Studio Photography - Getting the Perfect White and Black Backgrounds

When shooting in a studio one of the frequent demands is to create a perfect white background or a perfect black background. Whilst small variations can be corrected using software such as photoshop this will frequently change the subject as well. Also fine detail such as hair might be lost. It is always best to try to light your subjects as close as possible to the final image and not rely on photoshop. You will however require a flash meter to get the settings right, otherwise there will be a large amount of trial and error.

White Backgrounds.

For this situation you will not only a light for the subject but also lights to illuminate the background. The backlight should be set up so that it provides a diffuse light over the background that will be in shot. There are various ways of achieving this, the easiest method I have found is to set up some cheap flash units that having an optical firing system.

When you have set up all the lights, turn off the studio flash which will be for the subject or model you are shooting. Then fire the background flashes and make a measure of the lighting. The figure you get, say for example f32, will be to produce a neutral grey. To make this pure white you need to over expose by 2 or 3 stops, so adjust the exposure accordingly (f11 for the above example).

Now turn off the backlights and turn on the models light and adjust the light output so that you get the correct amount of light for the chosen exposure.
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