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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Photography Discussion => Topic started by: pixel8 on July 30, 2014, 18:45

Title: Isolation Question?
Post by: pixel8 on July 30, 2014, 18:45
I am working on a photo with a lot of fibers and I want to isolate it on a white background at pure white. Typically when I do isolations I will take the photo into photoshop and use the pen tool to select the object and then put in a 100% white background. With a bunch of fibers, using the selection tool is not going to work out.

How can I get a 100% white background in this situation? Do I blow out the backdrop with a strobe? Or is there a method in photoshop I can do?

Thanks
Title: Re: Isolation Question?
Post by: disorderly on July 30, 2014, 18:58
It's a lot easier to blow out the background than it is to fix it in Photoshop.  There are PS plugins that can help; I've had good results with Topaz ReMask.  But with fine detail like hair or fibers it's best to get it right in camera.

For studio shots I use four lights: two on the subject (key at F/8, fill at F/5.6) and two more to light the white background (F/11.5).  Then I adjust levels in PS so the background goes to solid white.  I've done it all in PS, but it's a lot of work even for relatively simple edges.
Title: Re: Isolation Question?
Post by: etudiante_rapide on July 30, 2014, 19:13
It's a lot easier to blow out the background than it is to fix it in Photoshop.  There are PS plugins that can help; I've had good results with Topaz ReMask.  But with fine detail like hair or fibers it's best to get it right in camera.

For studio shots I use four lights: two on the subject (key at F/8, fill at F/5.6) and two more to light the white background (F/11.5).  Then I adjust levels in PS so the background goes to solid white.  I've done it all in PS, but it's a lot of work even for relatively simple edges.

+1. it is actually less work doing it on camera first time, since the lighting ratio is so simple, when u use the same number on the f stop transposed into the distance. eg. 5.6 ft, 8 ft, 11 ft, 16 ft,.. light placements will get u the lighting ratio without all the complicated calculations. and it works too.
Title: Re: Isolation Question?
Post by: mojaric on August 01, 2014, 03:26
It's a lot easier to blow out the background than it is to fix it in Photoshop.

For studio shots I use four lights: two on the subject (key at F/8, fill at F/5.6) and two more to light the white background (F/11.5).

yep :) if are small object you can add a light from beneath the subject with translucient base to avoid all shadows (if you don't want shadows, someone prefer some shadow)
Title: Re: Isolation Question?
Post by: old crow on August 01, 2014, 15:10
What color fibers,  what will happen to fibers in the blowout  ?   maybe if that doesn't work green screen, select - color replace tool and adjust edge parameters ? 

Does PS color replace tool have many ill effects in microstock ?