White backdrops - full body shot. Always need PP?

FlyTVR

FlyTVR

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Just in the process of making myself a little studio and decided to use a white (paper) backdrop. Setup quite simple - one light on the backdrop (F11), one key and one fill for subject (F8).

Now, here's the question. How hard is it to get a full body shot head to toe with all of the floor and the backdrop to be white? Will it always require PP? Head and shoulders shots are all that I've attempted before.

I thought my results were pretty good until I increased the canvas size in PS. Then I saw how my whites were not whiter than white!!! :(
 
Zack Arias has published some excellent ideas on how to get it as right as possible in camera (using white paper). EdinburghGary has also written some good stuff on these forums. Lastly, if you search for hilite in Talk Lighting you will get some other stuff.

The most important thing - good luck !
 
EdinbroughGary has been doing just this and his latest setup is pretty much like you want ie virtually OR no PP required. Personally I would rather do a tiny bit of PP and not risk bleeding of the light from the background but I never have hundreds of pics to PP at the same time.
 
Gordon Scott said:
In my home set up, I use two flashes (one either side) on the backdrop, with them prevented from feeding light directly forward. Then just a little tweak to the left in Photoshop "Curves" to get pure white background.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Curves!!! I suspect that is the perfect answer. Thanks Gordon.
 
FlyTVR said:
Bingo. Curves!!! I suspect that is the perfect answer. Thanks Gordon.
Click to expand...

Not that easy! It's very difficult indeed to get a white background and floor which is what you're asking (background only is a doddle though) and you certainly won't do it with just one light on the background. You will need at least two, possibly more, and still some grey mopping in post processing.

Don't let anybody kid you otherwise. Edinburgh Gary is the only one to have achieved that on here, and he has spent thousands on a professional custom studio.

The problem is that you have to over expose the background and the floor to get it pure white. The background is easy because you can light it separately, but if you over expose the floor, you over expose the subject with it. Unless they can fly :)
 
This is exactly what I am getting at.

I think I'll just live the fact that I will have to do some PP. It comforts me knowing it's not easy!
 
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