White background

[Druid]

Why do my white backgrounds come out a dull grey? I've tried different lighting techniques but nothing seems to solve the problem.

Any advise most welcome....

Regards

[jet_kit]

It's pretty simple really. The meter in your camera is set up to achieve an exposure giving a 50% neutral grey. If you shoot a plain white background on auto the end result will be pretty much the same as if you shoot a black background.
If you want your background to remain white (or close to it) you'll need to spot meter on something which is, tonally, 50% grey.
If you're shooting a model, don't meter the white background or her black hair. Go for a darker skin tone (shadow under the nose for example). Many pro's carry a 50% grey card with them and meter on that.

[cosmicma]

are you lighting the background up ?

you need to light the background as well as the subject to keep the background white