DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

Search

 

Submit A Story

How to bulk process and edit headshots on a white background

by Leave a Comment

Headshots and portraits on a white background are a timeless classic. And most of us who shoot portraits have had to do them at some point. If we haven’t, we likely will sometime in the future. Processing and editing them, though, can often be a pain, especially if you’re shooting a whole bunch of people at once. A group of employees at a company, for example.

In this video, Sean Tucker talks about his white background workflow. How he finds his selects, basic raw processing, and finally his retouching (which is very minimal). It’s a very clean and efficient workflow. And while there is a timer playing in the bottom, the process goes a lot quicker if you don’t have to explain it for a YouTube video.

[Read More…]

How to get colored background without a backdrop or Photoshop

by 1 Comment

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.

[Read More…]

Why a white backdrop is the only portrait background you’ll ever need

by 12 Comments

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.

[Read More…]

How to shoot video with a white seamless background on the cheap

by 2 Comments

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.

[Read More…]

How To Photograph On A White Background Using Two Lights; Plus A Useful Bonus Editing Tip

by 2 Comments

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

by 14 Comments

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…]

Recent Posts