Fat-Faced Baby and the Ceilings?

[Samgoit]

My Podna had a precious, new, fat-faced baby. He also has a new XSi. He also has a new house. He and his wife need to choose a color scheme for the new digs. A unique situation, given he can choose a color that will get him the most out of a bounced flash. I demanded that he (they) paint the ceilings a light color. But what actual color? I don't know. So that's the scenario: you're specifically painting your ceilings a color that's going to allow you to document your fat-faced baby's expressions --and beyond-- with a bounced flash. What actual color do you put up there?

[TheHoff]

White? Is this a trick question?

[Samgoit]

White? Is this a trick question?

No, just one born out of ignorance. A trick question is something like, if you are standing in between two mirrors facing each other, and you look into only one of those mirrors, does the other mirror still contribute to what you see?

Ok, white. Gloss, Matte, Satin? Really, stark white. Is it that easy.

No ecru, no egg shell, no off-whites, no tan?

[danir.photography]

No, just one born out of ignorance. A trick question is something like, if you are standing in between two mirrors facing each other, and you look into only one of those mirrors, does the other mirror still contribute to what you see?

Ok, white. Gloss, Matte, Satin? Really, stark white. Is it that easy.

No ecru, no egg shell, no off-whites, no tan?
Wow. You make me wish I had pursued psychology. Go with matte 18% gray and use gels.

[TheHoff]

The colour of the walls (I'm assuming they will be of a colour other than white based on your post) will have more effect on the final outcome than the choice of whites on the ceiling. So if the walls are beige or mauve or sand or putty, that colour cast will contribute (negatively) to the photo's balance. It won't make much practical difference unless the colour is particularly strong or unappealing.

Of course all of my ceilings and walls are pure white (Benjamin Moore Cloud White if you're curious).

A trick question is something like, if you are standing in between two mirrors facing each other, and you look into only one of those mirrors, does the other mirror still contribute to what you see?

If the mirrors are truly and completely parallel, no.

[Samgoit]

Oh yea, the walls, too. His baby is cute enough that I'll make him paint ever square foot the ideal color.


If the mirrors are truly and completely parallel, no.

Same scenario but now both mirrors are fluorite coated. Now what?

[TheHoff]

Same scenario but now both mirrors are fluorite coated. Now what?

In the new scenario, am I wearing a hat or am I hatless?

[Karl Johnston]

Hatless!

I vote gloss white

[Rudi]

In the new scenario, am I wearing a hat or am I hatless?

:lol: Priceless! :D

[red_click]

What ever gives you the most efficient light return and gel to suit :D

Millions of tiny mirrors...

[Curtis N]

You go to Home Depot and you say, "I need to paint my ceiling." And the guys gives you a bucket of flat white ceiling paint. That's because ceilings are painted flat white.

That's what you want.

[Samgoit]

White. How dreadfully anticlimactic! Ok, fine, it's white. But this is not going to go over well with his urban wife. I'll need to think of an alias for "white". "White" will not sound smart enough when chatting paint color at StarBucks.

I think we'll tell her it's Virgin Dove Cloaca White or Sun Bleached Wedding Dress White or Enlighten Angel White?

Thanks all.

In the new scenario, am I wearing a hat or am I hatless?

Sorry, you have no hat on. But you're draped in swaddling cloths, covered in temporary tattoos, and you have scurvy.

[lookingforaname]

Don't go all hyper on them. They have an Xsi, just tell them to shoot in RAW and fix white balance in PP. White walls in my house would drive me nuts. You may suggest choosing one room (guest room? baby room?) that gets lots of natural window light to go a pure white in to use as a studio from time to time. But otherwise, it's not gonna be worth it.

[TheHoff]

I like white walls.

Pick any of the fancy white colours you like and tell her it is the right one. It won't make a lick of difference in the long run but they do all have very slight tints. One of the purest is Benjamin Moore's "Designer White".

[Titus213]

Our son and his wife painted the ceilings white and the walls dark maroons, greens, etc. The place looks absolutely fabulous but the color in the walls causes issues with bounced flash.

That being said, the house is NOT a photo studio first. Paint the ceilings white and the wall whatever color turns them on...

[bohdank]

White and a pebble or stucco finish to soften the light.

[JeffreyG]

My in-laws living and dining rooms have a white ceiling with light grey walls. It is a fabulous place for flash photography. I love shooting there.