making a pure white background

[Sw1tchFX]

Thanks for all the help so far everyone. I've learned some great shooting techniques for specific situations.

But for the one that I have, I don't think there is a way to physically do it. To blow out a white backdrop to a clean white (255,255,255) you need to over expose it. If the product is sitting on a white floor that needs to be clean white (255,255,255) you'll end up blowing out the product, especially if it is white too. You could take two exposures, one for the product and one for the sweep, but that is a post processing technique and not a shooting technique. I think the easiest and most effective way is to create a path around the objects, mask out the existing background, add a pure white background layer in PS and then recreate the shadows using the original image as a guide.

If someone has an easier technique, please share. : )

You're missing the point.


If you read my post, you'd understand.
Separate the product from the background. Create distance, like a few feet.
Light the background and the foreground separately.

that's what we did with the shoe, the background was a few feet behind, so there was no spill from the background onto the foreground.



Seriously, people have been doing this on film for decades, before photoshop existed, it's not rocket science. I've seen 8x10 transparencies of product from 30 years ago that people today would say "oh that's so photoshopped".


just put the bottles on a pane of glass that's elevated, put white seamless below on the floor. nuke the seamless, make sure it blows out, than light the bottles, get they're exposure right, and presto! You're done!

No Photoshop required!

 

[kkamin]

I understand what you are saying. If I wanted that look I would just shoot on a frosted plexi table top sweep and blow out the glass from underneath. I want to have shadows cast by the products to give them weight. The purpose of the post wasn't shooting advice, because I think it is pretty much impossible to: blow out the wall and floor of the sweep to a clean white, not blow out white product sitting on the sweep and get cast shadows.

The purpose of the post was the best way to deal with my image in post to get the backdrop (wall and floor) to a 255,255,255 and have some shadows. I am looking for shooting advice if it would help speed up post processing. The problem with your suggestion is that there would be no shadows to reference. If all I shot were bottles it would be fine. But there are many different shaped objects that I am photographing and some are organic like flowers and grass and it would be very difficult to create unquestionably realistic looking shadows full of nuance from supposition.

 

[SusanMart]

Christie Photo, I like what you got!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I understand what you are saying. If I wanted that look I would just shoot on a frosted plexi table top sweep and blow out the glass from underneath.

That' wouldn't work becuase you'd still be lighting the product itself, the plexi would just diffuse the light.

I want to have shadows cast by the products to give them weight. The purpose of the post wasn't shooting advice, because I think it is pretty much impossible to: blow out the wall and floor of the sweep to a clean white, not blow out white product sitting on the sweep and get cast shadows.

The purpose of the post was the best way to deal with my image in post to get the backdrop (wall and floor) to a 255,255,255 and have some shadows. I am looking for shooting advice if it would help speed up post processing. The problem with your suggestion is that there would be no shadows to reference. If all I shot were bottles it would be fine. But there are many different shaped objects that I am photographing and some are organic like flowers and grass and it would be very difficult to create unquestionably realistic looking shadows full of nuance from supposition.

Than you'd have to pull the light away, light it evenly, and dodge everything around the product and shadow, trying to make sure that you don't dodge the product itself too. You'd have a hard time making it look right, which is why alot of times when you look in magazines the shadows of the products in the ads are fake.

I'm just telling you how the bigger studios do it, i've seen it done a hundred times. If you don't think it's the right way, suit yourself.

 

[kkamin]

The backlit plexiglass technique has been around forever. That's how I learned on film 8 years ago in college.

220 Manfrotto Still Life Table with White Translucent Plexiglass Cover for Back or Front Lighting. Panel size: 78.8" x 49.25"

Product Photography: High-Key Lighting with Reflections Jon C. Haverstick | PHOTOGRAPHY

The method you described I feel would end up being very difficult and time consuming. I am going with the method of creating a path around my objects, using that as a mask to knock out the background, create a white layer underneath for the background and recreate the shadows using the original image as a reference.

I've posted this question on many forums as well as the American Society of Media Photographer's Proadvice List Serve. This technique was confirmed by Dennis Dunbar, a digital artist/retoucher who is at the top of his field.

Home

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

 

[Christie Photo]

This technique was confirmed by Dennis Dunbar, a digital artist/retoucher who is at the top of his field...

...AND by me too.

-Pete

 

[Dominantly]

I would think shooting on plexiglass would be a nice enhancement to this shot.


But I digress. If I was doing it and refused to light the background and subject separately, I would use Topaz Remask, pull the product w/shadows from the scene, hit the backdrop with the levels tool to blow it, then enhance the product, and finally put it all back together.

It would probably take only 103 seconds.

 

[kkamin]

But I digress. If I was doing it and refused to light the background and subject separately, I would use Topaz Remask, pull the product w/shadows from the scene, hit the backdrop with the levels tool to blow it, then enhance the product, and finally put it all back together.

It would probably take only 103 seconds.

I did light the background and subject separately. The issue is that the background of the sweep and the foreground of the sweep are both in the shot. It's been confirmed many times over that you can't blow out the paper under the subject and still get the subject properly lit with shadows.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[moens]

@Sw1tchFX: I registered for this forum just to say thanks for the answers you posted in this thread. I had to do a sizable jewelry product photo shoot recently, and your advice in this thread made me look like a genius. The influential manager was overwhelmed... and I was happy . Thanks a million.