On this two part extensive video tutorial, photographer Zack Arias takes a look at one of the most important skill any studio photographer needs to master – shooting with a seamless white/dark background.
Creating wither a white or a dark background is a basic skill which every photographer should know (especially portrait and studio photographers). Getting this white/dark look is actually not that hard if you know what you are doing and this 2 part video is all about explaining (and demonstrating) exactly what goes on when you change different things.
What you need to have is a studio (if you want a full body shot you will need a pretty large one – for a head shot even a small room will be enough). You will need (typically) at least 3 lights – either constant lights – 2 for the background and at least one for the model and be able to place the model far enough from the white backdrop so that you will not get a light spill from your main light to the background.
In the video Arias also shows how to create a dark background and also go through some tips for post processing in Photoshop (in part 2).
Part 2 – working with strobes and some post production tips and tricks in Photoshop
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZwc-QBkOfg[/youtube]
You can watch many more photography tips on the LensVid technique section. as well as more videos on using lighting in photography on our photography lighting section here on LensVid.