Help to correctly expose a white train

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DazzGreen

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Darren
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I am taking portrait photos with a white background, easy - light the background and it comes out white. I know how to do this and can do it just fine.

But when doing full length shots how do you properly light the floor and background without overexposing peoples feet and / or getting horrible shadows? I can light the background and it comes out white, but the place on the floor / train where the model is sitting comes out grey-ish. Not bad, but not perfectly white. If it light this to blow white I either get shadows or overexposed feet!

Where do you direct the background lights to get everything nice and white, or is this always going to come out a little greyish / in shadow? Is it about model placement / distance? Or do I simply need more than one background light for this? Or is it the position / direction of the main light?

I am using 2 SB800 flashes off camera, nothing on the one lighting the background, and a softbox on the main light for the model. I am mostly photographing my 2 year old son.

Any tips or tricks to get this perfect?
 
2 SB800's are not enough to effectively pull off high key full length portraits in my personal opinion. I'm sure someone can prove me wrong however. I would think 3-4 flashes would sound more like it + reflectors
 

This video on the Lencarta website shows how you can light someone on a white background using 2 background reflectors. In the video it's just a muslin background but the principle is identical.

DiddyDave does this sort of thing all the time and I believe he's developed a PS technique that does everything he needs, if you don't want to buy extra lights.
 
Hi Garry What thickness is that clear perspex on the floor?

Is it expensive?
 
I think it's about 2mm thick and I think it came from B&Q but not sure about that, or how much I paid - it's an 8' x 4' sheet.
 
I think it is homebase that sells it, not B&Q.

Is this the stuff Garry?

Although I don't think 180 x 120 is 8 x 4 in old speak. More like 6x4. Maybe there are bigger sheets in store.
 
rowla said:
I think it is homebase that sells it, not B&Q.

Is this the stuff Garry?

Although I don't think 180 x 120 is 8 x 4 in old speak. More like 6x4. Maybe there are bigger sheets in store.
Click to expand...
They need a new photographer:'( but yes, from what I can see of it it looks like it.
 
Garry Edwards said:

This video on the Lencarta website shows how you can light someone on a white background using 2 background reflectors. In the video it's just a muslin background but the principle is identical.

DiddyDave does this sort of thing all the time and I believe he's developed a PS technique that does everything he needs, if you don't want to buy extra lights.
Click to expand...
I just watched this video and I not understand how you can take a reading when you have your body in the way of the lights?
Also the background reading of f11.7 = f13+ ? how do you get this?
face reading [also body in way] f10+ so set camera at f9 - 10 why would you want to expose it at f9?
to me this do not add up
 
Chaz Photos said:
I just watched this video and I not understand how you can take a reading when you have your body in the way of the lights?
Also the background reading of f11.7 = f13+ ? how do you get this?
face reading [also body in way] f10+ so set camera at f9 - 10 why would you want to expose it at f9?
to me this do not add up
Click to expand...
Perhaps you'd like to watch it again?
No way did my body obstruct the lights at any time, I can see how you might think this because of the position of the video camera, but you can clearly see that the meter never at any point was in shadow from my body. The shadows on the background, when I took the readings were from my body and the flash meter, the meter itself wasn't in shadow.
f/11 decimal 7 is just over half a stop brighter than f/11, this means that the background was overexposed (relative to the subject by about 1/2 - 3/4 of a stop. Again I don't understand the problem here.
The measurement from the face was f/9-f/10 so that's what I set the camera too.
 
rowla said:
I think it is homebase that sells it, not B&Q.

Is this the stuff Garry?

Although I don't think 180 x 120 is 8 x 4 in old speak. More like 6x4. Maybe there are bigger sheets in store.
Click to expand...

I got an 8X4 sheet for £35 from B&Q
 
JIMC said:
I got an 8X4 sheet for £35 from B&Q
Click to expand...

Cool.

I couldn't find it in B&Q when I was searching for it a couple of months ago.
Nor can I find it on their website.
What dept/section did you get it from?
The building supplies bit at the back where all the timber etc. is, or somewhere else.
 
rowla said:
Cool.

I couldn't find it in B&Q when I was searching for it a couple of months ago.
Nor can I find it on their website.
What dept/section did you get it from?
The building supplies bit at the back where all the timber etc. is, or somewhere else.
Click to expand...

In my local store it was in the timber yard.But they brought it inside in the cold weather,now sits where they cut the wood.I could not find it on website either.Hopefully you will find it.Next time I am over that way I can get you the barcode no. Might help
 
Cheers Jim. I will have a look for it in store.

Sorry OP. Discussion went off on a tangent there.
 
rowla said:
Cheers Jim. I will have a look for it in store.

Sorry OP. Discussion went off on a tangent there.
Click to expand...

No problem, I'm thinking of getting one for some product shots I need to do for work, so I was following your conversation with interest!
 
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