Rolls Black White

The White Photography Background

I'm often asked - by frustrated shooters - what materials they ought to be using so you can get a crisp, sparkling, pure white photography background.

Regrettably, that often is the inappropriate question to ask! It in reality, is not the background material that offers you the spotless white you're seeking.

It is actually the source of the light!

Here is the situation…you set up a fresh white bed sheet or a roll of white paper - and you position your subject matter in front of it.

You set up a light source or two and light your model. All is looking good. You think you have got a competently lit model and a nice white set.

Now, you shoot the picture.

Apprehensively, you jog to the photo lab if you're shooting film or to a computer if you're shooting digital. You check out the finished image and ta daaa!

Your subject matter is impeccably lit, however the background is a drab gray color. Not the sparkling, pure white you saw contained in the viewfinder!

Sound recognizable? If you have been having a difficult time creating high key pictures…And you have been creating that dingy gray color (no matter what materials you utilize) here is how to fix the problem!

All light has a certain fall off aspect.

By that I mean the further light is from a subject, the dimmer it is. As a result, meaning… when you have a specific amount of light striking your subject matter, and you're using that SAME illumination to light your set, your light is further away from the set than from your subject. For that reason, it will be a little less bright when it gets to your backdrop material.

Wow! That's a tongue twister. In other words...

The reason you are shooting that gray color is because there is more light hitting your subject than is hitting the photography background.

To have your backdrop be a pure, seamless white…merely hit it with MORE illumination than you are using for your model!

Seems obvious when you finally realize it, but this can be a major sticking point for many photographers.

The amount of "over-exposure" you need on the background is dependent on the color of the backdrop material. If it is already white, you could get by with using enough additional light to have an over-exposure of approximately half an f-stop. Possibly even one full f-stop.

If the fabric you are beginning with is gray…that is OK too! Simply hit it with roughly 2 ½ stops (give or take) more brightness than you are using for the subject matter.

Here is one that may blow a few minds…what if your photography background substance is really a pure black piece of material - or black roll of paper?

It doesn't make any difference! Zap it with 5, 6 or possibly even 7 extra stops worth of light (more than you might be using on the primary subject) and you'll again have a nice spotless white set.

This is a LOT of illumination and I wouldn't advocate starting out with a black backdrop. If you start off closer to white initially, it is a lot simplier and easier. But, try it! It's a fun experiment and can teach you quite a bit regarding light!

The point being - by way of sufficient light, you can get a pleasant white photography background no matter what type or color substance you begin with.

About the Author

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A History of Rock and Roll Music

The immediate origins of rock and roll lie in the late 1940s and early 1950s through a mixing of the genres of blues, country, R&B, folk and gospel music. Alan Freed, a disc jockey based in Cleveland, Ohio is generally credited with first using the phrase rock and roll in 1951, though the phrase was in constant use at time in lyrics of R&B songs of the time. The phrase rocking and rolling has its origins in slang for dancing or having sex. Many early rock and roll hits were re-writes of earlier R&B or blues songs. Black music was still taboo on radio stations, so producers and artists began making white versions of black music. In 1955, Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock became the first rock and roll song to top the charts. The song became one of the biggest hits in history, and hordes of teenagers began flocking to hear Haley and his band The Comets. Blues would continue to inspire rock for decades with great acts like Cream, The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin drawing their inspiration from musicians like Robert Johnson and Skip James. Rock and Roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes and language. It also appeared at a time when racial tensions were coming to a head in the United States, the music contributed to the civil rights movement as both black and white teenagers followed the music. It was a fresh sound which spawned fresh ideas and approaches which paved the way for the swinging sixties.

About the Author

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net http://www.visitscotlandtours.com