White background product photos.

[Lifequest]

I have absolutely no idea how to use the Canon T2i, I'm still reading the manual as to what each mode does and what the differences are.

I have a 40cm x 40 x 40 white cube to take product photos in with two 50W "day" globes.

I can't for the life of me, get a perfect white background.
I believe the EV is to blame, the camera most likely under exposes due to the amount of whites. How do I set this EV?

Does anyone know how to, step by step instructions on a Canon T2i?
The manual doesn't have it anywhere!

Would really appreciate ANY help or comments.

 

[ComputersaysNo]

Put the Camera on M (Manual), Iso as low as possible (100?) and the aperture arround F5.6. Start experimenting with the shutterspeed until you get a nice Histogram. You might want to achieve something like this:

Also, put your whitebalance on Manual (the same setting as your lights for example 6000K)

Info on Histogramhttp://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

 

[Cliff3]

I can't for the life of me, get a perfect white background.
I believe the EV is to blame, the camera most likely under exposes due to the amount of whites. How do I set this EV?

Camera meters see the world as 18% gray. Photos that are predominantly white are indeed underexposed just as predominantly dark photos are overexposed. 18% gray is the vision of perfection if you're a camera meter.

The magic words in your camera manual should be exposure compensation. Adjust it upwards to correct for underexposure and downwards for the opposite.

I would also be inclined to buy a gray card and include it in the scene to take a reference shot. You can then use it to set the white balance in subsequent shots. I use a pocket card from this company: http://mtapesdesign.com/whibal/

 

[MattSepeta]

fwiw, there is roughly 0% chance you are going to get a "perfectly white background with one of those white cube things and hot lights. You are going to have your whitebalance all over the place from the environmental light and the crappy "day globe" lights.

to get it right you will need a seamless background and a bigger "cube thing" (I made mine DIY with a cardboard box and white printer paper for diffusion panels) with a few speedlights.

I tried one of those kits once, waste of time and effort. You can build your own "light cube" for free, get a few vivitar 285HV's and cactus triggers and take acceptable product photos for under $175.

Or you could just use your existing set up and pen tool a path around the subject and knock the background out in post.

FANTASTIC blog post showing what just one speedlight and a cardboard box can accomplish.

 

[mtbdudex]

Post images of what you took, you should be able to adj in post using curves and the white or grey eyedropper.

2 days ago I took these for my sister inlaw, she does online selling for parties/etc.
She did not have her white product box set-up, so I just used a bolt of fabric she had lying around as drop + speedlight 580.

#1, this pattern kinda distracting

#2, this works

 

[Lifequest]

Many thanks!!

I will try each suggestion one by one to see if they work.

Going at this slowly.

Have a fantastic NEW YEAR! Will post back shortly.