colour reflection

Shoot it with a white BG?

Seriously - Yes but it's fiddly and may mean some PP.

To get the bottom of the bike white in camera takes lifting or flagging the light so that the light isn't bouncing off the floor and back to the bike. But that might make the floor too dark, so it'd need an additional light (gets complicated)

Or you can put some white card or paper on the floor below the bike to get a clean light bouncing back up (but that'll need touching out in post)

The easiest option is to create a mask for the lower part of the bike in post and alter the colour of it.
(took me 2 minutes)
 
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Phil V said:
Shoot it with a white BG?

Seriously - Yes but it's fiddly and may mean some PP.

To get the bottom of the bike white in camera takes lifting or flagging the light so that the light isn't bouncing off the floor and back to the bike. But that might make the floor too dark, so it'd need an additional light (gets complicated)

Or you can put some white card or paper on the floor below the bike to get a clean light bouncing back up (but that'll need touching out in post)

The easiest option is to create a mask for the lower part of the bike in post and alter the colour of it.
(took me 2 minutes)
Click to expand...

cheers phil.

I only have basic PP now it's not capable of masking.

If I put card or paper on floor would it not have had the same effect by reflecting the blue?
 
wallyboy said:
cheers phil.

I only have basic PP now it's not capable of masking.

If I put card or paper on floor would it not have had the same effect by reflecting the blue?
Click to expand...
The blue on the bottom of the bike is from light reflected from the floor, if you position some white paper or card in the right position that'll bounce white light up. But then you'll need to shoot it twice (once without the white), and then merge the images by whatever is your favourite method.

Does your editing software allow selections and layers?
 
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Phil V said:
The blue on the bottom of the bike is from light reflected from the floor, if you position some white paper or card in the right position that'll vp bounce white light up. But then you'll need to shoot it twice (once without the white), and then merge the images by whatever is your favourite method.

Does your editing software allow selections and layers?
Click to expand...

I have picasa on laptop, and whatever comes with i pad, so no selection or layers,

I have ordered a light tent hopefully with a bit of trial and error i'll get some clean BG's and good colour on item i am shooting,

The bike pic was shot outside with a paper BG.
 
•
Walter, If you permit me, I will provide you this answer.

I divided your picture in three sections:

Left: Actual colours..................................................................Centre: WB set on the white on the gas tank......................Right: WB set on the background… yellow over tones

BikeP.jpg


As you can see, it is a very simple solution to a not so complicated problem.
My preference and experience choose the middle band because this on has the more realistic colours!
 
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Kodiak Qc said:
•
Walter, If you permit me, I will provide you this answer.

I divided your picture in three sections:

Left: Actual colours.......................................................................Centre: WB set on the white on the gas tank...........................Right: WB set on the background… yellow over tones

BikeP.jpg


As you can see, it is a very simple solution to a not so complicated problem.
My preference and experience choose the middle band because this on has the more realistic colours!
Click to expand...
But (if I may) Walters problem is the blue reflected in the white at the bottom of the fairing. Even when the WB is fixed, that still exists because it's lit with light bluer than the rest of the bike (the white panel below the number 7).
If Walter wants to retain the background colour and get a better WB on the bike he'll need an even more complicated PP than I suggested earlier.
 
wallyboy said:
I have picasa on laptop, and whatever comes with i pad, so no selection or layers,

I have ordered a light tent hopefully with a bit of trial and error i'll get some clean BG's and good colour on item i am shooting,

The bike pic was shot outside with a paper BG.
Click to expand...
What will you light the light tent with (light tents are sold as an answer to many problems - the adverts aren't to be believed)

TBH for what you did, the result is very good - with all things photography, more effort and skill gives diminishing returns, the simplest improvement you can get with your image is with 10 minutes PP. To make it perfect would require a much more careful lighting setup to control the specular highlights, and better preparation of the bike before you even get the camera out.
 
Phil V said:
But Walters problem is the blue reflected in the white at the bottom of the fairing.
Even when the WB is fixed, that still exists because it's lit with light bluer than the
rest of the bike (the white panel below the number 7).
If Walter wants to retain the background colour and get a better WB on the bike
he'll need an even more complicated PP than I suggested earlier.
Click to expand...

The provided example shows the powerful correction effect of layered local adjustments.
For Walter, sorry if I assumed he understood my point, all that needs doing is tov apply WB
layered local adjustment, colour correction, and/or colour replacement.

Kodiak
www.kodiakmedia.at
bureau@kodiakmedia.at
Skype: kodiakonline
 
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Kodiak Qc said:
•
Walter, If you permit me, I will provide you this answer.

I divided your picture in three sections:

Left: Actual colours..................................................................Centre: WB set on the white on the gas tank......................Right: WB set on the background… yellow over tones

BikeP.jpg


As you can see, it is a very simple solution to a not so complicated problem.
My preference and experience choose the middle band because this on has the more realistic colours!
Click to expand...

Thanks Kodiak, I sort of understand the WB fix, the right side of the pic is what I would be after keeping BG as clean as possible, sadly I do not have a good PP software to give it a try,

something I will be looking into.
 
Phil V said:
What will you light the light tent with (light tents are sold as an answer to many problems - the adverts aren't to be believed)

TBH for what you did, the result is very good - with all things photography, more effort and skill gives diminishing returns, the simplest improvement you can get with your image is with 10 minutes PP. To make it perfect would require a much more careful lighting setup to control the specular highlights, and better preparation of the bike before you even get the camera out.
Click to expand...

I have seen some good results with light tent, mine arrived to-day and after a quick set up and photo shoot with ordinary bedside lamp..lol....I realise I need more light,
I will go for some sort of white LED to stop cast on the inside of tent, this will be a work in progress, an enjoyable learning curve,

any tips on the lighting phil.

ps when I said I only had picasa and I pad editing software I also have nx2 which came with camera.
 
Brazo said:
I'd give the bike a good clean too ;)
Click to expand...

he...he...wondered when someone would pick up on that.....I was fully aware of the dirt, it was a quick experiment to see what sort of results I got from natural light and A4 paper, in anticipation of light box being delivered,
I've sacked the wife and traded her in for younger model with cleaning background,...lol
 
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