In his previous tutorial, Malaysian photographer Andrew Boey showed you why a white wall is the only backdrop you’ll ever need. After turning white to black, in his latest tutorial, he teaches you to get all kinds of vibrant colors from a plain white wall. You don’t need a backdrop or Photoshop, but some speedlights, light modifiers and color gels.
Why a white backdrop is the only portrait background you’ll ever need
I often see people asking what colour they should paint their new studio, or what backdrop should they get. My advice, if you only have to pick one, is to get white. Always. White is the most versatile background you could use for portraits. My reasoning is simple. You can turn white into any colour you choose.
In this video, Malaysian photographer Andrew Boey with the assistance of his model, Demi, shows us how to send a white backdrop to complete blackness. It’s actually a pretty simple process when it’s broken down into the basic steps.
How to shoot video with a white seamless background on the cheap
There are countless ways of setting up and lighting a white background for stills or video, but sometimes you just need to get it done quick and maybe you’re working with limited space.
This short video from Rob & Jonas’ Filmmaking Tips shows us how to get set up easily and relatively painlessly for filming on a white background in a small space.
How To Photograph On A White Background Using Two Lights; Plus A Useful Bonus Editing Tip
In the video tutorial below, Gavin Hoey tackles an issue many photographers new to shooting on white backgrounds are faced with–white backgrounds that look grey in photographs.
As you may already know, this is caused by the inverse square law, which you can learn all about here. But for now, let’s focus on the solution which, as Hoey explains, can be as simple as adding a second light into the mix.[Read More…]
Create 4 Different Background Styles Using Only 1 White Seamless Paper
I only have two backgrounds in my (home)studio, a white seamless paper and a black wall. I use my seamless white paper for almost every shoot that I do, unless of course, I need to shoot on a black background (in that case I use the black wall). I always tell my students how important it is to have a a seamless white in your arsenal. It costs around $35, and while it is just one piece of equipment, it can be used to create many different looks and styles. Here are some examples and lighting setups you can use that utilize a seamless white.
Of course, you can also use a canvas, a woven background, vinyl or any other “big white thing”.[Read More…]
