Product photography in a white box

[papamarik]

Hello, I am using Nikon D90 with 18-105mm lens. I also have a white box with 3 lights. I am trying to take a picture of cellular phone products (cases, chargers, etc...) and was wondering if anyone can recommend the best optimal white balance option to be used for this. Nikon D90 offers alot of WB options, I was wondering if anyone is currently using a specific WB option to shoot with highest white background. Of course I am going to edit it on the computer, just wanted to know which WB option is the best. Thank you

[Frog]

I always just use auto white balance and shoot in raw. Its easy to change on the computer and I've never had a problem that way.

Welcome to the forums and let us see what you come up with.

[Don Kondra]

What is the color temp of your lights ?

If you use 5500k lights an auto WB will work just fine with no adjustments necessary.

Cheers, Don

[papamarik]

Yes, they are 5500K bulbs. There are 3 bulbs in each light stand and i have 3 stands, on the right, on the left and on top.

[Don Kondra]

You're set then. Put the camera in aperture mode ~f 8, auto white balance and on a tripod.

The nice thing about continuous light is you can see the effect of shadows/etc. before you take the shot.

Cheers, Don

[papamarik]

Now, please tell me why the color of the case (light pink) is not coming out as an actual color of the physical product? I am using Microsoft Picture Manager --> Enhance Color (auto) which gives me a white background that i need for online page, but also messes with the actual color of the product. Do i have to use photoshop to touch up the picture? Or I should ask, what is the easiest way to touch up the picture by getting a white background?

[mjs1973]

Are you shooting in RAW or JPEG? I'm kind of like Frog, only I don't use Auto WB. I set mine to Sunny and leave it there 99% of the time and adjust my RAW files in post if needed. AW can be fooled and can change the color temp of your image even if the lighting doesn't change. I'm sure AW is getting better at this but it's not fool proof. Again this isn't a big deal if you shoot RAW but I wouldn't risk having the wrong WB if I was shooting JPEG.

Sounds like your lights are already balanced for daylight so I would set the cameras WB to daylight. Either that or I would set a custom WB. Either way you know your WB isn't going to change like it could if you use auto.

[papamarik]

I am using JPEG, should i be using RAW if i need to edit the photo to get to the white background? These are to be used for online store, so a white background is a must. Also, what program do you recommend using (as simple as possible) to edit the shoots and get to the white background.

[SmartWombat]

What kinds of bulb are they?
Ordinary hot incandescent, or cool running fluorescent?

[papamarik]

Bulbs are flicker-free "Photo" fluorescent @5500K, each - 3 per stand.

[christos]

First off are you using a calibrated monitor? Second stay away from Microsoft Picture manager and auto stuff.
Here is what i would do, although you know the color temp of your lights i would still do a custom white balance. Plus what picture mode on your D90 are you shooting in? standard, vivid, neutral.

[mjs1973]

Can you post an example for us to look at?

[SmartWombat]

Fluorescent bulbs may cause problems with some pigments.

Unlike a tungsten bulb, they don't emit white light.
What they use is a mix of phosphorecent chemicals that glow with different colours painted on the inside of the tube. The mix of chemicals allows the manufacturers to pick the apparent colour temperature .

I say apparent because, unlike a hot tungsten filament, the fluorescent lamp output is a mixture of a number of narrow bands of colour (small groups of emission lines).
You may also get a tiny amount of ultraviolet light leaking out, and it's that which can make the colours of some plastics look wrong if the pigment in the plastic is also fluorescent.

It's the same principle that makes clothes "whiter than white" by the use of a blue fluorescing compound.