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You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Visual Arts > Digital Photography > e commerce
Expert: Jim Delillo
Date: 5/11/2008
Subject: e commerce
Question
We are starting an ecommerce site and need photos uploaded. We are taking photos with a fairly expensive digital camera. We are taking photos of small items that we placeon white paper. The items are small scrapbooking items. When we shoot and open with Photoshop, the white paper looks dark (sometimes pinkish, etc.). Also, when we shoot white items and try to fill the discolored backgroung, it fills the white item which we don't want to happen. Any suggestions?
Answer
The camera's meter is trying to render an average of 18% grey. So when it sees a mostly white background it will drive it towards grey, and if the subject is primarily one color it will drive it to its complement. So a greenish object will shift the background towards red.
Since you are using a sophisticated camera you can try a +1 or +2 exposure adjustment, which will definitely lighten up the background, this is also the technique used when shooting on the beach or snow. So if your camera has a 'beach' or 'snow' automatic setting you could try that too.
But even under the most ideal situations you will not get a perfectly white background; shadows, textures, etc.
Another technique would be to light the background separately, and if it is 4 stops brighter it will become pure white. But if the object is resting on the background that may not be feasible.
So...what to do?
If the object can be elevated off the background -tied to a string, placed on a small wire, (clone these out in PhotoShop) or on a piece of glass (oops watch reflections) you can achieve something close.
Opal glass lit from underneath is even better.
But let's figure you still have some clean-up to do. You can mask the background using a photo editing software like PhotoShop and a utility like FluidMask or Knockout. The exact methods are a little much to get into. Photoshop also has 'Extract' or 'Magic Wand' which can get you close.
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