In most cases, goods in online stores are presented on a white background. This is explained by White background least of all distracts the viewer's attention from the object presented in the photograph. Therefore, today we will talk about how shooting is performed on a white background.
So, our task is to get a white background on the photo. To do this, the light on the background and on the object being photographed must be set separately. With such a setting of light, we will be able to control the illumination of the background and the object independently of each other.
To make the background white, let's send an additional light source to the background, and preferably two. If the subject being photographed is dark, then it is enough to illuminate the background 1 step more; if the subject is light, then it is desirable to illuminate the background 1.5-2 steps higher than the subject being photographed is illuminated.
Of course, you can get a white background in Photoshop, but why waste precious time on post-processing if you can get what you want already at the shooting stage. This is especially true when streaming products.
How is the shooting of objects on a white background? First of all, use a light material as a background (whatman sheet or translucent plastic).
Don't know where to buy translucent plastic? Look for the answer in the link.
Why light and not white? Light material is easier to illuminate, and perfect white material is unlikely to be found. In low light, the background will not be white, but gray or even black if there is no light on it at all.
Additional background lighting
To obtain uniform illumination of the background, two light sources are used. The size of the sources depends on the size of the subject being photographed and the area of the background. Most often, two stripboxes are used, located on both sides of the object being removed. Black flags are used in this scheme in order to prevent the object being photographed from being exposed to light reflected from the background.
As an example, I will give one of the photographs taken according to this scheme. In this example, only two sources were used: one for the background, the second for the subject. As you can see, this was quite enough.
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In this article, I do not set myself the task of highlighting all, without exception, the nuances of product photography in all its diversity. Rather, I aim to help the aspiring photographer who is thinking about product photography for the first time (commercial or otherwise) but doesn't know how to approach it.
We will talk about shooting isolated objects on a white background, since it is this kind of subject photography that is most in demand in photo banks and, by a happy coincidence, is extremely easy to learn. First of all, you will need accuracy and attention to detail.
Comfortable and uncomfortable items
Not all objects are equally suitable for isolation on a white background. I'm not saying that you should limit yourself to photographing extremely simple objects - you can photograph almost anything. However, shooting some things is fraught with considerable difficulties, both directly in shooting and in post-production.
Consider the properties of an ideal object:
- It is noticeably darker than the background and has no white areas. This makes it easy to adjust the exposure so that the subject is properly exposed and the white background is slightly overexposed.
- The object has clear boundaries. Fur, fluff, and the like make it very difficult to selectively whiten a background in Photoshop.
- The object has simple form. Complex openwork structures through which the background shines through are not easy to isolate.
- The surface of the object is matte. Glossy shiny objects reflect everything around, including you and your studio, require special attention to highlights and their shape. Transparent objects are even more difficult to work with.
- The object is stationary. Photographing pets is extremely exciting, but requires skill and agility. Still lifes also allow you to work slowly.
- The object is not large, but not too small either. Small objects certainly need a macro lens and are very demanding on the cleanliness of the workplace. Large objects are simply too bulky for a home studio.
Thus, the ideal subjects for shooting against a white background are: a walnut; unglazed clay pot; wooden box, etc. An example of the worst object would be, say, a white long-haired cat trying to fish a goldfish out of a round glass aquarium.
Purity
Take care of the cleanliness of the removed objects. Dust, imperceptible at first glance, will be perfectly visible when carefully viewing the pictures on a computer monitor. If you are shooting a small subject so that it appears larger than its actual size in the photo, then be prepared for the fact that any dirt and dust will become annoyingly obvious at 100% magnification.
To bring the objects of shooting into a marketable condition, it is best to use brushes for optics and microfiber cloths, i.e. those tools that do not leave marks and fibers.
On smooth and especially glossy surfaces, fingerprints are clearly visible, which also need to be eliminated. In order not to leave new prints, it is sometimes advisable to wear latex or nitrile medical gloves before work.
Of course, dust, small spots of dirt and individual fingerprints can also be removed in Photoshop. Another question is, how long will it take? In my opinion, it is easier and faster to take care of proper cleanliness once than to remove the same dust particles over and over again on each of the hundreds of processed images.
Equipment
Camera
I have had occasion to take subject photography even outdoors, setting up a table in the middle of the lawn in my country house. On a moderately overcast day, a cloudy sky is a perfect source of scattered light quite suitable for subject shooting.
Isolates usually taken for photobanks have a slight blurred shadow under them. If complete isolation is required without any shadows, then the objects are placed on frosted glass or thin white plastic and additionally illuminated from below.
For shadow-free isolation, I placed a piece of glass on top of four clear glasses, thus lifting the cup off the paper.
And if I were not too lazy to find frosted glass,
the reflection would disappear.
exposition
General information about exposure can be found in the article "Exposure: Theory". About exposure when working with studio flashes, see the article "Studio flashes".
If you are using studio flashes, you should prefer manual exposure mode, while aperture priority mode will do for constant light.
I usually use an aperture around f/16, but sometimes you may need more depth of field.
Use the histogram to judge exposure. Your goal is to work out the subject well without allowing it to be overexposed. The white background can be overexposed completely freely, provided that the area of overexposure does not climb onto the object. Don't try to make the whole background completely white - you still have to etch it in Photoshop. Just try to get as close to the final version as possible to make later editing easier.
Thank you for your attention!
Vasily A.
post scriptum
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Our photos don't always come out perfect. Sometimes the lighting “jumps”, sometimes everything is spoiled by an unsuccessful angle. Agree, strangers and objects in the frame are unlikely to allow you to put the image on the profile picture.
Surely you have often wondered how to make a white background in a photo? Today, you can edit a picture in just a few minutes. All you need is Home Photo Studio. Following the instructions below, you can easily learn how to process any photo.
Step 1. Download the utility
Before you start you need a photo editor from the official website. Wait until the distribution is fully loaded. Next, unpack the downloaded archive, after which the Installation Wizard will open. Based on his instructions, install the program components on your computer. For easy access to the editor, create a Home Photo Studio shortcut on your desktop. Launch the software and go to the second step.
Step 2: Upload a photo
Now you need to add the photo you are going to edit. Click the "Open Photo" button. Find the picture in the computer's folder overview and double-click on it. As soon as it appears in the main window, you can start working. To learn how to make a white background in a photo, read on.
Step 3: Retouch
The first stage of working with a photo is retouching. This refers to the correction of colors, smoothing wrinkles and much more. You can start by removing the red-eye effect. To do this, it is recommended to go to the "Troubleshooting" section. If you click on the pupils of the eyes one by one, you can thus color them in an acceptable color. To remove wrinkles and pimples, use the stamp tool located in the action bar on the left.
And if you want to improve the quality of the image, then look into the presets of the “Enhancement Catalog”. Select from the options provided the preset that you need - for example, saturation enhancement or highlight correction. Then simply apply the template with a double click.
Step 4: Change the Background to White
It's time to figure out how to make a white background on a photo. For this, the program has a special filter. To get to it, click Effects > Background Replacement. Set the background selection to white. Next, you need to select the object in the photo using a dotted line. Once you've succeeded, double-click to close the selection. The area around the object will automatically turn white. After this manipulation with the background, you can apply masks or .
Step 5: Save the photo
It remains only to save the photo in the format that you need. Make sure to save any changes to the snapshot. Then click "File" > "Save" from the main menu. Select an image format from the list: it can be JPEG, PNG, GIF, etc. Give the file a name and save it in one of the folders on your PC. Also, the picture can be printed on paper of any size by choosing one of the options for placing the photo on the sheet.
Photos of items taken on a white background are in demand by catalog compilers and various online stores. Also, such pictures are used in advertising and magazines. Such photos are readily accepted in stocks, so there is a real opportunity to make money on it.
All you need for a product shot against a white background:
- Ordinary plexiglass
- White drawing paper
- Scotch tape or any sticky tape
- Lamp
Step 1. Create a background
First of all, it is necessary to place two tables or any other securely standing surfaces side by side in order to place plexiglass between them. It is desirable to leave free space around the tables so that it is convenient to adjust the composition and work with the camera. Background lighting is installed under the glass between the tables. The light should be soft. It should be directed upward.
Now you need to attach a sheet of white paper to the background. Be sure to use a large format sheet so as not to make a seam. Do not take too thick paper. It must pass light. You can secure a sheet of paper with adhesive tape.
Now you can turn on the backlight from below and see how the whole structure works. If the lamp is turned on through an adjustable resistance, such switches are sold in the form of switches for dimming lamps in domestic premises, then the brightness of the backlight can be adjusted.
Step 2. Install the light source from above
In addition to the bottom lighting of the background, you also need top lighting.
To immediately set the light correctly, you need to take the object that we will be photographing and set it to the background. Next, set up the camera on a tripod and crop the picture. We place the light source on top. We adjust the brightness and position of the top light so that the shadows emphasize the shape of the object and do not stand out from the general concept.
It is important that deep shadows do not appear on objects. The transitions of light and shadow should be smooth. There should be no dips in black and overexposure with loss of detail. By using a light source with adjustable brightness, you can easily achieve a good result. When using a conventional lamp without dimming, you can adjust the distance and bring it closer to the subject. Also, to reduce the strength of the light flux and scatter the rays, you can use a sheet of paper in front of the lamp. Get a homemade softbox.
Step 3: Adjust exposure and white balance
To work less with pictures in a graphic editor, it is better to set the white balance right away. This will greatly facilitate the work. To do this, it is best to use the manual adjustment of the white balance on the gray card. With exposure settings it will be more difficult, however, it is enough in manual mode take a few test shots and make adjustments.
Step 4. What to check before shooting?
After taking a few test shots, adjusting the exposure and white balance, you need to make sure that the background illumination is even. The edges should not turn gray. The shadow of the subject should not fall on the background. If you have to take at least a hundred pictures, then you should immediately set everything right, otherwise the process of processing pictures can become incredibly tedious.
Step 5: Adjusting the Image in Photoshop
Each shot is desirable to be processed to create the perfect contrast and color. Also sometimes you have to increase the sharpness. The first thing to do is to check with the tool " color standard» (Color Sampler) Uniformity of the white background. Take measurements in different areas of the background over the entire area of the background. Everywhere should be white.
For white, all R, G, B values should be at 255.
Next you need to work on the adjustment layer " Levels» (Levels). The histogram will show the distribution of tones in the image. We will have a lot of gaps in white in the background and maybe black will be missing. To bring the image to normal contrast, drag the left slider to the beginning of the histogram. You can also slightly move the right slider. In general, you need to focus on how the picture looks.
The central slider adjusts the overall brightness, so this parameter can be adjusted to your liking. In all pictures, it is desirable to slightly increase the sharpness. The best filter for this is Smart Sharpen» (Smart Sharpen). The values of this filter are selected individually for the images.
Conclusion
All the actions done can be written into an action and used in batch processing. This will significantly speed up the correction of photos. Well-made and processed pictures are very good for stocks, so object shooting on a white background is not only a difficult and exciting activity, but also an opportunity to earn money on your hobby.
I do subject photography for photobanks (microstocks). Often I need to take photos with a white background. However, it is rare when the background in the photo turns out to be completely white. After reading your tutorial on setting the white balance, I decided to set the white balance manually. But even after that, the background turned out to be gray, and the color rendition does not suit me now. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? How do you take a photo with a pure white background?
In stock photography or preparing a product catalog, photos of various objects on a pure white background are very often needed. When photographing for documents, an absolutely white background is also often required. Yes, and your avatar on the Internet will look much better if you are shot against a completely white background ...
To make the background in the photo turn out to be white, it is not enough just to photograph the object against a white background.
Even if the white balance is set correctly, the background will be gray. You can, of course, process such a picture in Photoshop by replacing the background. However, it is much better, and probably easier (and most importantly more professional), to get a completely white background during photography. This is how the photo on the left was taken. The secret to getting such a white background is both simple and complex at the same time.
The first thing to do is to illuminate the white background with an additional light source. The more uniform and softer the background is lit, the cleaner it will be. If you are shooting items for photobanks or for an online store, then you can use a small light source. If you are constantly engaged in subject photography for photobanks, then it is better to purchase or make a light box (light box) - a frame in the form of a cube with a stretched light-diffusing fabric. When photographing people against a white background, it is advisable to have a pair of very soft light or use powerful lamps (or flashes) covered with a not very dense cloth.
The second, perhaps more important, step to get a white background is the correct exposure. The fact is that the background lighting should be a little brighter than the lighting of the main subject. In this case, the background in the photo will be overexposed and turn into pure white.
That's all the tricks for getting a white background on a photo without using Photoshop.
How the photo was taken on a white background, without processing in Photoshop.
The white background was a regular sheet of printer paper. The white background is illuminated by an ordinary table lamp on a clothespin. The subject is illuminated by the built-in flash
For the convenience of shooting, the camera was mounted on a tripod, although this was not necessary, since the picture was taken with a fairly fast shutter speed of 1/30 sec, with an aperture of F8 - i.e. there is no danger in this case.
The exposure was set manually. In other modes, exposure compensation should be used. If the background illumination lamps can be moved within a larger range or its brightness can be adjusted, then the first step should be to measure without correction, and by moving the background illumination lamps or adjusting their power, overexposure of the background should be achieved within 1-1.5EV
However, in this case, the backlight has limited movement, so the exposure was metered against the background, at the center point, with the flash turned on (Exposure lock with flash). But the exposure was set one stop more than the measured one (the exposure indicator went to the right at the same time, showing + 1EV overexposure).
The next step was to measure the exposure on the subject in the same way, and it turned out that the subject was underexposed by -1EV. Therefore, I had to introduce a flash power correction by the same amount, but in the opposite direction + 1EV. After that, the background exposure is re-measured and, if necessary, the lamp position is adjusted so as to achieve background overexposure from +1EV to +1.5EV
White balance stays at automatic mode AWB, since even the built-in flash often "clogs" other light sources. By the way, if you shoot in , then the white balance is easy to adjust after shooting. After you've taken your first shot, you need to look at your shooting settings and make sure it's cut off to the right, indicating that the background is overexposed. In this case, the overexposed background on the LCD screen of the camera will blink. This suggests that with the task - get a completely white background- we did well.
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