Overexposed backgrounds

[laura]

How do I stop white backgrounds for portrait shots being so overexposed? :confused:

[solo1]

Hi,

Are you shooting in manual or letting the camrera decide, outside, inside,
flash you should give a little more details and post photo in fix my photo

[laura]

Shooting inside, white sheet as background, flash fired at background, main flash with softbow at 45 deg to subject.
Aperture priority mode.

Example below (please note no pp done)

I just want to know how to stop this happening.

1962

[jerryph]

Controlling light. This is an easy, yet complex question at the same time.

To not blow out backgrounds you need to take the subject into a location where the background is not brighter than the subject. This means that if you place them under a tree where the sun is diffused, and expose for a perfect exposure of the subject, the back ground will be too bright. To compensate, you flash the subject, increasing the light on them, reducing overall light and lowering or eliminating the blown backgrounds.

Controlling lighting, even for an experienced photographer can sometimes be very challenging. :)

[laura]

Controlling light. This is an easy, yet complex question at the same time.

To not blow out backgrounds you need to take the subject into a location where the background is not brighter than the subject. This means that if you place them under a tree where the sun is diffused, and expose for a perfect exposure of the subject, the back ground will be too bright. To compensate, you flash the subject, increasing the light on them, reducing overall light and lowering or eliminating the blown backgrounds.

Controlling lighting, even for an experienced photographer can sometimes be very challenging. :)

So in the set up I mentioned above, the flash directed at the background sheet must be lower (in power/intensity) than the main one on the subject?

[jerryph]

So in the set up I mentioned above, the flash directed at the background sheet must be lower (in power/intensity) than the main one on the subject?

If you want a darker background? No, reversed. I also have a tendency to not want to not blow out the background, more often tone it down, so that my subjects "pop" out as the main subjects. To do that, even if the background is way bright is to add even more light on the subject and balance things out using aperture or shutter speed.

Was your goal to totally blow out the background or just have it white or toned down?

[solo1]

Hi Laura,

The idea is that you light the background 2 stops more that the subject.
That means that if you shoot at F8 the background should be at F16, so you must use separate lights for the background and foreground.

If you light with only one set of lights you cannot control the light.

So if your background is white, your subject will receive too much light and be burned out.

I have added a portrait done high key with a white background lit separately. Hope you understand what I mean

[solo1]

The second picture is much better. Have a look a the right side of the woman face and you will see where there is hot spot (too much light) But if you practice you will get it. You can also put your camera in the view mode to see hot spots. Check your camera book to find out how to see the areas that are blown out in the preview.

[laura]

Was your goal to totally blow out the background or just have it white or toned down?

I didn't intend on blowing out the background, just a nice clean crisp white look...thats what my 'model' (my cousin) asked for. I just went to far!:(

[laura]

You can also put your camera in the view mode to see hot spots. Check your camera book to find out how to see the areas that are blown out in the preview.

Yeah there is the 'highlight' view (I had forgotten about that!):o

[laura]

I think i need to practice (a lot)more! Going to go and set my lights up again, and try it out. Thanks for the advice everyone.

[jerryph]

If you wish, try playing with the background colours a little too. Also, by using a larger aperture and increasing the distance between the background and your subject and at the same time decreasing the distance between you and your subject, you can blur the background a little.

Quick examples of using a flash to change the colour of the background:

White light:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/3020165380_8521238c57_m.jpg

Blue:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/3019334915_bc059c448a_m.jpg

Red:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/3020165742_5ea880ca50_m.jpg

Yellow:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/3019336625_03ecf63beb_m.jpg

Also, don't be shy about visiting www.strobist.com and reading lighting 101 and 102, that is the BEST place for lighting info on the net! :)