sheets of foam-core board in Spokane is virtually impossible, as the nearest legitimate camera store is located in Seattle, a 5.5 hour drive away. It comes as wide as three meters and has a textured side. Having the right background material is also important. Before placing your product on the white background sweep, make sure to clean and prep your object before you photograph it. Because the background lights are so much brighter than the foreground light, you need to separate them from the main subject. How about you? A better result was possible by cleaning the background with Photoshop. I recommend a good standard size of 53 inches across. Instead, all I had to do was balance the colour and tweak the white levels in Lightroom. The studio I rented had built in strobesin the ceiling to light the cyc wall and then strobes on stands with casters that were easy to move around to light the subject. It is easier to post process white products to clean the background. A third white board makes a great reflector. And it will reduce the amount of light spilling onto your subject. Place two or more high powered strobes behind the background. Move your subject further away from the background if there is too much light on them. But Im here to tell you its not all about Photoshop. In addition to modifying shadows, you can mask certain areas of your images and add detail to lights, darks, and so on. Find her at. Last on our list (and most important) is having access to a large window that allows for a lot of natural light. Then, youll find it much easier to get the shots you want. Yes, I mentioned a collapsible backdrop in the article. Adjusting the Kelvin meter on your camera is perhaps the easiest way to change the white balance on your camera for white background photography. I have used this technique to make super white background portrait photography both in the studio and outdoors. High-end equipment and gadgets do have their benefits, but they simply are not necessary to create great looking product images. Take a spot meter reading from your subjects face. On the flip side, white backgrounds arent the best choice if you want to portray a serious message. My camera settings for all the shots in this setup were ISO 250, 1/160s, and f/8 (though the background gave a meter reading of f/16). This will be quicker and easier than using the Dodge Tool. :). The size of the background you are using will determine how many strobes you will need. This is what your camera will use to store your images on during a photo shoot. Placing your subject too close to the background during a photo shoot is the main problem. All Rights Reserved. I booked the session last minute so didnt have time to order a collapsablebackdrop and decided to go with an inexpensive piece of white fleece from the fabric store. Multitasking? You will notice in the two images below that only the right background light fired in the left photo, and only the left background light fired in the right photo. This will allow me to see where any dark areas are. So, which white backdrop method do you prefer or are you going to try out next? I like the sheer curtain setup thats one I need to try. If you are using an auto or semi-auto mode you will need to use exposure lock for best results. Consider any extra lights you need ahead of time, such as ring lights, and alter your camera settings to maximize your surroundings. But, alas, I work mostly on-location and not rolling in dough (yet) so I generally use one of the more portable options listed below. The biggest disadvantage is that you have no control over it. Stand in front of the background and take a photo of it with your exposure set so you can see some tone in it. So don't stress about the camera. Before heading out on your photoshoot, take a little time to consider settings, props, and lighting. Now just head out to the store, and for under $300 you will be converting your spare bedroom room into a home product photography studio. So that's it! It was more difficult for me to make this work in the studio than outdoors. You must also have your camera exposure settings right. But these were to ensure the colours were balanced well and the background was clean. You can find both at your local hardware store. In most instances, youll probably use an editing platform like Adobe Lightroom or Capture One to retouch your white background photos. This can reduce your post-production time greatly, but don't worry if your product isn't 100% perfect, as it is possible to fix the remaining defects in Photoshop. I will cover the optimal time to photograph your products in Part 2 of this post. The key is having ample natural light and a workspace that allows you to move around comfortably while taking photographs. I use the same technique I do in the studio to measure the light and make my exposure setting. I find it easier to mount than a normal fabric or paper backdrop,.