Green screen best option?

[dukeboy1977]

I've been thinking that since I don't have much room and not alot of money for alot of different backgrounds, I could maybe solve it by using 'green screen' technology. I want a blue one in case anyone wanted blue as a background cuz I don't like the green. Any thoughts on this? I think it could make that part easier for me at least! Anyone else here USE 'green screens'?? Example photos would be nice to be seen if you got any of your work!! Post it up plz! lol Thanks, Jeff

 

[MLeeK]

You really need quite a bit of room with a green screen in order to keep the green from being a color cast onto your models. I have about 21 feet to shoot from wall to backdrop and I can't get it to work come hell or high water without getting a color cast on my subjects.
You'll also need a full set up of lighting for the screen and for the subject, so if you are really thinking it's a cheap option... It's not cheap to set up, but cheaper down the line as a long term investment. You also really need a good program that removes the subject from the green screen and also removes any color cast.. that's an added expense.

It can be done, but what kind of budget are you thinking here?

 

[Big Mike]

Green or Blue 'Chromakey' background are more suited to video where they are more likely to use some method of automatically removing the background (because it would be too tedious to manual remove it on every frame).

But for still photography, where we are more likely to have the luxury to spend more time on individual images, chromakey background can be more trouble than they are worth.

For example, as mentioned above, you need a large space to use them, because you don't want your subject close to the backdrop because the color will bounce off the backdrop and onto your model. So you end up with a subject who has a green/blue fringe around them...especially on something like hair. So when you go to remove the background by selecting the color (the only real purpose of using chromakey), you still have to edit the parts where the color has overlapped onto your subject.

If it's your goal to shoot on a background, with the intent of extracting your subject (to replace the background etc.) then for still photography, I think you are better off with white/grey/black. Those won't add any color to your subject (although white may wrap some light). But just like the colored backdrops, the key is to make sure that your subject doesn't match the background (around the edged anyway)...and you can usually do that with careful lighting.

 

[bazooka]

Good advice Mike. I just did a green screen shoot... 20+ people against a 18' green screen. It would have been much easier just to shoot against black and make sure I have good detail through out. It practically creates it's own mask. I had this same experience with shooting popcorn for a client. The shots against green were more of a hassle to deal with than the shots on black because of the bleed-through, and I consider myself to be pretty competent with PS.

 

[dukeboy1977]

Green or Blue 'Chromakey' background are more suited to video where they are more likely to use some method of automatically removing the background (because it would be too tedious to manual remove it on every frame).

But for still photography, where we are more likely to have the luxury to spend more time on individual images, chromakey background can be more trouble than they are worth.

For example, as mentioned above, you need a large space to use them, because you don't want your subject close to the backdrop because the color will bounce off the backdrop and onto your model. So you end up with a subject who has a green/blue fringe around them...especially on something like hair. So when you go to remove the background by selecting the color (the only real purpose of using chromakey), you still have to edit the parts where the color has overlapped onto your subject.

If it's your goal to shoot on a background, with the intent of extracting your subject (to replace the background etc.) then for still photography, I think you are better off with white/grey/black. Those won't add any color to your subject (although white may wrap some light). But just like the colored backdrops, the key is to make sure that your subject doesn't match the background (around the edged anyway)...and you can usually do that with careful lighting.

Mike, thanks a ton! I already have all 3 colors too, so I may be set. lol I just need to find out the way I'm gonna light the backgrounds...I have an idea, it's just gonna wait until this weekend. Thanks guys, thanks a bunch!

 

[ManhattanShutterBug]

Using blue or green screens can be difficult. You need to know how to do this very well otherwise it looks fake, tacky and amateur-ish. Also you need a far amount of room because you want your subject a good distance away from the backdrop. I have used muslin green screens I ordered from lightrein but much prefer the seamless paper (colorama).