How can I photograph clear fishing line for a clean white-background cutout?
Asked 8/3/2020
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2 answers
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I need product photos of clear fluorocarbon fishing line that end up on a pure white background. When I try to shoot it directly on white, the line is hard to see and subtle shadows make extraction slow and messy. What lighting or shooting setup works best for making transparent line visible while still delivering a clean white-background result?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
5
I would suggest "Don't".
Seriously, if the concern is extraction, it becomes much easier if you're free to select your background color. Shoot with an appropriately contrasting background and extract from the colored background. After extraction, the image can be overlayed on any background including white if that's what's required.
Additionally by selecting an interesting color, you can light it such that hints of that color can show in the clear line for additional contrast and interest. If the goal is to emphasize the colorlessness of the line, use a gray background.
The requirement to have the image on a white background does not mean it has to be shot that way.
--- edit ---
Your comment about shadows suggests that you have the product in contact with the background. You may want to suspend the product with the background far enough away to eliminate shadows.
--- edit 2 Impromptu Shoot ---
I didn't have any fishing line handy but I found some old translucent lawn trimmer line in the garage and some nearly invisible transparent thread from my wife. I bundled both up and hung them dangling in front of some black poster board. I placed a single remote flash on a convenient shelf about 30 degrees behind the target as well as using the on-camera flash for front lighting.
I used a quick and dirty color selection for extraction.
White remote flash as shot
White remote flash extracted with black background
White remote flash extracted with white background
Blue remote flash as shot
Blue remote flash extracted with black background
Blue remote flash extracted with white background
I think a white background is going to be a tough proposition!
Originally by user77199. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user77199
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Don’t feel locked into shooting it on white just because the final image must be on white. For clear line, it’s often easier to shoot against a contrasting background, extract it there, then place it onto white afterward.
A few approaches from the community:
- Use a darker or colored background so the clear line is easier to separate.
- Place dark cards beside the line so their reflections define the edges of the transparent material.
- Keep the line off the background if possible; contact with the background creates shadows and makes edge extraction harder.
- For the cleanest mask, use a locked-off tripod and shoot two frames: one with an evenly illuminated light board/backdrop, and one with that backlight off and your subject lighting on. The contrast between the two frames can be used to build a mask.
- Increasing the distance between the line and the bright background can help reduce background spill and improve edge definition.
In short: create contrast first, then composite to white. Transparent subjects are usually much easier to isolate that way than by trying to shoot them directly on pure white.
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