Lastolite Hilite Background 6 x 7ft with Super White Vinyl Train

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EYE_ON_ME

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Brendan
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Hi,
I was looking at one of these instead of having a backdrop stand and a muslin white backdrop, but they are alot of money. I have also been readying about white vinyl floor, can anyone point me in the right direction for these as alot of peopel have different ones etc if you have any photo's taken with it would be a bonus.

Also anyone thats uses the Lastolite hilite can give me a review on it!?!?

Thanks
 
Do a search this question has been asked a gazillion times.

I have one and it is very portable and convenient, but the "floor" is just a bit rubbish, it is virtually impossible to get a portable setup with this kit and not have to do some PP on the photos.

Part of me is temped to change to using vinyl roll and stand for events but is is just bigger....!
 
The big advantage of the HiLite is that it takes up very little space. You don't need any extra width for the lights, and the subject can stand right up against it if you want. V good (y)

This is a huge advantage in cramped front rooms, but if you've got the space you can do just as well with a regular paper background.

Lighting the train with a HiLite is just as difficult as with anything else. Getting pure white without at least some post processing is virtually impossible.
 
EYE_ON_ME said:
Also anyone thats uses the Lastolite hilite can give me a review on it!?
Click to expand...

I will let you know over the next couple of days, as i'm just about to have my first outing with mine tomorrow, what i would say as Hoppy says, they do take up less space as you don't have to put lights in front of them, if your thinking of buying i wouldn't bother with the train as it's a total rip off at nearly £100, you could quite easily get a piece of white vinyl and shape it the same for a 3rd of the cost of the lastolite one.
 
TG. said:
I will let you know over the next couple of days, as i'm just about to have my first outing with mine tomorrow, what i would say as Hoppy says, they do take up less space as you don't have to put lights in front of them, if your thinking of buying i wouldn't bother with the train as it's a total rip off at nearly £100, you could quite easily get a piece of white vinyl and shape it the same for a 3rd of the cost of the lastolite one.
Click to expand...

thanks i will await an update lol
 
If you are not doing full length shots then it is possible to to work with no pp. On a mobile setup though there will usually be some required on full length.

I got the train on a good offer but also have perspex sitting on top of it to increase reflectivity.
 
PsiFox said:
If you are not doing full length shots then it is possible to to work with no pp. On a mobile setup though there will usually be some required on full length.

I got the train on a good offer but also have perspex sitting on top of it to increase reflectivity.
Click to expand...

Hi,
where did you get the perspex's from also do you have any photo's to give me an idea? thanks
 
If you light the floor seperately you can get it closer to white instead of the muddy grey but only takes maybe 20 secs in PP to get it white - Just make sure your selection is feathered so that the subject doesn't look as though they are floating in the air!

I don't mind the floor. Get a big softbox and you can light both the floor and the subject at the same time - although you still need todo a little PP.

Big thumbs up for the kit from me and you can get the items cheaper - but that involves more work so I just bought both together.
 
I can get the Lastolite Hilite Background 6 x 7ft with Super White Vinyl Train for £279, is that good??
 
sounds about what I paid for mine from warehouse express
 
Yes probably what I paid too when they first came out. 6x7 is a decent size.
 
There has been a bit of a discussion about it with some examples on my "Another garage studio" thread. LINK

I got mine as part of an exchange and it is a 7x5 although I would have preferred 7x6.

I also got a black "bottle top" thing that I just can't fathom the point of yet :)
 
cowasaki said:
I also got a black "bottle top" thing that I just can't fathom the point of yet :)
Click to expand...

i love the black bottletop. Fits over the hilite and great for a quick change from high key to low key shooting.
 
EYE_ON_ME said:
Hi,
where did you get the perspex's from also do you have any photo's to give me an idea? thanks
Click to expand...

Homebase, B&Q,wickes etc.

I also have a fill light above the camera with a 48 inch softbox shing down onto the floor.

As said above it only takes a quick pp to make all white and remove line from join of 2 sheets of perspex

no pics of setup as you can't see when it's lit.
 
EOS_JD said:
i love the black bottletop. Fits over the hilite and great for a quick change from high key to low key shooting.
Click to expand...

Will have to give it a try. Might as well seeing as how I have one :)
 
Speedgraphic were (and might still be) offering the black bottle top free when you ordered the hilite.

Although it wasnt mentioned on the website at the time, only in their catalogue, so I phoned them and got it free when I purchased mine.

I dont have the current catalogue to hand to see if this is still running. It might be worth a phonecall, as their hilite and train price is good at £278.
 
I have had Hilite and the train since it UK launch,

I too consider it impractical for events work where even 30sec of PP will kill my fast workflow,

So my answer is simply not to bother, By Just using it 3/4 length & closer suffice without a noticeable dent in sales...

Al'
 
sezzi said:
I have had Hilite and the train since it UK launch,

I too consider it impractical for events work where even 30sec of PP will kill my fast workflow,
Click to expand...

Ok with you so far...

sezzi said:
So my answer is simply not to bother, By Just using it 3/4 length & closer suffice without a noticeable dent in sales...
Click to expand...


Sorry lost me there.
 
cowasaki said:
Ok with you so far...




Sorry lost me there.
Click to expand...

He means he doesn't shoot full length cause 30 secs per image work means too much time when trying to sell prints (and print on the night I guess).

So shoot 3/4 length and closer.
 
EOS_JD said:
He means he doesn't shoot full length cause 30 secs per image work means too much time when trying to sell prints (and print on the night I guess).

So shoot 3/4 length and closer.
Click to expand...

Got you there (y)

I was just having a problem deciphering what he was saying! Some of my posts go out like that :)
 
When using the bottletop, attach it using the rods at the top and the trange bit at the bottom also curves under the hilite and the rods hold it so the train can come out.

Switch off the background lights and you have a great low key setup. One of my background lights gets a grid or barndoors or snoot and acts as my hair light.

Big softbox as main and results are usually very good. I will usually use a reflector too....
 
EYE_ON_ME said:
I can get the Lastolite Hilite Background 6 x 7ft with Super White Vinyl Train for £279, is that good??
Click to expand...

That sounds like a very good price, my 8x7 cost me £450 with the train, not sure why the price rockets for that extra two foot, just another rip off i guess :|

TG. said:
I will let you know over the next couple of days, as i'm just about to have my first outing with mine tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Ok had my first outing with the lastolite yesterday, first impression a lot easier than lighting a normal background in a confined space, but i never changed the settings on the lights enough to blow it out, so will end up with more PP again in photoshop :bang: never really noticed till i got the photos on full screen at home, is a 3inch screen any more useful than a 1.5inch, maybe tethered shooting with a laptop in these conditions is the answer :shrug: regarding the train i'm not convinced you can get the whiteness you want without photoshop, i really do think the only way around this is some kind of raised under-lit floor, which is obviously not feasible for mobile studios, unless some whizz comes up with something which you can carry around, it was a bit of a night mare folding back up, although i had several go's at home and got it right after a couple, still it gave the girls a good laugh, so added to the fun a bit, the black side is not really usable as it's got a slight sheen to it, which again means more PP, overall yes it's worth having, but as i mentioned before if i was buying again i wouldn't bother with the train, i would buy a piece of vinyl at a third of the cost and shape it myself, and use gaffer tape to fix to the floor, i will post some results up over the next few days in another thread.
 
Tel, have you enabled blinkies on your LCD - highlight over exposure warning? They really need to be flashing at you when shooting pure white, and you won't miss them!

Lots of vids on YouTube about folding a HiLight - it's easy when you know how ;)
 
HoppyUK said:
Tel, have you enabled blinkies on your LCD - highlight over exposure warning? They really need to be flashing at you when shooting pure white, and you won't miss them!

Lots of vids on YouTube about folding a HiLight - it's easy when you know how ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks Richard, i did have the blinkies on at points, and now you said it i should have kept them on, not sure why i switched them off :bonk: yes watched a few of those videos, and particularly THIS one, i'm sure that Mark Cleghorn chap has had one custom made for this video, or there's some other sort of skullduggery going on :LOL: to be fair i did it at home and got it spot on a few times, just when i had finished probably knackered after the shoot, and what didn't help the house i went to had a parrot in the kitchen on high pitched squawking all through the shoot, but that's another story :bat: :D
 
At the Focus show, I watched the chaps on the Lastolite stand packing up at the end. The guy took a moment or two setting out one of the big ones on the floor, positioned himself at the corner and then heaved it up a bit like he was tossing the caber. The thing just twisted in the air and plopped down in a perfect circle! :eek:
 
TG. said:
regarding the train i'm not convinced you can get the whiteness you want without photoshop
Click to expand...

A big softbox helps and possibly a light or two just lighting the floor helps but I normally just use a levels adjustment layer to do the work. yes a pain but doesn't take too long. Automask in Lightroom can also do the job quickly.

TG. said:
it was a bit of a night mare folding back up, although i had several go's at home and got it right after a couple, still it gave the girls a good laugh, so added to the fun a bit,
Click to expand...
Takes me about 20 seconds to fold and pack away the 6x7 although only after doing it a few times - Amazing once you know how to that it's so easy!

TG. said:
The black side is not really usable as it's got a slight sheen to it, which again means more PP
Click to expand...

The black side of the hilite was never meant to be used as a background - way too reflective. If lastolite had done that they would not have sold many bottletop backgrounds! Those bottletop b/gs are actually very good although maybe not as good as their velvet collapsibles.

Jim
 
EOS_JD said:
I normally just use a levels adjustment layer to do the work.

Thanks Jim could you please elaborate on this method, as i do it a different way, which is time consuming, i appreciate it's not always easy explaining methods on here, or if you can point to a tutorial all the better, many thanks


Takes me about 20 seconds to fold and pack away the 6x7 although only after doing it a few times - Amazing once you know how to that it's so easy!

Yep i had it down to about that time, not sure what happened on friday though, it just didn't want to go down :LOL:
Click to expand...
 
Regards the floor, you start with a white area and a grey area. I use the magic selection tool to select all the white and grey areas. I feather that selection (depending on resolution) but I use a large feather from around 12 pixels to maybe 20px- sometimes more - just depends on the image.

Once I have the selection, I use a levels adjustment layer. When you create the adj layer, a mask is automatically created that stops the subject being affected by the adj layer.

I then select the white triangle on the right and hold down the alt key. Anything shown in black is not white so I move until I see enough white with a slight shadow.

Takes just a few secs once you get used to it.

In lightroom I use the brush with exposure set to an appropriate level like +2. I just paint over the non white areas making sure the Auto Mask is on and the centre of the brush does not enter the subject area. Again very quick once you get used to it. There's other ways too but this is what I use.
 
EOS_JD said:
Regards the floor, you start with a white area and a grey area. I use the magic selection tool to select all the white and grey areas. I feather that selection (depending on resolution) but I use a large feather from around 12 pixels to maybe 20px- sometimes more - just depends on the image.

Once I have the selection, I use a levels adjustment layer. When you create the adj layer, a mask is automatically created that stops the subject being affected by the adj layer.

I then select the white triangle on the right and hold down the alt key. Anything shown in black is not white so I move until I see enough white with a slight shadow.

Takes just a few secs once you get used to it.


In lightroom I use the brush with exposure set to an appropriate level like +2. I just paint over the non white areas making sure the Auto Mask is on and the centre of the brush does not enter the subject area. Again very quick once you get used to it. There's other ways too but this is what I use.
Click to expand...

Many thanks, i will give that a go (y)
 
I use one of the large hi-lites (biggest one they do and some times I wish it was bigger) for my photo booth at weddings and its great for that because you can get people to stand right in front of it and if you get the settings pp is minimal. It works really well for this use as typically nearly all the shots are upper body only.

p.s. if you buy the big one ignore the lifting method for putting it away, its just too big to do that easily, much simpler/quicker to jam one edge in an angle and twist it.

Here's one from Fridays wedding.
ettington-park-wedding-photos-055.jpg
 
EOS_JD said:
In lightroom I use the brush with exposure set to an appropriate level like +2. I just paint over the non white areas making sure the Auto Mask is on and the centre of the brush does not enter the subject area. Again very quick once you get used to it. There's other ways too but this is what I use.
Click to expand...

How do you keep any shadows there using the lightroom method?
 
Keep auto mask on and use a soft brush. Make sure the centre of the brush stays on the white. and use an appropriate + exposure. Just don't go overboard and you'll have a nice even background
 
EOS_JD said:
Keep auto mask on and use a soft brush. Make sure the centre of the brush stays on the white. and use an appropriate + exposure. Just don't go overboard and you'll have a nice even background
Click to expand...

Thanks. Will give it a go. Think when I last tried it I went a bit overboard and wiped the shadow out which left the person floating!
 
EOS_JD said:
Keep auto mask on and use a soft brush. Make sure the centre of the brush stays on the white. and use an appropriate + exposure. Just don't go overboard and you'll have a nice even background
Click to expand...

Holy thread revival :D

I use the same method as Jim said above
 
I will have to give the lightroom method a go. At the moment I use PS, creat a duplicate layer, set the white point on the muddiest part of the background, then add a layer mask and paint over the subject to bring through the correct exposure from the bottom layer.
 
Doing that pretty much removes all the shadow on the floor making the subject look like they're floating. The Lightroom (ACR) method leaves a hint of a shadow in the right areas.
 
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