White BG - What to get to Achieve

[[godfather]]

Currently I have Two Elinchrom 200ri strobes with two 25" square SB and one 135cm Octa

Since I believe I will be using only octa as the mai light, I can buy another light to get the white BG.

Bt I want to know what modifiers will be required to get the white BG.

Also, what size of BG should I get in order to get full body shots. I will be gettin gMuslin from a local tailor here

[jemersonl83]

This is the best seamless tutorial I have come accross: http://www.zarias.com/?p=71

[TMR Design]

It very much depends on how large an area you want to render as pure white. Zack's tutorial is good but it's not the 'go to' universal tutorial. There are many factors that come in to play in terms of the space you're working with, the size of the background and the distance from subject to background.

Since you're using Elinchrom strobes, one of the best ways to achieve great coverage at close range with a large and somewhat uniform hot spot is to use the 9.5 inch 135 degree wide angle reflector with a mini silver deflector installed.

[johnboy00]

Here's one I did with one light/reflector on white muslin bg and one light/softbox on subject. Subject is around 8' from bg which is about the max I can do. I think I had the bg too hot on this one, and I didn't notice the dress inside-out at bottom right.

[TMR Design]

This was shot against 9 foot white seamless. I have one Elinchrom strobe on the left side and one on the right side. By using the 135 degree wide angle reflectors with silver deflectors installed it lets me get even coverage, left to right and top to bottom, at a distance of just under 4 feet from the background. The hot spot is enlarged and the wide angle allows me to work that close without gradation and without any wrap coming back from the background. It's a very efficient way to work in a small studio where you don't have 8 feet between subject and background. The subject was just forward of the lights at about 6 feet from the background. No post processing was done to the white background.

[iamdogdog]

Originally Posted by TMR Design

This was shot against 9 foot white seamless. I have one Elinchrom strobe on the left side and one on the right side. By using the 135 degree wide angle reflectors with silver deflectors installed it lets me get even coverage, left to right and top to bottom, at a distance of just under 4 feet from the background. The hot spot is enlarged and the wide angle allows me to work that close without gradation and without any wrap coming back from the background. It's a very efficient way to work in a small studio where you don't have 8 feet between subject and background. The subject was just forward of the lights at about 6 feet from the background. No post processing was done to the white background.

Hi Robert, what angle are you pointing those 2 lights against the background? And do you mind showing how you are lighting the floor so evenly as well?

Thanks.

[TMR Design]

Originally Posted by iamdogdog

Hi Robert, what angle are you pointing those 2 lights against the background? And do you mind showing how you are lighting the floor so evenly as well?

Thanks.

The 2 strobes are placed right are directly in front of the edge of the seamless pointing straight back. Any angle actually creates uneven light. Pointing them straight at the seamless is what gives me the even light. The height is centered on the seamless, not the wall height. Using the wide angle reflector gives me the white floor and the subject lighting helps with the areas in front of the subject. The light that is reflected from the white seamless is just enough to give me the white floor without wrapping on the subject.

[bullitt731]

Approx how far back from the seamless are your stobes, and how far in front of the modeling light would you recommend the silver deflector be placed.

I just had the reflectors, and deflectors delivered, and will be experimenting all weekend.

Thanks

[TMR Design]

Originally Posted by bullitt731

Approx how far back from the seamless are your stobes, and how far in front of the modeling light would you recommend the silver deflector be placed.

I just had the reflectors, and deflectors delivered, and will be experimenting all weekend.

Thanks

I'm able to work with my strobes roughly 4 feet from the background and I typically insert the deflectors so they are just inside the outer rim of the reflector. I haven't done extensive testing with the deflector to see how moving it slightly forward or backward affects the light. Once I saw that my setup was working I just ran with it.

[bullitt731]

Originally Posted by TMR Design

I'm able to work with my strobes roughly 4 feet from the background and I typically insert the deflectors so they are just inside the outer rim of the reflector. I haven't done extensive testing with the deflector to see how moving it slightly forward or backward affects the light. Once I saw that my setup was working I just ran with it.

Thanks Robert much appreciated, this gives me a reference point to start from.

[Player9]

Originally Posted by TMR Design

This was shot against 9 foot white seamless. I have one Elinchrom strobe on the left side and one on the right side. By using the 135 degree wide angle reflectors with silver deflectors installed it lets me get even coverage, left to right and top to bottom, at a distance of just under 4 feet from the background. The hot spot is enlarged and the wide angle allows me to work that close without gradation and without any wrap coming back from the background. It's a very efficient way to work in a small studio where you don't have 8 feet between subject and background. The subject was just forward of the lights at about 6 feet from the background. No post processing was done to the white background.

Great shot.

[TMR Design]

Originally Posted by Player9

Great shot.

Thanks man.

[umphotography]

Originally Posted by TMR Design

This was shot against 9 foot white seamless. I have one Elinchrom strobe on the left side and one on the right side. By using the 135 degree wide angle reflectors with silver deflectors installed it lets me get even coverage, left to right and top to bottom, at a distance of just under 4 feet from the background. The hot spot is enlarged and the wide angle allows me to work that close without gradation and without any wrap coming back from the background. It's a very efficient way to work in a small studio where you don't have 8 feet between subject and background. The subject was just forward of the lights at about 6 feet from the background. No post processing was done to the white background.

Robert

awesome information as always. im guessing its safe to assume that users of the ab lights probably cant use the 135 degree reflector you posted. ive got 34' x 16'..im thinking if we have the room,,revert to another method

[TMR Design]

Originally Posted by slowdad

Robert

awesome information as always. im guessing its safe to assume that users of the ab lights probably cant use the 135 degree reflector you posted. ive got 34' x 16'..im thinking if we have the room,,revert to another method

HI Mike,

A while back, when I was using Alien Bees, I did discover that the Norman reflectors and accessories would fir the AB mount and just required the slightest bend in the spring clamps on the Bee. It did not damage or change compatibility with the Bees accessories but it did provide a tighter grip on the Norman reflectors. Norman makes a wide angle reflector that is not as wide as the Elinchrom and does not accept a deflector but I found it to be very useful for increasing coverage in many applications. One such application was when I was using a single strobe behind a large diffusion panel. It did increase the coverage and to some degree increased the size of the hot spot.

I don't think it is nearly as good a solution as what I found with the Elinchrom wide angle reflector and deflector but it definitely would help and allow you greater coverage at close distances.

[[godfather]]

Ok you both means I only need a reflector rathera SB or Umbrella?