Background shade shifting problems

[newcamerauser]

I am neophyte user on a budget with a digital point and shoot, Nikon S8200.
I am taking pictures for my website. I have a grey background and a chromakey background. I can use either one.
The items I am taking pictures of range from black to gray to white to green to red, etc.
I have the background separately lit and well lit from the top and the sides.
I have the object lit, but not with the same intensity.
Both backgrounds change shade from picture to picture based on the color of the object. Nothing else has changed.
Playing with the white balance doesn't seem to make a difference.
The same happens with the chromakey background as with the gray with the exception that the shiny black on chromakey reflects some of the green at its edges.
My goal is to have one standard, unvarying, background. That's not working, so far.
I must be missing something. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
J
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[tirediron]

Can you draw us a diagram of your lighting set-up? Are you using strobed or continuous light? Is your camera set for manual exposure?

 

[Buckster]

You'll need to get your white balance off Auto and set it the same for each shot. Same with your shutter and aperture - off auto - set the same for each shot.

A gray card will work to set your white balance.

 

[Buckster]

Can you draw us a diagram of your lighting set-up?

Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having.

Are you using strobed or continuous light?

Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having.

Is your camera set for manual exposure?

EXIF says his Nikon Coolpix S8000 is on auto exposure and auto white balance.

 

[tirediron]

Can you draw us a diagram of your lighting set-up?

Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having.

Are you using strobed or continuous light?

Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having.

Is your camera set for manual exposure?

EXIF says his Nikon Coolpix S8000 is on auto exposure and auto white balance.

I will bow to Buckster's infinitely superior photographic knowledge and experience. I'm sure he will be able to correct your problem easily.

 

[table1349]

Can you draw us a diagram of your lighting set-up?

Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having. Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having.

Is your camera set for manual exposure?

EXIF says his Nikon Coolpix S8000 is on auto exposure and auto white balance.

I will bow to Buckster's infinitely superior photographic knowledge and experience. I'm sure he will be able to correct your problem easily.

:lmao:

 

[cynicaster]

That's the problem with using auto--the camera has no way of knowing that you want matching backgrounds for a website; it just does all of its fancy calculations and tries to grab a good exposure.

Go full manual, spend a few minutes on trial and error to dial things in, and your problem will be solved in a jiffy.

 

[newcamerauser]

Continuous lighting. Thx. John

 

[Buckster]

Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having. Shouldn't matter for the issue he's having. EXIF says his Nikon Coolpix S8000 is on auto exposure and auto white balance.

I will bow to Buckster's infinitely superior photographic knowledge and experience. I'm sure he will be able to correct your problem easily.

:lmao:

Now that he's answered the questions tirediron had about the light setup, why don't you, tirediron or Charlie jump in and explain how to fix his problem with that information? That would be SOOOOOO helpful of you guys!

I'll just watch and learn... :lmao:

 

[tirediron]

I will bow to Buckster's infinitely superior photographic knowledge and experience. I'm sure he will be able to correct your problem easily.

:lmao:

Now that he's answered the questions tirediron had about the light setup, why don't you, tirediron or Charlie jump in and explain how to fix his problem with that information? That would be SOOOOOO helpful of you guys!

I'll just watch and learn... :lmao:

I have, however in the interests of avoiding further post dissection, I have done it via PM.

 

[Buckster]

:lmao:

Now that he's answered the questions tirediron had about the light setup, why don't you, tirediron or Charlie jump in and explain how to fix his problem with that information? That would be SOOOOOO helpful of you guys!

I'll just watch and learn... :lmao:

I have, however in the interests of avoiding further post dissection, I have done it via PM.

But I want to learn too, and I'm sure it would be helpful to many others as well.

 

[Buckster]

Still not seeing how light position can possibly correct the problem the OP is having, as long as exposure and white balance stay on auto, which I maintain is the real problem that needs to be corrected.

I would LOVE to be proven wrong so that I can learn a new trick.

 

[Mike_E]

Easy, move the lighting closer or further back.

You'd need to set your meter to spot though.

 

[Buckster]

Easy, move the lighting closer or further back.

You'd need to set your meter to spot though.

for each shot? sorry, I still don't get it.

 

[tirediron]

Still not seeing how light position can possibly correct the problem the OP is having, as long as exposure and white balance stay on auto, which I maintain is the real problem that needs to be corrected.

I would LOVE to be proven wrong so that I can learn a new trick.

I will assume that is sincerety and not sarcasm dripping from your post.

I agree that there are WB issues, and in my suggestions to the OP, I reiterated your advice to shoot manual and set and maintain a custom WB, however, IMO, there is also another issue. The OP is trying to shoot a high-key shot, and as you know, one of the essential elements to successful high-key lighting is illuminating the background separately from the subject. Based on the photograph of his set-up, it seemed to me that spill from the subject lights was a contributing factor to his problem, and therefore I suggested to him that he use his two large SBs to cross-light his background, and then raise or suspend the subject far enough away from the background that it could be lit separately with the other lights in a standard high-key pattern, since, it seemed to me that as-is, the subject was so close to the background there was no way to flag the lights and keep spill off of the background.

You may agree or disagree as your experience indicates appropriate. I am not making this as a statement of fact, but rather an assessment of what my experience tells me is the way to proceed.