Lighting For White Background Internet Photos

stevewh

8

28 Oct 2003 - 1:09 PM

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Hi All

This is my 1st post and I am having a few problems.

I am using two studio flashes to photograph my companys products for our website.
We need the items on a white background.
I seem to be plagued with a greyish background on every shot. If I up the lighting my shots are just getting overexposed.

At the moment I have 1 diffuser lamp angled at the front at about 45 degrees and the product about 6" back from this. And one lamp on the background.

Anyone got any ideas what I can do ?

Many thanks in advance

Steve

cool cat

10

28 Oct 2003 - 1:34 PM

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To get a white background you need it to be at least 2 stops brighter than your subject. This allows the background to go white and not grey.

Check out the studio lighting section on this site and then have a look at the following links:

webphoto school

photoflex

Look at the "free" section on the first site. There are some great articles on how to do still life / products.

Cheers

Rob

cool cat

10

28 Oct 2003 - 1:55 PM

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If the back of the product is overexposed you have to move it further away from the background. One light should be fine if you use a white / bright reflector to fill in the shadows on the other side.

mad-dogs

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28 Oct 2003 - 3:25 PM

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It depends on whether you are using colour neg or transparency.

If you are shooting on neg., notify the lab that you are using a white background otherwise they might assume grey.

The best way is to shoot in a cove or on white opal perspex which you can light from behind to over-expose.

peterh

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29 Oct 2003 - 12:48 PM

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Take an incident reading at the subject and a reflected reading from the background and make a 3 stops difference (2 stops should be enough but you can't overexpose white really can you?) Using the set up you describe you could be throwing shadows, however diffused, onto the background you really need a third, reduced power light directly behind the camera to fill these shadows, reflectors aren't always enough depending on the size and complexity of the subject.
You could always try digital re-touching if all else fails.
Now you know why professionals charge so much for product shots!!!!!!!!!!!!