White backrounds for inventory photos

Im trying to make a photographic inventory of my locomotives. I am trying to do it with a completely white background. Ive tried paper, walls, white boxes, but nothing has the right effect, there is always creases or shadows showing. (This is with digital camera & flash.) Anyone have ideas of how to get a solid white backdrop?

Without seeing an example, I'm guessing, but it seems you have the model fairly close to the white background. Try placing the model on a stand several feet away from the background.

I also would not use a flash. Since this will tend to result in slower shutter times, camera motion will become an issue. So, use a tripod, or just place the camera somewhere solid. Flash tends to produce washed out photos with very sharp shadows.

flash isnt really an option in my house, the shadow is usually masked by the engine itself. Also, i have no stand, im trying to get an arial shot.

Nov. 1994 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine has an article on page 84 showing how to set up a stand for photographing models using indirect lighting. If the issue is unavailable to you, it goes something like this: Take a sheet of poster board (the kind used for advertisements in commuter coaches),,and cut a hole in the middle to allow the camera's lens to poke through. T he back (white) side of the sheet should face the model you are photographing. Place clamp-on lamps on both sides of the model with the reflectors aimed at the sheet, this will diffuse the light so it will not produce any shadows. Another sheet can be placed behind the subject, or just place it close to a white wall.

Crail,
I have tremendous success using a light blue sheet of poster board when taking inventory and/or roster style shots of my locos.
I believe a white background will be way too stark / bright of a background and cause problems with attaining a proper exposure.
Look at simialr photos in the model RR mags and you will see that very few use an all white background.
Using a sheet of poster board allows you to tape an edge down to a table top and allow the back half of it to roll up against the back wall where you can also tape it in place to hold it. The result is no sharp corners in your photo of the poster board background because of the gentle radius as the poster board transitions from horizontal to vertical.
Paul Mac
Modeling the SP in Ohio

Thanks everyone,

I ended up just laying printer paper down on my computer desk (no computer in it) and used my wall (white) as the background. I took the shot close to level to avoid creases or visible overlaps in the paper. It came out pretty good, but i'll try some of your ideas in the future to see if i can improve upon what I have now!