Large white backgrounds?

rdodson · #1 (**permalink**) 07-16-2007, 08:52 AM

I'm sure this will be a silly question, but as a natural history photographer I never had to worry about this sort of thing.

How do you get those perfect white backgrounds in your people images? Is everybody using some type of chroma key software?

MY white backdrops will occasionally work well enough, but not reliably in all lighting.

Thanks,
Rusty

ozbandit · #2 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 01:50 AM

Two words, isolation + photoshop

RacePhoto · #3 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 06:21 PM

I made this for small stuff. Lamps from Goodwill, $4.99 for the two with arms, $2.99 for the top one. Bulbs were a little more, I decided on daylight balanced fluorescent. Folding clothes hamper, under $5, is the frame, with cut up white sheets (free from a hotel, as stained discards), pinned to the sides. White paper inside is an old calendar... free.

Camera and tripod.

I'm thinking that hoods for the lights might be better with a lighted base, to wash out any background. Something along the lines of a translucent, flexible cutting board. Then I won't need the light tent.

Target is portable, so I can shoot food, on location.

THEN: I use Elements 5 because I'm still trying to be frugal. (aka cheap!) :-D

Still working on color balance, this one was taken with the tent and no white balance settings done in advance.

I'm looking for some flash tubes like this (don't need the base, it's a standard tube socket) so I can use a brighter stobe unit that I have. But it needs new bulbs.

rdodson · #4 (**permalink**) 08-04-2007, 08:58 PM

Thank you. That last setup is actually similar to mine. I have a large light tent on a glass table with lights under, both sides and if need on top. I can usually get the results I like using it.

But for human action shots I'm having trouble..Other than manually removing backgrounds with PS.

I may see if some type of chroma key software will give a more rapid result.\

Thanks for any and all input!

Travis Manley · #5 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007, 09:42 PM

I was wondering the same thing. I do a lot of isolations of small objects and plan on doing photos of people in the future and am wondering what the secret is if any. I can see how doing isolations on hair could really become a problem.