Photograph White Background

[Gibmeister]

I am trying to photograph items with a white background. I want the background to be completely white. I tried using a piece of white tagboard as the background but it didn't come out as white as I would like. I know I can do some adjustments in PS but I would like the original to be closer to the desired effect.
Here is a photo of my first attempt. Thanks for your help.

Gib
[img]http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1703396&outx=600&oq=0[img]

[kayti402]

Are you shooting digital? Are you using flash? Strobes? Hot light? Most likely the background is underexposed and that is why background is not perfectly white. Not enough light is hitting back ground. You can use photoshop to fix this. Go to levels and use white eye dropper to set white point. This should fix it.

Dustin Cannon
Original Images by Cannon
www.cannonphoto.net

[Gibmeister]

I am using the Canon 10D with incadescent lights and white balance on the camera set to incadescent. I am using no flash but I have the Canon 420ex. Thanks.

Gib

[Yance]

If the white balance is set to incandescent, the background should be white. Try setting it to Auto white balance and set it to the card before placing a subject in place.

[stopbath]

There may be a mix of other light, or the spectrum given off is slightly warmer than the average incadencent.

Try custom white balance. Without the flower (just the board) set the custom white balance. That should render the white board as white.

As a reference shot, take a picture of the background with no flower.

Now replace the flower and shoot.

You may find that exposure is modified by the white background. If so, try setting exposure with spot meter or getting closer and manually setting the exposure.

[Longwatcher]

Don't forget with the Canon 10D you can also adjust the kelvin temperature setting which will tend to change the color better sometimes then playing with the white balance.

Just be sure to set it back to default when using under other conditions.

[barnold999]

Well, yah everything people suggested is great, but remember post processing in photoshop...

I used the magic wand to select the BG with 32 tolerance (a few clicks let me get all of the background) feathered the selection and adjusted levels accordingly to make the background white.

http://www.barnold.net/POTN/whitebg.jpg

[Yance]

barnold999 wrote:
Well, yah everything people suggested is great, but remember post processing in photoshop...


I think he wanted it done in camera. There will always be times when you are on the road and don't have access to photoshop. It's best to come up with a solution that doesn't require post-processing.

[barnold999]

Yance wrote:
I think he wanted it done in camera. There will always be times when you are on the road and don't have access to photoshop. It's best to come up with a solution that doesn't require post-processing.


Oh I agree, but there are other times when it comes out liek that, and you cant redo the photo :-) It is nice to have more than one alternative.

[paynesphoto]

I used a 10x20 ft. backdrop for a dance studio and the group photos went over on the shoot. How do I fill in the background on the sides with white to get the overage to match the backdrop? I have tried filling it in with paint brush but its not covering the lines. so what do I do? i ordered some backdrops on digital CD do you think that will work?

[PhotosGuy]

If the white balance is set to incandescent, the background should be white. Try setting it to Auto white balance and set it to the card before placing a subject in place. Incandescent light come in different color temps + they change color as they age. + do you have any other light coming into the room?

1/ Shoot RAW if you can. If not...
2/ Do a custom WB. Look at what happened to the colors here, especially the gray patch in the 2nd pic:
Gray card: Why your meter may be lying to you! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54281) I started out to check one thing & learned about another.

3/ Your image isn't coming up. Repost a pic so we can see the result without PS. You're probably going to have to pour more light into the background.
Tutorial: How to attach photos to a post (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=160897)

[ibdb]

Wow, PhotosGuy, 14,000+ posts and you still got tripped up. The original poster might have resolved his problem in the last 2.5 years. :D

As to the question posed by paynesphoto (Welcome to the board, by the way), I'm not quite sure what you mean by "covering the lines." Do you mean the divide between where the background ends, and the new white background you're trying to extend?

Like PhotosGuy suggested, if you could attach an example, some of the better Photoshop users out here could probably help. You might need/want to change your profile to allow edits, though.

[PhotosGuy]

Wow, PhotosGuy, 14,000+ posts and you still got tripped up. The original poster might have resolved his problem in the last 2.5 years. http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/smilies/rotfl2.gif You're right! I've been caught by that before!