# Setting white background



## annie44 (May 4, 2009)

Is there an easy way to take a picture of a bottle and change the background around the bottle to white?  I thought this might be an alternative to using a lightbox - if I can get a good photo of a bottle and then just convert the entire background of the photo to white.
 I have Adobe Photoshop, and I think this has to do with using the Layers component but I can't figure it out.  Plus, I am inpatient around trying to figure things like this out, but I know that my website will be much better if I can take better pictures!


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## Wilkie (May 4, 2009)

Another easy alternative is to just buy a piece of white poster board to use for your background.  You can make a simple light box using a cardboard box.  It doesn't have to look pretty to work good.  

 I've tried editing pictures like you mentioned but the problem I found is that the color behind the bottle still shows through the bottle.  I'm not sure how you'd get around that.


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## cc6pack (May 4, 2009)

Tim

  Is correct use a white back ground, if you still are not happy with the pic try to lighten or darken the pic or use the contrast feature again to lighten or darken the back ground. Croping can also cut out alot of the background and you focus  on the object. The Coke can was cropped and I used the contrast feature to lighten the back ground. Keep practicing and it will get easier.


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## annie44 (May 4, 2009)

Thanks for the replies......I welcome any tips I can get.  I figured the Adobe Photoshop had a lot of features that I haven't taken the time to learn, but maybe I am better off to just try the white poster board and make myself a light box......I had purchased one awhile ago, but it has a grayish background that might be good for some items, but it is terrible with bottles.  The two lights that came with it are good though, so I can use them with whatever I make with the poster board.


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## annie44 (May 4, 2009)

I had no idea Photoshop was an expensive program - it came with my computer.     I am able to crop my photos, rotate them,  and resize them.......but I guess I better make the effort to figure out some of the many other features!  All I want is to be able to take a good picture of my bottles!!!


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## RedGinger (May 4, 2009)

I had no idea either.  Wow!  I should look and see if mine has one that I'm unaware of!


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## GuntherHess (May 4, 2009)

You can use photo shop elements. costs a lot less and does most of what you need.


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## GuntherHess (May 4, 2009)

I mostly use the free arcsoft photoimpression that came with my camera just because it is fast.
 Only thing it doesnt do that I need photoshop for is straighten crooked images.


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## Wilkie (May 4, 2009)

there is also a good one called gimp that is free to download and it has many of the features that high cost programs have.  
http://www.gimp.org/


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## RICKJJ59W (May 4, 2009)

Yeah photo shop is a wonderful thing 

  The new photo shop is $ 1.500 (up to date) I still have 7.0 that was 800 many years ago, but it does the job for me.


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## annie44 (May 4, 2009)

Mine is Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0  - I'm pretty sure it will have everything I need once I get familiar with it.....


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## RICKJJ59W (May 4, 2009)

Yeah I remember a guy was selling burnt copy's of P.S on Ebay a  while back.I pretty sure he got nabbed.


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## tigue710 (May 19, 2009)

Cindy, its all about the camera.  You need a good macro lens and a time exposer, you use a slightly longer exposer to pick up the bottles color and white out the back ground.  I use a piece of cheese cloth in the window with the bottle in front...  the last pick is without the long exposer...  the first two with an extended exposer... 

 This works for me although I have had complaints about the wrinkles in the cheese cloth.  The idea is to make the bottle the only thing to look at, with anything in the back ground your taking away from the bottle.  The auction houses use professional lighting and lighting screens with a time exposer, thats how they get the perfect white backgrounds, if you want that look you need the expensive equipment.... 

 The photo shop never does a perfect job..., it cuts out shadowing or things on the bottles...


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