Use this Amazing Fstoppers Tutorial to Fix a White Background

Shooting a perfectly white background can be tricky if you don’t have a full lighting setup or proper studio space. However, one of the most important skills you can have as a photographer is working with the available equipment you do have for optimal results.

On this photo shoot, I was shooting in the corner of small NYC apartment, with only one available window and one available strobe light - an Elinchrom D-Lite 4. I placed a white umbrella on the strobe to soften the light on my model’s face, and also used a white circular reflector to further light the model’s eyes under the shadow of her hat.

Since I didn’t have extra lights to light the white walls in order to keep them an even, bright white background, I used this amazing tutorial found on the FStoppers website. It was easy to follow, and worked like a charm. (Specifically, skip to the part of the tutorial called “Best and Quickest Method.”)

In the “Before” shot, you can see that the white background is uneven, and includes dark shadows on the edge. However, after following the steps in the tutorial, the white background was easily corrected.

Here is my lighting setup:

lighting diagram

Natural Light Portraits

Shooting in harsh afternoon sunlight can be tricky, but having a few tools like a 5 in 1 collapsible reflector and diffuser can make a huge difference!

High Key Lighting

For these portraits, I lit the background with two lights and used V flats to bounce the light directly on the seamless in order to keep the background white. I then used a medium soft box as the key light on my subject, and filled it with a beauty dish.

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Environmental Portraits

Creating Two Different Moods with Same Subject Using Lighting

I used a snoot and gel to create a moody portrait vs a large umbrella with a silk to create a soft, easy mood.

Using Music to Inspire Mood in Your Photos

“She turns me on like a firecracker in the summer sun…”

This song reminds me of the days when you have a summer crush and you create a version of them in your own fantasies that may or may not correlate to real life.

I had an assistant wave a piece of cardboard off set to create wind in my subject’s hair, and used a blue gel to create a dreamy feel - like a summer fantasy.

Lighting to Create Different Moods

In the first group of photos, I used a beauty dish to create an open, soft light to create a portrait in which I wanted my subject to come across as confident and self-assured.

In the second group of portraits, I used a honeycomb grid to create a harder focused light for a feeling of vulnerability.

Portrait Photography I Like

The first photo is by Sam Kweskin, a photographer whom I discovered on Instagram. I love his creative use of multiple exposure in this portrait, and the symmetry of the composition. He often does dark background portraits that are really beautiful. You can feel the movement in this photo, which is so perfect for an athlete portrait.

The second photo is one of my all time favorite photos and one that most people will recognize. This picture of a migrant mother during the Great Depression is by Dorothea Lange, and was one of the first photos that sparked my interest in photojournalism. As much as you can feel the suffering in this photo, it is presented with a compassion that leaves the subject’s dignity intact. The photo is unwavering in pulling in the viewer to the suffering felt by this family.

The third photo is by Meeri Koutaniemi. I love the rich tones and colors of this portrait. There is a peacefulness and stillness, even though the subject’s past was a very difficult one. “Paschalia, 16, lays in her room in the Tanzanian shelter of Jipe Moyo. The shelter is maintained by nuns. When Paschalia’s mother died, her father wanted Paschalia to get married and get circumcised. Paschalia escaped and was saved from genital mutilation and child marriage. © Meeri Koutaniemi. Juror’s Pick, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2018.”

Self-Portrait

I am the youngest of six kids, and my mother is currently suffering from Alzheimer’s. I am recently married and trying to figure out balancing married life while simultaneously caring for my mother during her quickly progressing disease. I am currently trying to start a family of my own, which makes me reflect a lot about my own relationship with my parents, and what kind of relationship I will have with my own child. It’s been very difficult watching my mother’s disease progress so quickly, while my own life continues to change in major ways. My parents are devout Catholics, and I have chosen to convert to Judaism, as my husband and I have decided we would like to raise our future children in the Jewish tradition. I’m thankful that my mom was mentally present enough to remember being at my wedding, but one of my biggest fears is that she will start to forget who I am, and ultimately be too far along in the disease when I eventually have my first child.