How to make my white background whiter??

[tim19889]

Hey guys, I've been taking some stock photos and what I did was got a cardboard box, two lamps, and I laid a clear white towel inside the cardboard box. I've been taking pictures of different objects in this little "studio" in the RAW file format (using digital rebel xt), and I need to know how to whiten these photos with GIMP and the UFraw plugin so that it looks like an absolutely clear white background. I read a tutorial on how to do this using photoshop (which I don't have), but not GIMP. Anyone know how to do this?

Here is the tutorial for photoshop. 10 Steps To Taking Your Own Simple Stock Photos | Webdesigner Depot

I also want to be able to adjust the tone and contrast for these raw photos. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[prabbit237]

Originally Posted by tim19889

I need to know how to whiten these photos with GIMP and the UFraw plugin so that it looks like an absolutely clear white background. I read a tutorial on how to do this using photoshop (which I don't have), but not GIMP. Anyone know how to do this?

Whiten it without either.

First, cut large holes in the sides of the box (where there's maybe 1" edge left) and get some white (or colored, for various effects) tissue paper and glue over the holes and shine the lights in through those. That helps soften the lights themselves. For the background, get a roll of some sort of wrapping paper that's fairly thick (some of the metallic ones are good for that and not expensive) and cut a piece that is, in length, about twice the size of the box and narrow enough to fit inside. Tape it to the upper-inside edge and let it hang down and forward with the white side up. Kinda like this picture (my drawing skills SUCK but hopefully ya get the idea.)

With the lighting arranged right and proper adjustment with the exposure, the paper will make a very nice "seamless background." You also may need to move the object a little closer to the back of the box than I have in the illustration (otherwise the lights come too much in from the sides.)

[statichash]

The first thing I'd change with your set up would be to use a seamless white paper instead of a towel as the background. The towel has texture that will almost always always be seen.

I'm not sure about the software that you're using, as I use Photoshop, but I think changing the background will help dramatically.

Attached is a sample shot I took (granted I have some shadows in mine) but with the right light setup, I think you can achieve what you're looking for with the white paper.

[prabbit237]

Actually, I should have looked at that link first In there, it shows a light box very much like what I was talking about. Something like that will give ya a better white background than a towel would (notice how they had some of the towel still showing in the picture of the lock and key? They probably just erased the rest instead of turning it "pure white.")

[tim19889]

Great suggestions everyone! Thank you! I'm going to get some old wrapping paper and stick that in the box as you suggest. Kind of annoyed though all the pictures I just took were with the towel and now useless as you can see the towel fibers in all of them but oh well...