# Taking pictures of white objects



## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

How are you guys setting your camera to take pictures of white objects infront of white backgrounds? I just cannot figure it out! Is it just lighting, or certain setups to me made in the camera? Please advice. Thanks

Here are some examples...

http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Tel...0,0&iccEmbed=0&layer=1&opac=0&layer=2&opac=55

http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Tel...0,0&iccEmbed=0&layer=1&opac=0&layer=2&opac=55


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## a_spaceman (Nov 19, 2008)

somebody stop me if i'm wrong, but i'd say a polarizing filter could help greatly with that.


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## jong (Nov 19, 2008)

get a gray card and meter off of it ( put the card on the same setup ). hopefully the greenish color on the flower will be less profound.


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## Big Mike (Nov 19, 2008)

I polarizer will probably only help if you are out in the sunlight.

Setting the exposure correctly is important but the biggest issue is probably lighting.



> How are you guys setting your camera to take pictures of white objects infront of white backgrounds? I just cannot figure it out!


I assume these samples are what you want to achieve...not what you are getting now? 
What kind of results are you getting now?  It's hard to diagnose the problem when we don't yet know which parts of the equation you are missing.

In a nutshell, when you want to photograph something with a white background, you need to light the background separately.  Light falls off over distance, so if you only have lights pointed at the subject, by the time that light gets to the background, it's less intense, which will make the background look less that white.   The solution is to add one or more background lights, which are pointed at the background directly and not on the subject.  This can make the background white.  

Post processing can also help to get that finished look.


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

Oh nooo, those are not my results. If they were, I'd be be a happy camper. I will post something that I've done.


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)




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## Big Mike (Nov 19, 2008)

> Oh nooo, those are not my results. If they were, I'd be be a happy camper. I will post something that I've done.


I'll have to change them to links.  Forum rules state that we can only display our own photos, not those taken by others.

As for your image, it looks the problem is just as I thought...plus another problem.
Firstly, you will probably need to add another light to light up the background.
Secondly, your photo is underexposed...which is a common problem when shooting something white.  
The camera's meter wants to turn everything 'middle grey'...because that's the tone of a 'typical' scene.  So when it sees all white, it just thinks that it's too bright and gives you settings that will underexpose.  The opposite would happen if it was all black. 
The solution is that you have to set your exposure away from the --0-- setting on the scale.  In any of the auto modes, you should be able to set your 'exposure compensation'.  When your subject is white (brighter than average) you need to add exposure and set it to a positive E.C.  The amount that you need to compensate, will depend on a lot of factors, so just try a few different shots and see what works.


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## Sw1tchFX (Nov 19, 2008)

You need alot more light on that backgorund to knock it out. 

Get some sort of light between the subject and the background or behind the background and just nuke the wall, have a separate key light for the plant.


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

2 lights on the background 2 stops above your main light and 1 reflector


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

Yeah there's no way Im gonna get the picture I'm looking for w/ the crappy system we got going on here. I'll just wait a little while and when I purchase the ezcube that should give me better options far as background goes and I'll purchase enough lights. I've tried all sorts of options, but no way I'm getting the result I want.


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

MohaimenK said:


> Yeah there's no way Im gonna get the picture I'm looking for w/ the crappy system we got going on here. I'll just wait a little while and when I purchase the ezcube that should give me better options far as background goes and I'll purchase enough lights. I've tried all sorts of options, but no way I'm getting the result I want.


 
What have you got, this shot is with a white bed sheet (background) 580EX on a light stand shooting thought a brolly and a silver reflector not perfect but you can get close to what you want


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## Big Mike (Nov 19, 2008)

> Yeah there's no way Im gonna get the picture I'm looking for w/ the crappy system we got going on here. I'll just wait a little while and when I purchase the ezcube that should give me better options far as background goes and I'll purchase enough lights. I've tried all sorts of options, but no way I'm getting the result I want.


Before you go ahead and buy more stuff...just try increasing the exposure and see if that doesn't get you a lot closer to where you want to be.


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

That is cool. Would that look the same w/ the whole image? This seems more macro. I'd be shooting a picture of, lets say, a dozen of white roses w/ vase. 

I'll give it a shot w/ a white sheet once I go home tonight. See what the result comes out to be.


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

Big Mike said:


> Before you go ahead and buy more stuff...just try increasing the exposure and see if that doesn't get you a lot closer to where you want to be.


 
That is +1 exposure, I've done +2 and it was not a pretty site :thumbdown:

Was not worth this forum so I didn't post. I have 2 very small lights and that is where most of my problem lies.


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## Big Mike (Nov 19, 2008)

What type of camera are you using?
What mode are you using?


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

MohaimenK said:


> That is cool. Would that look the same w/ the whole image? This seems more macro. I'd be shooting a picture of, lets say, a dozen of white roses w/ vase.
> 
> I'll give it a shot w/ a white sheet once I go home tonight. See what the result comes out to be.


 

No macro, 50mmF1.4 on a 1D


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

MohaimenK said:


> That is +1 exposure, I've done +2 and it was not a pretty site :thumbdown:
> 
> Was not worth this forum so I didn't post. I have 2 very small lights and that is where most of my problem lies.


 

Your problem is exposure in camera, you should be able to get a shot with what you have got


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

I'm using a Canon Digital Rebel EOS 

I've used, AV, P, M, TV, heck I've even used the Macro setting.


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

Just had another look, your flower is too close to the background and the lights look too far away, move the flower away from the background 2-3 feet with one light behind the flower shinning on the background the other at 45 degress to the flower and about 2-3 feet away 45 degress the other side get some cooking tin foil on a board if you dont have a reflector set your camera in manual  F5.6 @ 1/125  shoot and check the histogram if it is to the left use a slower shutter speed, if it is too far to the right use a faster shutter speed you want peaks and troughs across your histogram


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

Gsgary, here are some w/ some settings I've used. I didn't have tin voil or anything to bounce the light off though...







This is the closest I got after Photoshop editing of the last image.


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

MohaimenK said:


> Gsgary, here are some w/ some settings I've used. I didn't have tin voil or anything to bounce the light off though...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

It is no good trying to get it right after the shot if it is under exposed you will get lots of noise


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

So what would I need to do?? Turn off camera each time or wait a little?


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

Reset the shoot how i said and try different settings until you like the look of it no need to turn camera off just check histogram


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

Sorry Gary, I must be real confused. Thought thats what I did. I chose different settings. I changed the apature and white balance...first picture looked a lot darker then in the end, I got the 3rd result. 

....sorry, I'm just confused here.


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## gsgary (Nov 19, 2008)

MohaimenK said:


> Sorry Gary, I must be real confused. Thought thats what I did. I chose different settings. I changed the apature and white balance...first picture looked a lot darker then in the end, I got the 3rd result.
> 
> ....sorry, I'm just confused here.


 
Sorry i thought these were your original shots, the last one looks best for exposure, but i don't know what you have done with the editing


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## MohaimenK (Nov 19, 2008)

gsgary said:


> Sorry i thought these were your original shots, the last one looks best for exposure, but i don't know what you have done with the editing


 
Ok, the first 3 are differnt shots w/ different settings.

Large one is cleaned up through photoshop of the 3rd image. I did like 5-7 different things and then sharpened the image in the end to get that result. I went through level, curve, brightness, saturation, hue... :mrgreen:


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## reg (Nov 19, 2008)

The last one looks very edited - the light is flat and the white background with no shadows gives a "cut-out" Photoshop look.


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