Oh and, backdrops?

sineadw

Does anyone have any suggestions for what to use as backdrops for portrait shots? Plain black and white.. I've been playing around with a few things but have ended up either with too much light reflection or too much texture/creases. Do people buy custom made ones? Or is there a blue peter version?

I don't use heavy lights - just natural when available and a 550 ex when not.

cooligPhoto

I use custom backdrops that I bought on eBay. I've a 3 metre wide stand and one black and one white backdrop that are about 2.5m wide each by approx 5m long.

I only generally use the white one. I went to a carpet shop and got two empty carpet rolls (which they were happy to donate) and the backdrops are kept rolled on there to prevent creases.

On top of the white one, I can also put "tissue" type red, purple, blue, grey, or pink backdrops to give different effects.

If you use as wide an aperture as possible, you won't need to worry about creases as you'll push the backdrop out of focus.

I've been asked to do a family portrait so I'm going to buy another white one that I can keep folded and put one of the "tissue" backdrops on top of it.

Have a look at some of the results I've got from my part time studio (in my dining room). I have an Interfit 150ex kit so not too powerful either. Some of these photos are using a gold umbrella on the main strobe to give a "suntan" effect. Some have had this removed using Photoshop.

They're at www.flickr.com/photos/cooligPhoto if you want to see.

ttcomet

I remeber reading on one of the main photo sites that the best bang for your buck was to buy a white background and then use different colour gels on the lights/flash as it saves you a load of cash.

mikeanywhere

How about one of these Sinead

CabanSail

ttcomet wrote: »

I remeber reading on one of the main photo sites that the best bang for your buck was to buy a white background and then use different colour gels on the lights/flash as it saves you a load of cash.

You can shoot it either High or Low Key & then change it to whatever you want in PP. Means that you are not locked in.

Fenster

If you want to be cheap shoot the subject outside in a shadow, spot meter on their eyes and shoot up a stop.

EDIT: That seems to be just what Mike did.

ThOnda

The most interesting portraits include the environment typical or loved by the person. Backdrops are nice to "clean" the image, however I prefer portraits in(cluding) environment.
Example here and here more inspiration on VII Photo page

sineadw

I agree Thonda. I'm trying to hone this particular skill a bit though and people seem to like the plain backdrops. And it'd be nice to have the option

Thanks all for the feedback. I had a look on ebay and they're (relatively) inexpensive by the looks of it. Well, without the stand at least. I was afraid to look at the price of those. Tomorrow

Does anyone know the main difference though between the commercial backdrops and say going into hickeys and buying some heavy cotton muslin? Is there a difference in treatment?

ThOnda

There are two main differences. For the first, it is very hard to find a shop with a little wider piece of cloth. 1.5 meters is maximum. And even if you are very skilled with the needle, the seam is very visible and therefore distracting. Some older theater curtain would be the best...
The second difference is material and it's reflection. The better (photographic) companies use cloths that are not shiny - don't produce reflections (especially from flash units).

sineadw

Ah ok Jesus I'm atrocious with a needle and thread!

ThOnda

And they call me a thread killer!

Now I can say:"It wasn't me, it was Sinead!" :-)