How do you take photos like this?

[Admin]

How can a photo be taken which leaves what you want to show in the foreground but leaves the background white? ???

Any experts out there?

Examples:

http://www.ukskeptics.com/graphics/knob.jpg and http://www.ukskeptics.com/graphics/t-shirt1.jpg

Is it lighting, exposure, editing...?

I can't seem to get it right, but then again, I know bugger all about photography. ;D

[Jessie]

I would have thought it was down to editing but I have no idea how :-\ :-\ :-\ ::)

[tkingdoll]

The obvious answer is that photographers place the items on white backdrops before shooting. However, the pics you posted looked Photoshopped to me.

Take the picture with a neutral background, then cut around the main image in Photoshop and substitute it for a white fill. Depending on the edges, you can get away with using the magic wand tool for some things, saves having to manually set the points.

If you're struggling, bung it my way. 8)

[Aardvark]

To do this with print or slide film in the old days we did the following

1 Use a background which is on a long roll, ensure there are no creases or joints in shot.

2 Light the object and also light the background either with studiolights or flash to remove any shaddows cast by the object. It is best to use diffuse flash heads.

3 mount the object using hidden mounts from behind which may have to pass through a gromit on the background roll.

4 use a large apperture to throw the background out of focus, you will need to use slow film and back of on the flash power or you can risk over exposure

5 If you look at the sculpturing effect on the tee shirt it is possible to work out where the lights were placed. There are shaddows below the bust line extending down the abdomen. I would suggest this has been lit from the front and above with a light on the left and one on the right. The other thought I had is that there are reflectors placed to the sides out of shot

http://www.ephotozine.com/equipment/buyersguide/fullbuyersguide.cfm?buyersguideid=26

http://ny.webphotoschool.com/Creating_a_Basic_Studio_Portrait/index.html

[tkingdoll]

Nah, it's a Photoshop job. You can see the cropping round the t-shirt.

[Aardvark]

Bl**dy hell

with my eyes I can only just see the T shirt ( they did warn me that I would go blind when I was 14 if I carried on....)

I still think I am right about the shadow effects.

Photoshop, pah, you kids today have it tooooooo easy.

When I was a lad we got up arf hour afor goin t'bed, worked in mill for 27 hours a day.......and paid mill owner f't'privilegde, and we wud cum 'ome our Mams wud Kill us n dance about on us graves singing alleluliah.

[Admin]

A big thanks O0

I'll do a bit of experimenting. I like the idea of an invisible mount. I have been putting objects onto a surface and then trying to turn the background white - with little success.

I have Paintshop pro5 and Photoshop7 - I'll have to learn how to use them properly I think.

This is for a business project, not UKS, but I need to get it done ASAP.

[Mongrel]

This article (http://www.dansdata.com/phototute.htm) over at Dan's Data may be of some help :)

[Admin]

Thanks Mongrel - that looks like just the thing I need. O0