High Key/Pure White Bkgd Issues! Help!

JJFOTOG · Nov 20, 2015

Hello!

I am new to the site, so bear with me if this thread exists elsewhere. I need your help!

I shot a sports portrait the other day with a pure white background, lit with three lights. It turned out great. However, I was working with an awkward piece of thick, white vinyl as the background that had significant creases in it. When I looked at the histogram on the back of my DSLR, I saw no issues. When I opened it in Photoshop at home, I had no issues. I emailed one of the images to someone and later pulled up the email on my smart phone to show a friend. This was the only time I saw the problem; there was a large, blue crease mark on the top of the photo! I saw no blemishes in the white on my laptop when I opened the image to edit it, so this was really shocking since I had already completed the assignment!

My best guess is either I should have lit the white stronger OR alternatively, there is a laptop (perhaps calibration) issue that would account for why my laptop did not show me these blemishes. My question is this: Why when I pulled the image up on my smart phone blemishes in the white were very clear but NOT when I opened the JPEGs (I work for a company that does not allow us to shoot in RAW...) in Photoshop?? I could really use feedback, because I don't know how to troubleshoot this short of, I don't know, emailing my phone all my images first? That seems crazy...

Thank you, everyone!

PS...I can't upload the image as it is of a minor and I do not have permission, and the company I work for owns the image anyhow. FYI.

480sparky · Nov 20, 2015

Blur the face and post it.

JJFOTOG · Nov 20, 2015

Here's the image:

Scatterbrained · Nov 20, 2015

Next time turn the highlight warning on. If the entire background isn't blinking at you, expect to have to push the background a bit in post, otherwise it will show. A histogram isn't very helpful in finding things like this.

480sparky · Nov 20, 2015

That's an easy fix in post.

JJFOTOG · Nov 20, 2015

@480sparky - It WOULD be an easy fix for sure except that my problem is that when I pulled it up in PS my monitor did not show any blemishes whatsoever. I've gotten some advice about calibrating my screen and/or pulling the brightness on the screen all the way down and then all the way up to see if any issues are visible when I do so. I don't know. It's super easy to fix, but not when the issue isn't visible on my laptop...

Scatterbrained · Nov 20, 2015

480sparky said:
That's an easy fix in post.

Yeah, assuming a properly calibrated monitor.

JJFOTOG · Nov 20, 2015

Scatterbrained said:
Next time turn the highlight warning on. If the entire background isn't blinking at you, expect to have to push the background a bit in post, otherwise it will show. A histogram isn't very helpful in finding things like this.

Gotcha; this is a solid suggestion for when I'm onsite at the shoot.

Scatterbrained · Nov 20, 2015

JJFOTOG said:
@480sparky - It WOULD be an easy fix for sure except that my problem is that when I pulled it up in PS my monitor did not show any blemishes whatsoever. I've gotten some advice about calibrating my screen and/or pulling the brightness on the screen all the way down and then all the way up to see if any issues are visible when I do so. I don't know. It's super easy to fix, but not when the issue isn't visible on my laptop...

Buy a Spyder calibrator and be done with it. Right now the blue is easily visible on my monitor, both the line across the head and the top of the image itself. Of course if you can't see it. . .

JJFOTOG · Nov 20, 2015

Across the head?? I can't see that at all. Okay. I think you're right; I'll have to get the calibrator.

dennybeall · Nov 20, 2015

If you have the photo in PS you can run the Brightness Control slider down all the way and see the blue. Here's what you would have seen. Also look down by the bottom at the legs.