Trying to master the white background...

[mandyatm]

Is the white "white enough?" Is my face exposed correctly? Is there too much spillover on the chair? I am trying to get used to my new lights. I have one bare light on the background, I must say that it wasn't completely blown out on the sides so I fixed that in post. I have a couple of really great articles someone posted on here about white backgrounds that are making me second-guess my whole set-up. Thanks for any feedback!

44mm
f/11
1/125sec
ISO 100

[zona5101]

It's very nice work. I don't see a lot of flare or spill coming from the back. Maybe a tiny bit in the hair line...but at least in the resolution posted I don't see a lot of problem with the background contaminating the image.

[nomeradona]

very nice white light behind. i think this is excellent.

[Benji]

Her face is underexposed by about 2/3rds of a stop, which is not a huge amount, but it keeps the wow factor down. Skin really pops with an "R" reading in Info in Photoshop on the brightest diffused highlight (in this case her forehead) of between 236 and 240. The reading I got was 216. My tests have shown that one stop equals about 32 so if you added 2/3rds of 32 (22) to the 216 reading you would have 238.

The background lighting was handled VERY well, but if you boost the main light to get the 240 reading mentioned above it will at the same time appear to decrease the power on the background so you will also need to boost the power on the background by about one stop otherwise it will turn slightly grey.

The lighting on her face is EXCELLENT and her hair is very well positioned. Her expression is wonderful also. I would have tugged on her sweater a little to get rid of some of those folds and wrinkles. Her left arm is straight, and straight is usually boring. I would have bent it and included it in the image also as I find just one arm in an image makes it look like she doesn't have another arm. A mid telephoto lens will lessen the impact of her right hand being closer to the camera and prevent it from looking so large.

Benji

[mandyatm]

Thanks everyone! I will try what you suggested Benji. One of the articles I am reading is yours. Also, this was a self portrait, so I couldn't see the wrinkles in my sweater and my left arm is down because I was holding the remote out of frame.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by mandyatm

Thanks everyone! I will try what you suggested Benji. One of the articles I am reading is yours. Also, this was a self portrait, so I couldn't see the wrinkles in my sweater and my left arm is down because I was holding the remote out of frame.

Oh! So now everyone can see what a lovely lady Mandy is!!!

Benji