Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17

Thread: Photography...how to have no background

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    midlands
    Posts
    228

    Default Photography...how to have no background

    .........................................
    Last edited by ben b; 13-09-2009 at 01:58 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    482

    Default

    Wooo mate - it's 1 in the morning and I've just read your post after a very long day( I started work at 7.30 this morning).

    I think I understand what you are talking about in general terms but probably need to read through it a couple of times to be sure.. Don't go far, I may have a lot of questions in the morning when the coffee kicks in.

    Annie xXx

    All things are possible - if you look at them the right way!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    1,293

    Default

    I love the sound of that ben! I must give it a go! It almost sounds too simple to be true...but then all the best ideas are the pure and simple ones!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    West London
    Posts
    174

    Default



    This a kind of example of the above technique...not the most amazing image but I think you can get the idea

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Bristol
    Posts
    879

    Default

    You can also do it simply by increasing the exposure compensation, and placing the item directly on a white background. I used to take some pictures this way(a sheet of thick a3 paper inside my light tent), not so much now though, but a couple of old examples are below:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails p&p.jpg   bespoke.jpg  

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Malmesbury, Wiltshire
    Posts
    103

    Default

    I think I might give this a try. thanks

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    482

    Default

    Yep,

    It made much more sense second time around with the addition of caffine, I going to give it a try at the weekend.
    Annie xXx

    All things are possible - if you look at them the right way!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Masham, North Yorkshire
    Posts
    587

    Default

    Blimey, I must try this as I just can't get my backgrounds whiter than white.
    Thanks for the tip.

    Mind you, I don't think that works for everything - it can look a bit spooky seeing a necklace seemingly floating in the ether.....or is that just me!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    East Lancashire
    Posts
    322

    Default

    The most common reasons for murky white backgrounds are underexposure and incorrect white balance. If you underexpose the shot (which the camera will do for itself unless you tell it - by increasing exposure compensation - that the background is white and you want it to stay that way), the white will come out a little grey and grubby looking. If you don't use the right white balance setting for the light source you use, you can get a colour cast to it too. If your lighting isn't totally even, you'll get patches of 'grey' still showing.

    I have a tutorial with these points illustrated: http://www.boo.myzen.co.uk/artisan.html

    If you really want to drop out your background to white, using a little too much exposure compensation will over-expose the shot and get an over- bight background, but that may also be at the espense of detail in your piece, where light areas will also be over-exposed and the piece may look lighter than it is.

    Perhaps the best way is as the OP suggested is to over-light the background itself, so that your item itself can be exposed for correctly - thereby losing no detail in it. I have an old lightbox I use for such images - I can only find one on-line just now to illustrate this:

    http://www.zenadsl5251.zen.co.uk/pho.../rasps7782.jpg

    This was taken on white paper on top of a lightbox - with lighting applied to the raspberries from above too. So you light your background and subject as two separate entities. If you don't have a lightbox (mine is an old advertising sign from outside a shop, I scubbed the lettering off - I got it for nowt and have been using it for over 20 years now) you can suspend some glass or perspex on some books or something and put a lamp underneath it.

    As lesley said, I don't like how they float with no shadows - they were for a particular brief - but I prefer something solid under my pieces and have decided now not to even try for white backgrounds, I prefer interesting textures and a bit of staging instead.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    1,293

    Default

    That's a fantastic tutorial Boo...mind you - it will take me a month of Sundays to read and digest that lot! I love the fact that you don't have to go out and spend loads on equipment...excellent stuff..thank you!!

    And thanks Ben too for starting the thread off in the first place...

Similar Threads

  1. Making a Photography Background
    By MuranoSilver in forum Photography & Images
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 13-04-2010, 02:53 PM
  2. Photography - Homemade Infinity Background
    By Bigwol in forum Tutorials, Bench Tips and Step By Steps
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 16-10-2009, 10:09 PM
  3. Photography question??
    By fi79 in forum Photography & Images
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 17-09-2009, 03:52 PM
  4. Photography...how to have no background
    By ben b in forum Photography & Images
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 26-08-2009, 06:46 PM
  5. Making a Photography Background
    By MuranoSilver in forum Tutorials, Bench Tips and Step By Steps
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 25-08-2009, 11:44 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •