Improving white train in photoshop

donkeymusic

donkeymusic

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,524
Name
Carlo
Edit My Images
Yes
Hello,

done some studio work today and some shots have come out with an off white train.

Does anyone have any tutorials for converting them to white?

ANy help would be great, thanks
 
Have you got an example? Sometimes they're best left alone, if you try painting the white into a train, you can end up with the subject looking superimposed and floating, it doesn't look natural.
 
yeah, i did try and edit a few and they looked like the hovering in thin air, just a few i have for some reason one side of the train has not lit therefore i can see the connection between hilite and train.

will post some examples this evening
 
i think some of the examples that i was thinking of were not included.

I was just thinking that i had seen somewhere a guide on improving white backgrounds, something like raising the contrast and then using the history tool
 
Donkey if you post a photo here with a Grey floor - we can write a guide on fixing it, or utilise someone elses guide on fixing it....

MD gave me a great tip on using LEVELS to blow the floor out....

G.
 
i have a lastolite hilite with one lencarta smartflash but will try this with two as i think that was why the hilite and some patches where the white is off colour.

I then used one smartflash to light the subject.

to light the train, i used two jessops flashes pointing at the train, seem to work fin on first few sessions but last couple i was getting grey patches that i hoped i could photoshop out
 
Using PP I'd use select colour range on the grey, then delete. Then use the history brush to put back what you wanted to keep.

4536137006_3a9eac30c5_o.jpg
 
donkeymusic said:
i have a lastolite hilite with one lencarta smartflash but will try this with two as i think that was why the hilite and some patches where the white is off colour.

I then used one smartflash to light the subject.

to light the train, i used two jessops flashes pointing at the train, seem to work fin on first few sessions but last couple i was getting grey patches that i hoped i could photoshop out
Click to expand...

Have you tried excluding all BG lights for a while and focusing purely on subject exposure?

G.
 
havent done, would this give me a black background then?

how would i go about this? i presumed i was aiming for around f8 on the subject so was lighting that and testing with light meter so that i got the correct exposure
 
donkeymusic said:
havent done, would this give me a black background then?

how would i go about this? i presumed i was aiming for around f8 on the subject so was lighting that and testing with light meter so that i got the correct exposure
Click to expand...

What I'm getting at (and as JD has directly said in your other thread), these need work in the lighting depo first and foremost, and not in the PP depo. Better light = much less PP.

You need to get a nice even white light in your HI-LITE, so two lights will be MUCH better than one. However, only turn them on once you are happy with your subject exposure, and at that point, creep the power of the lights until the first of two things happens:

1: Your backdrop blows nicely, and your subject remains as it was previous to lights being turned on....

OR....

2: Your subject exposure changes. (not good).

You obviously DON'T want your subject exposure to change when you switch your BG lights on. And you DO wants your BG to be nicely blown....

Welcome to hell mate ;) :)

G.
 
EdinburghGary said:
What I'm getting at (and as JD has directly said in your other thread), these need work in the lighting depo first and foremost, and not in the PP depo. Better light = much less PP.

You need to get a nice even white light in your HI-LITE, so two lights will be MUCH better than one. However, only turn them on once you are happy with your subject exposure, and at that point, creep the power of the lights until the first of two things happens:

1: Your backdrop blows nicely, and your subject remains as it was previous to lights being turned on....

OR....

2: Your subject exposure changes. (not good).

You obviously DON'T want your subject exposure to change when you switch your BG lights on. And you DO wants your BG to be nicely blown....

Welcome to hell mate ;) :)

G.
Click to expand...

appreciating the advice tonight. annoying thing is that cos its a portable setup i can only play with settings at the weekend.

ideally i want it correct so no pp is required.

so, in simple terms.
1-background lights off, using front light get correct exposure of f8 on the subject.
2- turn on HILITE lights and check exposure form back of subject, and keep moving these up until the HILITE is around F11 or "blows nicely"
 
OK if your not going to use a meter, I would do the following (exactly).

1: Find out how to turn on HILIGHT WARNINGS on the camera (blinkies).
2: Turn ONLY the subject exposure light on (your key light)
3: Set your camera to F8
4: Take a test shot
5: Adjust your subject exposure using the power of your key light
6: Once happy, turn BOTH BG LIGHTS on at their lowest setting
7: Take a test shot and review, increase BG power if required.
8: If subject exposure remains unchanged, and BG is not blown for you, repeat step 7, and step 8.....until
9: Either your SUBJECT EXPOSURE will change BEFORE your background blows, which is bad, OR, your background will blow and your subject will remain the same as it was without backdrop lights (good)....

10: If you end up with a BAD result, turn the BG lights down a tad, and accept processing....

I'm ultimately having a similar battle to you, PP vs no PP which is directly linked to how much (if any) over exposure I am willing to accept.

G.
 
EdinburghGary said:
OK if your not going to use a meter, I would do the following (exactly).

1: Find out how to turn on HILIGHT WARNINGS on the camera (blinkies).
2: Turn ONLY the subject exposure light on (your key light)
3: Set your camera to F8
4: Take a test shot
5: Adjust your subject exposure using the power of your key light
6: Once happy, turn BOTH BG LIGHTS on at their lowest setting
7: Take a test shot and review, increase BG power if required.
8: If subject exposure remains unchanged, and BG is not blown for you, repeat step 7, and step 8.....until
9: Either your SUBJECT EXPOSURE will change BEFORE your background blows, which is bad, OR, your background will blow and your subject will remain the same as it was without backdrop lights (good)....

10: If you end up with a BAD result, turn the BG lights down a tad, and accept processing....

I'm ultimately having a similar battle to you, PP vs no PP which is directly linked to how much (if any) over exposure I am willing to accept.

G.
Click to expand...

i have a meter, was using that to check subject exposure but just wasnt checking the background.
1: Find out how to turn on HILIGHT WARNINGS on the camera (blinkies).
Click to expand...
need to find out how to do this on a sony

i did pretty much try what you suggested by turning down the HILITE lights and then upping them a stop each time until the white seemed correct, which was the point i took the photos. but in another post it was said that i should use the light meter to check the hilite.
 
donkeymusic said:
i have a meter, was using that to check subject exposure but just wasnt checking the background.
need to find out how to do this on a sony

i did pretty much try what you suggested by turning down the HILITE lights and then upping them a stop each time until the white seemed correct, which was the point i took the photos. but in another post it was said that i should use the light meter to check the hilite.
Click to expand...

Did you watch the sacrifice on your subject exposure as a result of getting that white BG? You need to STOP when your subject exposure starts to change, and at that point if your BG is not white, you got problems to solve...

G.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Did you watch the sacrifice on your subject exposure as a result of getting that white BG? You need to STOP when your subject exposure starts to change, and at that point if your BG is not white, you got problems to solve...

G.
Click to expand...

to be honest i didnt go back and check the subject exposure.


argh, wish i could get to the studio before the weekend.
 
donkeymusic said:
to be honest i didnt go back and check the subject exposure.


argh, wish i could get to the studio before the weekend.
Click to expand...

Simple strategy if your worried. Your subject exposure is paramount to that of your backdrop. I had my light blow up on me today in my studio, 45 minutes before a shoot. I shot the whole thing with NO BG LIGHTS as a result. I had no alternative. Ultimately, the results will be the same. Getting my BG white will be a pain in the ass - I did my first in about 90 seconds, quick and dirty - fine for my viewing though.

Keep your subject exposure perfect, and if you can't solve the BG lights, practice when you have plenty time....play some relaxing music to balance the pain you will experience :D

G.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Simple strategy if your worried. Your subject exposure is paramount to that of your backdrop. I had my light blow up on me today in my studio, 45 minutes before a shoot. I shot the whole thing with NO BG LIGHTS as a result. I had no alternative. Ultimately, the results will be the same. Getting my BG white will be a pain in the ass - I did my first in about 90 seconds, quick and dirty - fine for my viewing though.

Keep your subject exposure perfect, and if you can't solve the BG lights, practice when you have plenty time....play some relaxing music to balance the pain you will experience :D

G.
Click to expand...

thanks for your help, off to bed now but will probably be on tomorrow with more questions, cheers
 
I like a grey background too :)
 
EdinburghGary said:
OK if your not going to use a meter, I would do the following (exactly).

1: Find out how to turn on HILIGHT WARNINGS on the camera (blinkies).
2: Turn ONLY the subject exposure light on (your key light)
3: Set your camera to F8
4: Take a test shot
5: Adjust your subject exposure using the power of your key light
6: Once happy, turn BOTH BG LIGHTS on at their lowest setting
7: Take a test shot and review, increase BG power if required.
8: If subject exposure remains unchanged, and BG is not blown for you, repeat step 7, and step 8.....until
9: Either your SUBJECT EXPOSURE will change BEFORE your background blows, which is bad, OR, your background will blow and your subject will remain the same as it was without backdrop lights (good)....

10: If you end up with a BAD result, turn the BG lights down a tad, and accept processing....

I'm ultimately having a similar battle to you, PP vs no PP which is directly linked to how much (if any) over exposure I am willing to accept.

G.
Click to expand...

Gary, I think is is a really useful post and your explanation and directions are so handy:thumbs: Cheers:thumbs:
 
been in the studio again today, first time since started this post, and few tests images looked okay on camera but will check them on pc tomorrow and post for further assistance, once again the issue was making the white train look white.
 
Is it me or does this explain how to keep the background blown and doesn't explain how to keep the train white? I would have thought you need a light firing low down to over expose the train too surely? Sorry, could just be me being a bit thick...(Bank Holiday BBQ and all that..)
 
have tried with a low flash but itstoo birhgt even on lowest setting and starts to affect the subject
 
are you using a HI LITE? if not and you are lighing from the front, are you using barn doors to control the spill?

if you dont have any barn doors, then cardboard or clipboards and gaffer tape are your friends. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top