The white background

Ever wonder how they do a really washed out background? Like those shots you see in magazines and product shots?

The secret to that is using a white seamless background...and lights!

Usually, photographers point a light into the white background to overexpose it. If you want a more even light on the sides, you can use one light per side. Point them at a 45 degree angle into the background. Be careful though because you don't want to use a lot more light than you need to, if you do, light will bounce off the background and into your lens, which will result in washed out colors. Also pull your subject away from the background as far as you can to avoid the background light from bouncing to your subject.