How to get a white background with flash - part 3/3

This is a demo of how to set up studio lights to blow out the background for a solid white background. Part 3/3.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• photography
• flash
• white
• background
• blown
• out
• setup

[migge65]

nice imformative video, I am setting up a home studio and considering buying cheap studio flashes instead of my speedlights, what is the brand you are using? is it ebay stuff?

[cunparis]

@migge65 Mine are yinyang rebranded by a german company. YinYang has several models, some better than others. I'm more than satisfied with mine who are still working great 6 years later.

[allofoto]

Hey cool video!

A little tip for you, use your space diagonally, you get more distance from your camera to the subject, plus you can place the lights better on the sides. Put the backdrop on a pole and hang it so that you block the corner, and you can use it to hide stuff on the back. hope it helps good luck...

[cunparis]

I tried this when I initially set up the studio and I found it to be less efficient. The backdrop is very wide so if I put it diagonal you can see that it'd cover from the left side to near the table. It'd "waste" quite a lot of space behind it. The way I have it now I don't waste any space.

[cunparis]

@cunparis Just wanted to say that I am now using it diagonally as suggested. In fact I have one white background diagonal, and a few others along the walls so I can change orientations and backgrounds easier.

[cunparis]

I bought them from Walimex in Germany via ebay. I had to be patient to "win" an auction at a low price. I think I paid around 110 euros for a kit (light, stand, umbrella) + shipping. The chinese brand is called yin yang, they're usually rebranded by importers. They're suprisingly good quality for what they are. I've had them for 3 years now and 1 stand doesn't stay up very well and one of the lights doesn't beep when it's ready. other than that they have held up well.

[PauloRenatoHM]

1:35

[unitedmedias]

you dropped the duck, is it ok ? lol

[gnohz]

Thanks for the great video! This was what I have always wanted to see, how photographers get a pure white background in-camera and not through photoshop. Very interesting. Just a question, how much power do your lights have, as in, how many watts are they?

Just a newbie on studio photography :)

[xaniared]

0:12

[famousPhotog]

Thanks for posting this detailed set-up. Suggestions:

Use two strip light soft boxes and cross them across the background, rather than fighting with umbrellas. Much much faster and more controllable.

Bring the level of the background lights up until an incident reading of the light bounced back onto the subject from the background itself is equal to the camera setting. This will be the brightest you can go before getting flare. Try to avoid over lighting white backgrounds.