Author Topic: Best Color Backdrop? (Read 6394 times)

tillencik · « **on:** April 11, 2009, 15:05 »

I recently rented a studio for a photo shoot because I wanted a pure white background, which requires professional lighting. I'm upset because the background game out beige, and isolating the model in Photoshop is very difficult, especially with the hair. I know there is a method of isolating an object my using the contrast, but the difference isn't significant enough for that to work.

My question is.. if I were to buy a green background, would that make it easier to isolate the object and place it on a pure white background?

Thanks!

RT · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2009, 15:14 »

No buy a white background and light it correctly!!

Green will give you 'matting' if you don't know what you're doing with the lights.

fotorob · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:17 »

As RT said: The secret is how to light the background. It needs more light than the subject to come out clear white...

Bye, Robert

goldenangel · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:10 »

I'm learning the secrets of studio lighting myself as I got to use my friends studio these days. I have also experienced that white background comes out beige or gray if not lit enough.

I'm still trying to figure out how much light I need to get the subject lit enough with no shadows on the background and background to appear white enough for a good isolation. The three lights I worked with two days ago were definitely not enough and I'm planning to get some more, including the umbrella for better reflection. Anyway, it's a very itneresting learning experience!

araminta · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2009, 13:01 »

All you need is just there:
http://www.zarias.com/?p=71

goldenangel · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2009, 13:48 »

Thanks araminta, very useful article for me.

graficallyminded · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2009, 08:11 »

I was wondering the same. Anyone shoot chromakey (green screen) and have success with that? That would make it cake to replace the color range in photoshop, isolate the subject and drop in any background of your choice. Definitely way more post processing time, though. Doing that times 100 shots has got to be brutal after a while. I would probably personally stick to white, silver, or black. Even shooting over colored walls in my home - they sell, but I wonder how much better or worse sometimes than if I had shot them on white/black.

tan510jomast · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2009, 08:24 »

if this would help, use the genius Ansel Adams Zone VI secret. i learned this as a teenage new photographer at one of the seminars when i was learning to use the view camera . i still profit from all these secrets after 20 years plus in freelance work.
look at your white background and compare it to the grey scale. each block is one stop. that tells you how much more light you have to give to your white background to make it white. zone vii is detailed white, zone viii is pure white. zone v is grey card. hope this helps.
be careful of course in making sure the extra lighting does not spill over to your subject to cause lens flare.