White background + small room = help!

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Bialiwesi

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Some advice please.

I have started doing nursery photography this year, offering studio or natural portraits. The studio shoots are with a clean white background and I feel pretty happy with my set up and the results after much research including reading (and re-reading) the wonderful Zak Arias.

I've just had a booking confirmed, did a recce and discovered the 'only' room available is tiny (believe me I tried and they can't come to my studio). I can foresee big problems with the BG light hitting the subjects, a flag can only do so much. I might have just got away with an adult doing what he/she's told but they're kids and are constantly on the move.

What do you suggest? 1. Give it a go, hope and spend hours in PS as a result. Urrghh...
2. Go for a different background colour and just light the subject, removing the need to take the subject away from the BG.
3. A solution I haven't thought of.

They bought into the whole clean background look so I'd like to achieve that if possible. If not, I'm happy to explain to them why and what I'll do in its place.

That was a bit of ramble and could probably have been simply 'how do you achieve a white background in a small room?' Well, you know my predicament now!

Thanks in advance
 
It might help if you say what your normal set-up would be and what other equipment (if any) you have to use.

Also what size the area is you have to work in.
 
Normal set up: backdrop frame and 9ft wide white roll. Two lights (one either side) lighting the BG with flags (I have a bi-fold door at home but it's not transportable). Although I was considering just the one light on this occasion. Then one or two softboxes lighting the subject(s) positioned to the left and right of me. I move the subject as far away as I can from the BG to prevent any kind of flare. I use the occasional prop: chair, toy, balloon etc. The space is roughly 12ft x 12ft...
 
Hey Bial,

I'm using a small room as my studio, this is a commercial shop fronted studio and clients are fine with the space, and the results are at last coming together the way I want.

For a look at how I have done it, there is a half arsed lighting & studio setup here:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=228880

For the record, one of the hardest things I have had to do (getting it working).

Gary.
 
Sounds like you need to get a Hilite, should save a you a few feet. If that`s not an option, changing the b/g would seem the best option if you can talk them out of the high key look.
 
A couple of options:

1) Hilight
2) as above, light them without the white background
3)I know you said they could not come to your studio but is there any way you can get them away from the small room? Find a bigger space you can use close by? Hotel? Village hall etc. Basically anywhere you can pop up a temporary set?
 
Replies much appreciated.

A hilite looks interesting but more expense (I seem to buy something new before each shoot!)

So, I think either changing the BG colour or working with the gradient that Gary mentioned.

AliB - I shall certainly look into buildings close by the nursery as I'm sure they're allowed out. That would be the simplest in terms of set up!

Thanks again all
 
I've just looked at the Hilight, looks SILLY expensive for what it is........

Might have to make one :D
 
cowasaki said:
I've just looked at the Hilight, looks SILLY expensive for what it is........

Might have to make one :D
Click to expand...

There are cheaper copies available, but not as good as the original from what I have read on here.

For the sort of work the OP seems to be doing, it would be a good investment.
 
If you can get your lights up high then no probs - you can do a "Big Window". A classic old fashion technique for covers. Perfect for small spaces (or any space really) and a nice simple way to get a clean white with few lights.

Think about it like this...

White paper is white - so why shouldn't it photograph as white ?
OK - if I give it a bit of extra why shouldn't it give me a nice "pure" white ?
Answer - no reason - it absolutely should.

So - given that our subject needs X amount of light to expose well and our paper needs X plus just a little more to "blow out" and go "pure" where do I point the few lights I have ?
Answer - you point them mostly at the paper and use the spill and inevitable reflected light to give your subject a wonderful glint in the eye and a nice soft modeling. (very old skool - very nice for kids).

Enough chat - time to see how it's done ;)

big_window.jpg


It's important to get your lights up high and it's important to keep the camera behind the "no flare line" but apart from that it's easy. Meter your background and then just underexpose your subject by a stop and a half for that reading. You'll get a pure white BG and nice soft light on the subject with a great (and great big) key light in the eye.

In your room you'll need to do a few tests and play around a bit of course (and make sure there are NO other light sources - no daylight, no neons etc.,) but trust me - this is a tried and tested old skool get out of jail technique for small spaces and few (or even one) lights.

Top Tips:
Get yourself some "flats" i.e. nice big sheets of white card / polystyrene - anything really that can work as a big static and standing reflector. These can work as another light. In the situation you describe I'd have a big one either side of the camera to bounce back light from the BG onto your subjects. (can't hurt and they are so very easy to manipulate for height / skin colour / clothes colour etc.,). Use a couple of sandbags to keep them still. Or a few books.

Top Tips 2:
Paint one side of your flats black - then they can work as a "kill flat" to destroy and absorb light that you don't want reflecting here or there.

Before you know it, in a tiny space with one light, you are making lovely individual portraits of each subject just by shifting a bit of cardboard this way and that.

Best wishes
Monty
 
Can you not shoot them outside? They must have a play area and depending on the weather I am sure you could use the natural light + flash to get the look you want?
 
Get a garden gazebo, and use that outside
 
I have been using white paper background in small rooms lately and I use a single SB600 to blow the background and another SB in a umbrella to light the subject.
Using this I can get pics of generally 3/4 length with very little touching up afterwards.
 
JasonRS said:
Cheers Monty, I'll give this a go next time I need to do something on a roll.
Click to expand...

YEA ! - do it - it's the ultimate "tried and tested" technique. I learned it as an assistant years ago shooting covers and it never fails. Best results are with three equal size boxes either straight on or in very a slight arc. The boxes effectively become one big soft light (i.e. "the big window") and any bit of bounce (flats) fill and soften to give you a very gently modelled flat lighting on the front with a good white at the back. By default it gives a soft butterfly light to your subject but you can play a hundred games with flats / fills or more lights for different effects.

Works beautifully for half length or head shots (i.e. covers and portraits). You get a great "chin light" (see pic) bouncing back from the cove.

Best wishes
Monty

PS - see the "big window" in her eyes ?




big_window2.jpg
 
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