The Easy Way To Create A Crisp White Photography Background!
I’m commonly asked – by frustrated photographers – what materials they should be using to have a crisp, sparkling, pure white photography background.
Sorry to say, that is the wrong question to pose! It in fact, is not the backdrop material that gives you the sterile white you’re seeking.
It is actually the amount of light!
Here is the case…you put up a sterile white bed sheet or a roll of white paper – and you place your model in front of it.
You set up a light source or two and light your model. All is appearing nice. You think you’ve got a satisfactorily lit model and a pleasant white background.
Now, you shoot the photograph.
Apprehensively, you dash to the photo lab if you’re shooting film or to a computer if you’re shooting digital. You view the completed shot and ta daaa!
Your model is flawlessly lit, but the backdrop is often a dull gray color. Not the spotless, untainted white you saw in the viewfinder!
Sound typical? If you have been having a tough time shooting high key images…And you have been getting that dingy gray color (no matter what materials you utilize) here’s how to repair the problem!
All light has a certain drop off feature.
By that I mean that the further away light is from a subject matter, the less bright it is. Thus, that means… when you’ve got a specific amount of light striking your model, and you’re using that SAME illumination to light your background, your light is further away from the background than from the model. So, it will be somewhat less bright by the time it gets to your backdrop material.
Wow! That is a mouthful. In other words…
The main reason you are making that gray color is because there is more light striking your model than is striking the photography background.
To get your backdrop be an untainted, flawless white…simply hit it with MORE illumination than you will be using for the model!
Appears obvious once you realize it, but this can be a major sticking point for many photographers.
The total amount of “over-exposure” you should have for the backdrop depends upon the color of the backdrop material. If it is already white, you could probably get by with using adequate added illumination to have an over-exposure of more or less half an f-stop. Possibly even one full f-stop.
If the material you are starting with is gray…that’s okay as well! Merely strike it with about 2 ½ stops (give or take) more illumination than you will be using for the model.
Here is one that may blow a large number of minds…what if your photography background material is really a pure black piece of canvas – or black paper?
It doesn’t make any difference! Zap it with 5, 6 or possibly even 7 additional stops worth of illumination (more than you happen to be using for the main model) and you’ll again have a pleasant uncontaminated white setting.
This is a LOT of illumination and I would not advocate starting out using a black set. If you start off closer to white at first, it is a lot less difficult. Nevertheless, try it! It is a fun experiment and can teach you a lot concerning light!
The point is – by way of sufficient illumination, you can achieve a pleasant white photography background no matter what type or color material you begin with.
Need to know how to acquire a pro quality photography background for ALMOST NOTHING? This is sure to move your photography to a new level! Check out the above link.
Or, If you are already a pretty good shooter…do you aspire to begin making a living with your camera? Look at: PartTimePhotography.com.
For some more photography background information, check out this video:
