How can I reduce green-screen spill and reflections on a shiny car?

Asked 9/9/2011

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I’m photographing cars in a green-screen studio, and on glossy paint—especially candy-apple red—I’m getting visible green reflections/spill along edges like the trunk and hood. The car is highly reflective, so the green background is showing up in the paint.

Is this mainly a lighting issue, a white-balance issue, or something that has to be corrected in post? What are the best ways to minimize it during capture, and what post-processing approach is typically used?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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The green is there and is being reflected by the car. Eliminating it requires post-production which is exactly how its done with for visual effects in movies.

You use a tool called 'Color-Curves' (or similar name depending on the S/W) and basically reduce the amount of green in green areas until it looks natural.

A change in WB is not what you are looking for as it impacts all the image, so you may loose the green but end-up with everything else magenta. Lighting makes no difference since the object you are shooting is reflective.

A polarizer helps reduce the intensity of the reflection in some directions but given the angles and curves of the vehicle, it will not remove the reflection in most areas.

Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1620

14y ago

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AI Answer

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This is green spill/reflection from the screen, not a white-balance problem. Because the car’s paint is reflective, it is literally reflecting the green background.

What helps during capture:

  • Increase distance between the car and the green screen; several feet is recommended, with 8–10 ft often suggested as a minimum.
  • Try a polarizer and rotate it for the best reduction in reflections, though it won’t remove spill everywhere on a curved car.
  • If possible, shoot a second frame from the exact same camera position with the green covered by a white screen. Use the green-screen shot for masking/replacement, and the white-screen shot for more neutral reflections on the car.

What won’t really fix it:

  • Changing white balance. WB affects the whole image and can make everything else shift magenta.
  • Lighting alone won’t eliminate reflections from a highly reflective subject.

Typical post solution:

  • Despill selectively in post using curves or similar color tools, reducing green only in the affected reflected areas until the paint looks natural.

In practice, the best result is usually a combination of more separation, optional polarizer use, and selective post-production.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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