The Easy Way to a Pure White Background

Getting a solid white background (ideal for shooting kids or fashion) can be challenging, because you’ll usually need two lights to light it evenly, and you have to worry about balancing the light so there’s not a “hot spot,” where one side looks brighter. That’s why I switched to using Lastolite’s HiLite Illuminated Background. Now I have perfect, solid white backgrounds every time (even on location). The HiLite is collapsible, and when you pop it up, you just put a single flash head inside, on either side (or both), and aim it toward the back wall. Then, lower the power of your flash to around ¼-power. Now when you fire your strobe, the light hits the back of the HiLite and evenly spreads out for perfect coverage. There are slots for lights on both sides, but I’ve used it with one strobe, and it works perfectly—just remember to keep a reflector on the front of your strobe, so it doesn’t get too hot. Plus, you can take it on location easily, because it folds up like a large reflector. It takes about three minutes to set up, and is lightweight enough to hold in one hand. To see the final image from this shoot, go to www.kelbytraining.com/books/digphotogv3.