!Photo Help Needed! - Transparent background shooting... or whatever!

[Aggie]

Not sure of the term as it applies to photos, but I'm looking to 'greenscreen' photos of an object so that I can make the background transparent.

_{Unfortunately, I don't have much for photo editing software at the moment, but perhaps I can dig up something free.  Or possibly pay a Toadfish art pro for final prep.}

Said object is a steak, and I'd like to get it on a blank white background, no shadows or the like. 

Any recommendations for setup, lighting, backgrounds, technique?

[Griffin NoName]

I wouldn't like to be in the shadow of a steak - sounds dangerous.

Otherwise, clueless.

[pieces o nine]

I can set up file(s) for you, saved in the format(s) of your choice(s).

PM me with details and I'll give you a proxy addy to send me the art. (I'd use my Photobucket account, but I removed residual IE files from my pc and can no longer upload anything there).

[Aggie]

Well, it's hypothetical at this particular point in time (need to talk to a metalsmith about a custom steak brand first), but it'll be for a proper logo eventually. 

If you're willing to help, I don't mind paying a bit for the work, or barter for an Amazon book order, or whatever else might suit your fancy.   Probably won't be for a few months anyways, but I figured I might start messing around with the photography in the mean time.

[Darlica]

My 2 cents

There is a reason greenscreening is called just that, if you wish to cut out the background of an object more easily you put it against a background that has no colours in common with the object as that means you can use a computer program to knock out certain colours out of the picture without affecting the object. White is almost omnipresent (if not anywhere else in highlights) which make it a bad knock out colour.

Using this technique on an amateur level can how ever be tricky, and the problem is light and reflections.
There is hardly no material that doesn't reflect light to some degree, and to get the shadowless effect you are after you need multiple light sources or bouncers (white semi glossy cardboard is actually a acceptable bouncer so it isn't necessary expensive), a coloured backdrop usually means that light will bounce and give a coloured reflection which may make the object look odd.

So while white might not be the easiest colour to knock out it's by far the easiest backdrop for lightning, and, since the background will be removed by (for example) Po'9 using a computer program and not a program editing +25 frames a sec automatically it won't be much of a problem.



What I would do to get that floating shadowless effect is using a "whitebox".
A "whitebox is a cube with 2 sides and the roof removed and that has a white semi glossy inside that will bounce the light around the object.
The box shouldn't be too big (as the light won't bounce so well), but big enough to fit the object and leave some space around it. Try to make precisely the size you need to fit the whole camera angle in, not leaving a corner of the surrounding in the picture as that might mess with the cameras light perception and white-balance. 

Depending on the camera and the size of the steak I think somewhere between 50x50cm to 70x70cm sides would be sufficient. As light sources use 3 ordinary lamps 60W to 100W, with the same  kind of bulb in all of them (important for light temperature and lack of shadows) one for each direction the box is open to. For exact position experiment!
You might need to diffuse the light, white baking paper would do that for you, just don't leave on the lamp for too long as it might get hot and catch fire...



     Have fun!

I'll make a sketch to explain things further if needed, just tell me if that's the case.

[Aggie]

I think I get the picture, thanks D.

One assisting factor in the whole process is that I intend to grill a charred black border into said steak (with the abovementioned custom geographically-shaped steak branding iron) so there'll be some room for manual background removal if necessary.  It may, in fact, be desirable to put a solid black border over the outside of the grilled border.  I's no expert, though.

[pieces o nine]

Once you get a good shot, a psd (unflattened) photoshop file can be saved with *no* background. Your compositor can apply the 'brand' to other file(s) as needed.

Darlica has some good points on light (and color) reflections. A judicious application of photoshop filters will aid the illusion of a brand burned into another object. There are several graphic artists here (although Bart seems to be mired in a pyrate quiz at TOP at the mo) so keep picking brains and we'll get you the results you want.

[Aggie]

Thank'ee!

I won't get around to the actual photo work for a while, but my curious brain tends to jump ahead with the questions.

[Darlica]

Behold the wonders of the digital world!
You just need the steak, and Po'9 can burn it from a distance!



_{*sorry couldn't resist that one*}

[pieces o nine]