The title of this tutorial is “White On White: Terror On the Set” because shooting a white subject on a white background is often enough to strike terror into the heart of a studio photographer! Because reflected light meter readings can be tricked by white on white subjects this tutorial starts off with an explanation of the differences between reflected light and incident light readings.
The section ends with two diagrams that illustrate the difference between reflective and incident light readings. Moving on to shooting a single white subject on a white background, the tutorial illustrates the pitfalls involved with using on axis lighting, explaining how shadows can be used to define the shape of the subject, and shows the importance of making sure the pure white part of the entire image is carefully assigned to the primary subject. Finally, the tutorial ends with a diagram drawn in front of the camera that recreates what changes were made to the lighting design that led up to the finished image.