How do I get a pure white background with speedlights without washing out my subject?
Asked 10/29/2012
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I’m moving from natural light portraits to a portable studio setup with a white muslin backdrop. I’m using one or two Canon 580EX speedlights with shoot-through umbrellas. In test shots, I can’t get the background to go pure white without lowering contrast or over-lighting my subject. I also want to reduce visible wrinkles in the muslin and avoid shadows cast onto the backdrop, especially with kids who may move around. What lighting setup and exposure approach will help create a clean white background while keeping the subject properly lit?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
11
To get the "blown out" white background you have to overexpose the background.
You have no choice, in order to over expose the background you need a very powerful light aimed at the background.
If you have two flashes place one of them behind or to the side of the subject aimed directly at the background behind the subject (unmodified, without an umbrella), you want to set the power to the minimum that will overexpose the area around the subject (any area not touching the subject can be easily made white in post).
Placing you subject as far as possible from the background helps because it minimizes the reflection from the background on the subject.
You then use the second flash as the key light and ambient light as fill (obviously that means you start by metering for the ambient and set your flashes power based on it).
Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2481
13y ago
0
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Light the subject and background separately. For a true white background, the backdrop should be about 2 stops brighter than the subject exposure. Example: if the subject is exposed at f/5.6, the background should read around f/11.
With two flashes, use one as your key light on the subject and the other aimed directly at the background (often unmodified works better than through an umbrella). If possible, two background lights—one per side—give more even coverage, but one can work for tighter shots.
Keep the subject as far from the backdrop as practical. That does two things: reduces shadows on the background and reduces white light bouncing back onto the subject, which is what causes the washed-out, low-contrast look.
Don’t overpower the background more than necessary. Use test shots and the histogram to push the background just into clipped highlights, not far beyond. If only the area around the subject is pure white, the rest can be cleaned up in post.
For muslin wrinkles: light and framing matter. A blown white background hides many wrinkles, but if texture still shows, increase separation, light the background more evenly, and smooth/iron the backdrop as much as practical.
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