# White background in post production



## joel28 (Dec 2, 2012)

How would you make the background white in post production?


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## mustafanazif (Dec 2, 2012)

open "curves" in ps (ctrl+M)
use whide eyedropper (right)
and select "pigment/ink%"
push eyedropper on blue area (preffer lighter blue area)
you will see it ill be white and balance it lines on curves panel (red, green, blue, gray and black lines -prferres black line)
... thats it

here is your secreenshot


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

Light the background so it is white straight out of the camera.  I am not trying to be snarky at all with this response.  Its just no that hard to achieve a white seamless background sooc with a couple lights.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 2, 2012)

JAC526 said:


> Light the background so it is white straight out of the camera.  I am not trying to be snarky at all with this response.  Its just no that hard to achieve a white seamless background sooc with a couple lights.


Do you have any examples, SOOC?


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

No. Not on hand.  Give me a day or two and I'll try to post something up.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

You can feel free to tell me how i ****ed it up too.  I'm here to learn.


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## mustafanazif (Dec 2, 2012)

@JAC526 well said...
u just need big white paper... make it curve and you will have endless background...
use external flash (or sometime you no need)






i used curved big white paper and 600 EX-RT external flash (on tripod)


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## joel28 (Dec 2, 2012)

mustafanazif said:


> @JAC526 well said...
> u just need big white paper... make it curve and you will have endless background...
> use external flash (or sometime you no need)
> 
> ...



My photo was shot on a white curved shooting table.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

It just seems to me to make more sense to try to get it right in camera.


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## mustafanazif (Dec 2, 2012)

joel28 said:


> mustafanazif said:
> 
> 
> > @JAC526 well said...
> ...




then you should check your W/B settings....
if you shot white area like blue, its mean your wb settings are wrong (or kelwin)...
you can see this wrong settings in winter shots
some snow photos looks blue ... why?


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## cgipson1 (Dec 2, 2012)

JAC526 said:


> It just seems to me to make more sense to try to get it right in camera.



I agree! And you don't even need a White background to do it! You can do it with a Black background, just throw enough light at it to overexpose it a stop and a half or so.....


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## thetrue (Dec 2, 2012)

joel28 said:


> mustafanazif said:
> 
> 
> > @JAC526 well said...
> ...


Seems to me that your white balance was off then....?


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 2, 2012)

JAC526 said:


> It just seems to me to make more sense to try to get it right in camera.


It does make more sense, until you try to actually do it. Getting a pure white ground, and _*proper*_ light on your subject is harder than it sounds.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

To me it looked like the camera meter saw a whole bunch of white and decided to underexpose to make all the white the 18% grey it is calibrated to provide.  I wonder what dialing in some +EV would have done.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> JAC526 said:
> 
> 
> > It just seems to me to make more sense to try to get it right in camera.
> ...



For sure.  I'd much rather labor at that than labor at adjusting curves and EV in photoshop.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 2, 2012)

Even if it's faster in photoshop?


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> Even if it's faster in photoshop?



Yes.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 2, 2012)

I eagerly await your SOOC results.


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## thetrue (Dec 2, 2012)

I see it like this: if you mess around with it for two hours one time and learn how to set it up in one minute each subsequent time, you better your skill. In PS you do it every single time, and it limits you, IMO


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## cgipson1 (Dec 2, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> JAC526 said:
> 
> 
> > It just seems to me to make more sense to try to get it right in camera.
> ...



You just light them separately, and make sure the subject is far enough away from the background not to get light splash... not really that hard if you have enough speedlights / monolights to do it properly. Of course it helps if you know how to light your subject properly first...


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 2, 2012)

What about the gound under and around your subject? Pure white, SOOC.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> I eagerly await your SOOC results.



You sound like you hope/think I am going to fail.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

I have 2 speedlights and that is all.  I will try my best and accept your challenge Mr. Bitter.


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## cgipson1 (Dec 2, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> What about the gound under and around your subject? Pure white, SOOC.



I thought the question was on Backgrounds, not foreground and such! But if you are going to change the terms just to make your point, well that is different kettle of fish! lol! That is more difficult... spill from the subject lighting will expose it close to white (assuming you start with white) but difficult to overexpose it without splashing the subject. I normally don't shoot full length with white backgrounds, so will have to leave this question to someone with more experience in that area.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 2, 2012)

I'm not changinging the terms. Look at the original post. That's what's being discussed. Jac believes he can shoot that image, and get it right in camera, with zero post work.


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## JAC526 (Dec 2, 2012)

Yes I do believe that.  I guess what I should of said though is if I was the OP I would not want to know how to fix it in post.  I would want to know how to do it right in the first place.

I believe I can get a seamless white background with lighting instead of photoshop.  I would always do post on photos to some degree.  Well I have to as I shoot everything in RAW anyway.


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## texkam (Dec 2, 2012)

Several ways. One way is, in PS, draw a path around the image; use the pen tool for best control, select, feather just slightly to avoid a hard edge, and replace with white.


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## texkam (Dec 3, 2012)

Indeed, the challenge of achieving pure white everywhere during shooting is finding a way to get rid of shadows under the item, if that is what you really desire. Not an easy task. Bringing light through a translucent white surface is another option I would think.


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## joel28 (Dec 3, 2012)

I use this shooting table. How would you guys light it so the background is pure white?


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## JAC526 (Dec 3, 2012)

texkam said:


> Indeed, the challenge of achieving pure white everywhere during shooting is finding a way to get rid of shadows under the item, if that is what you really desire. Not an easy task. Bringing light through a translucent white surface is another option I would think.



I like the shadows b/c it provides depth.  I don't think I would want to always get entirely rid of the shadow.


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## edgivs (Dec 8, 2012)

Joel 
put the subject close to the edge (foreground), then aim an external flash to the background only. Use your camera flash as "fill light" to light the subject.


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## Mully (Dec 8, 2012)

You should be able to do this with one light source .... the subject is small.  You do not want to try to light the background and the subject separately, if you are going to shoot products keep it simple and you will be able to repeat your set-up over again with ease.


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