PLEASE Help! Need help on lighting this back drop!!!

[hsellersb]

What's the best possible way to get this white backdrop lit correctly??? Space is just sooo limited! HELP PLLLLLEASE!!!!
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo338/hsellersb2/IMG01948.jpg
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo338/hsellersb2/IMG01947.jpg
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo338/hsellersb2/IMG01949.jpg

[Benji]

Ceiling height?

Benji

[hsellersb]

Average ceiling height?.....ehhhh...8 foot I think?

[colormaniac]

What do you mean by "correctly"? If you have enough and even light on the muslin, the muslin will look white. So, is it a question about how many lights and where to put them?

I think the more serious problem about limited space and white background is that the subject will have light wrap because she/he is too close to the background.

[justincase724]

Get another light behind the subject firing straight at the back drop. Make sure it's powerful enough to light the whole thing bright enough to wash it out (if that's what you're going for).

[evolved]

http://www.zarias.com/?p=71

[hsellersb]

yeah....*pulling hair* I know this is going to be a HUGE headache....hense me asking for help---just curious how you all would light this white backdrop considering the "space issue" Ive always used a boom to light the backdrop and now, obviously, I dont have that option.....
Mount a couple strobes to the ceiling???
mount a stobe on each side of the wall???
I use the white backdrop for 75% of my pics---so Id like to have it the most "reasonable" set up for full time use...just a bit frustrated on my lackof space....

[hsellersb]

evolved- hehe...I actually started reading this...GREAT READING! buuuut-I got to #1 and wanted to scream.....thought I'd ask around before having to do all the cursing :)

[evolved]

evolved- hehe...I actually started reading this...GREAT READING! buuuut-I got to #1 and wanted to scream.....thought I'd ask around before having to do all the cursing :)


there's always the good ole inverse square law and light fall off... you probably won't get a pure white with that, but it might get you close.

[Benji]

OK eight feet high. I assume you will be shooting adults? Are you going to be shooting everything from full length to head and shoulders? Or just head and shoulders to maybe waist up?

Benji

[colormaniac]

If you are not shooting full length, in such a small room where you cannot separate the subject from the background for too much, the Lastolite hilite seems to be the best, as I heard.

[hsellersb]

Well, I am in hopes that I'll be able to do full length to head shots :) I do a lot of family shots around this time and then there is always the steady stream of Seniors and children....

*sigh*

[Benji]

Ya ain't gonna like what I say! The subject should be about six to eight feet out from the background, and you should be able to be about an additional 6 to 8 feet away from them (10 or 12 would be better.) If you have Photoshop you will probably need to add some background (after the capture) above a standing individual because once they are six to eight feet out the ceiling will appear to be less than 8 feet tall and the bottom of the softboxes will probably show.

I would use three a/c powered studio type flash units with those slender strip type softboxes attached to the ceiling lined up side by side and aimed at the background back about four or five feet. You will need about one to 1 & 1/3rd stops more light on the background (when metered at the subject) than what the aperture and main light is set at. Simply pose the subject, aim the dome of the meter toward the background while holding the meter right beside the subject, then fire the background lights.

DON'T roll the background down the back wall and then out toward the camera (like your photos show) because you will have a dark gray area at the horizon behind your subject. Instead roll it down and out so it looks more like an elongated "C" rather than a tight "L".

Benji

[hsellersb]

THANK YOU BENJI!!!