Lighting a background

[Jemmy]

Could you tell me how you light your background in a studio because im really struggling.

I have an interfit studio lighting kit, a brolly light and a softbox, I have taken the brolly off and been pointing the light on my background (placed on the left hand side) and my pictures look really dark down one side and kind of like a spot light:dizzy:

Its driving me mad, my pictures look really bad. I have the softbox to the right of me pointing on the subject.

Here is a pic to show you what I mean.

Any advice? do I need more lights? my lights I think are only 150W.

[Mark D]

Hi Jemmy,

What i have done in the past is use my Canon 580 on the camera and point the lights at the wall to get an even spread.
you will need to shoot in manual and the flashgun should be in manual too as it will avoid the pre trigger which wont let you sync properly.

Hope this helps!:whistle3:

[mark-dubya]

I use 2 heads to light the background, which gives a good clean white. If you are using cloth backdrops you can light them from behind !

Both heads are situated at about 6-7ft up pointing towars the middle of the backdrop.

[Jemmy]

Thank you both,

My room is quite small so i wish i could find mounts for the wall to get lights each side of the background as i dont have much room for them each side on the stands.

I do need another light though.

Thanks.

[cozmoz007]

Hi jemmy,

I use two high watt bulbs in modelling lamp holders bracketed to the ceiling, they can be angled to whatever direction I want, and have been wired up to a lightswitch. These point at the background, and then I use flash n brollie on the left set to 1/4 and soft box on right set to 1/2, this gives an even background, (although I still experience colour cast! - which I'm currently fiddling with the white balance to rectify!)

Hope this helps

Coz

[mark-dubya]

It's also bloody easy to clean the backdrop in Photoshop

[Jemmy]

Hi,

I have been using levels in photoshop elements to make it pure white which seems to work ( i shall attach a pic) but isnt that cheating?:laugh1:

Oh could you show me the modelling lamps and brackets? where did you get them from? thats exactly what I need!

Thanks guys:)

[Billy]

Jenny
You really need 2 lights to get an even spread on the background.

You can take head and shoulders shots using the lightbox as the background. Position your subject in between the softbox and your camera this can give you great white background portraits.
Bill

[BarryM]

why is it cheating? nothing wrong with ps fix apart from a little more time taken . yes better to get it right in cam if you can but that is what photoshop is for

[Jemmy]

Thanks Barry,

My first shot ive shown here is rubbish though and I think I do need the 2nd light to even out the background.

I don't mind using ps to sort out the background, maybe im trying too much to be a perfectionist:laugh1:

[Ade]

I have 2 lights on low stands with barn doors fitted. These point towards the background but also stop any light from them spilling onto the subjects.

[Jemmy]

Fab, thank you.

Oh wow, can you tell me how you did that in ps? i use elements. You don't know how I could put a border around my pics do you with my signature? I can't seem to do that.

If I put my lights behind my background stand and light it that way would that work or do they have to be infront?

Thanks:)

[mark-dubya]

Hi,

I have been using levels in photoshop elements to make it pure white which seems to work ( i shall attach a pic) but isnt that cheating?:laugh1:

Oh could you show me the modelling lamps and brackets? where did you get them from? thats exactly what I need!

Thanks guys:)

Cheating? Cheating? good god I don't know many people who don't cheat in this day and age, whether it be removing the odd spot on a face, increasing colour, turrning colour to B&W, retouching eyes, removing telephone poles etc etc etc the list goes on ..... So...... I don't see a slight whitening of a backdrop as cheating:Dm

[steveathome]

I appears you have my problem - lack of space.
Until you can get your subject further off of the background, and light it evenly preferably with 2 lights, then there is no reason why you shouldn't have Photoshop assist.

You can also light the background with one light evenly, if you have a large backdrop and again the space. If you had the back drop at approx 45º angle, and lit it with a strobe dead centre flat on and at a distance, the strobe would be out of sight to the lens, and the angle of background would not be noticed unless patterned.

Until then look like you are stuck with PS :whistle3:

[Jemmy]

Hehe thanks Mark, makes me feel better;)