a client wants a wrapping paper back drop for a holiday photobooth. I cant get rid of the hot spots, ive got the least shiny paper I can find. Im using white umbrellas with 2 lights just making a basic wall of light. Any ideas.
Chas is right, those hot spots mean that the lights are too close to the camera. Imagine if that background were a mirror. The lights are directly in front of the mirror now, and therefore in your shot, so you have to move them at least far enough away from the camera that you can't see them through your lens.
Part of the problem is the angle of background and lights and the fact the foreground subject is so close to it. The light is bouncing straight back into the camera.
Try moving the subject further away and either angle the background or light it with a separate light from 45° to the side.
You can also minimize it somewhat in PP using a multiply adjustment layer...
The main problem is that you are too close to the background for this to work with two lights.
If you have to be that close and only have two lights, then I think your easiest solution would be to take two shots and merge them in Photoshop (or whatever PP software you use).
One shot of the subject, with the lights the way they are now. Then without moving camera position, the second shot without the subject with the lights set up as you would for art repro: both lights the same distance from the BG at equal power and same reflectors, at about 45° to the BG, the left light feathered so that it is directed to the right edge of the frame, the right light aimed at the left edge of the frame.
Mike Yamin wrote:
... Imagine if that background were a mirror. The lights are directly in front of the mirror now, and therefore in your shot, so you have to move them at least far enough away from the camera that you can't see them through your lens.
^ This. ^
A great way to visualize the problem and the solution.
Appreciate all the input, I didn’t get a chance to work on it last night but ill see what I can do tonight. The issues with PP work is that I get around 1000 pictures an event and it will take forever to PS them all, I also have limited space so im not sure how far I will be able to get the lights away from the camera
ryancr wrote:
...im not sure how far I will be able to get the lights away from the camera
Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Moving them to the side and higher will increase the incidence. You can also use crossed lighting, with the light on the left pointed at the right side of the BG, and the light on the right pointed at the left side of the BG.
If you can't get the subject farther from the b/g, AND you can't get the lights any farther from the camera, you need a larger place to shoot. Or you're going to get exactly what you have.
One more thing I thought of is if you really have no room to get the lights up high and/or away from the camera, it might help to mount the background so it isn't completely vertical. If you can rig it so the top of the background leans away from the camera, the hot spots might go away. Then again, this would slightly alter the camera's perspective of the background, so you'd have to test it to see if it looks weird.
If you can't do that or don't have enough room to do any of the other things suggested, I think a CPL would help as gpop said.
