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Moderators: k9car363, the bear, DerekL, alicefoeller

lkct01234

2012-09-05 5:32 PM

Elite

2729

Puyallup, WA

Subject: Advice from photographers

I know we have some very good photographers around here. And I would LOVE to hire any of you...but I'm guessing your travel fee to Puyallup, WA is pretty high.

In my internship, I have a project to work with a photographer to take some images. The images will be fitness related and must all have white backgrounds. I talked to 2 different local photographers and it felt like they said different things. And not knowing much about photography...I was looking for advice.

One of the photographers seemed to think that setting up a white background would be important, another said that we could just set up something temporarily that won't look great, but can be edited to be all white.

Pictures will most likely be people with props (soccer balls, etc.) There will also be pictures on equipment (elliptical, treadmill, etc.) I was thinking we'd have to isolate the equipment because they are pretty close together. However, one of the photographers think that they could just hang up a sheet and lighting wouldn't be important to do during the picture.

How easy is it to make good looking images that have been edited to have a white background? And how hard it is to take pictures with fluorescent lighting that look good?

Thx :-)

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newtriguy

2012-09-05 7:29 PM

in reply to: #4397330

Veteran

441

Clearwater, FL

Subject: RE: Advice from photographers

Might be better to chat up your local college or university's photography dept. They have students that need the practice from soup to nuts. Win-win.

fitmomma2010

2012-09-05 10:55 PM

in reply to: #4397330

Expert

750

Hammond

Subject: RE: Advice from photographers

My dh is a photographer and says it really depends on many things. His first instinct is to do as much as you can before hand so there's less editing after. He believes in getting the best photo during shooting so there's minimal editing after. So his initial instinct would be to go with the photographer who wants to get the white background right before the pics are taken. However, that can depend on if you can accomplish that. Treadmills, ellipticals, etc. may not be easy to isolate into an area with a great background and perfect ilghting. If you can, then he says you're always better off getting it right in the shooting and not relying on editing. If you can't due to space and equipment availability and movability constraints though, then wonders can be done in photoshop. So both photographers are essentially right, however, if it were him making the choice he'd go with the one who wants to set up the right background before hand.

hth and makes sense,

Shelly

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peby

2012-09-06 6:57 AM

in reply to: #4397330

Elite

3290

Oliver, BC, "Wine Capital of Canada"

Subject: RE: Advice from photographers

The less post photo editing the better. Plus, who will be paying for all the time necessary for the photoshop work?

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SoberTriGuy

2012-09-06 1:03 PM

in reply to: #4397330

Elite

3277

Minnetonka

Subject: RE: Advice from photographers

I shoot stuff and people on a white background all day every day. I suggest using a white seamless sweep (A giant roll of paper works good). Light that with two strobe-lights behind the subject. Light the subject separately. We generally use a large soft-box or octobox, and additional smaller softbox, a shoot through umbrella on a boom (Hair-light) and a large bounce card.

Peby is correct, the less work after the shoot the better...

Attached is a sample. The umbrella on the left is behind the model lighting the background. The two on the right are lighting the model. There is a hair-light above and an additional umbrella lighting the background on the right.