backdrops

monkeysnapper

Basically im setting up a home studio and want to buy some paper backdrops, but now and again i might have to go on the road, the paper will be a bit heavy on the stands becausei want a white and black backdrops, i was thinking of buying some materiel to make some backdrops, does anyone have any advice on this? ive looked at buying ready made backdrops but there crazy expensive, also online with postage is very expensive.
i was thinking of buying velvet but thats looking to be more expensive,

pixbyjohn

Go into any Hickey fabric shop and have a look at their materials. For about 40 euro you should be able to buy a very large piece of material suitable for a backdrop and floor cover. Other place but more limited is Ikea.

hoganpoly

OP as a matter of interest what size studio are you thinking of using ,thanks...

Borderfox

This is what I use when I am on the road, it works really well. Not the cheapest but from a large space to areas that a really tight it just works.

Ballyman

It is difficult to light fabrics properly and to ensure that the creases don't show so I think you would be better off with something like Keith is using above. I use one as well and it's great.

It's simple to use and it is proper "white" and no creases can show up when used with lights and the reverse is Black. You can also buy covers for it in various colours including a green screen and you can put it up and down in seconds.

As it happens there is one for sale over on Adverts that I think the owner would be willing to part with if the right offer came along!!

BTW Keith, thanks for the referral

monkeysnapper

Ballyman wrote: »

It is difficult to light fabrics properly and to ensure that the creases don't show so I think you would be better off with something like Keith is using above. I use one as well and it's great.

It's simple to use and it is proper "white" and no creases can show up when used with lights and the reverse is Black. You can also buy covers for it in various colours including a green screen and you can put it up and down in seconds.

As it happens there is one for sale over on Adverts that I think the owner would be willing to part with if the right offer came along!!

BTW Keith, thanks for the referral

thanks for that !!!! ill have a look

monkeysnapper

hoganpoly wrote: »

OP as a matter of interest what size studio are you thinking of using ,thanks...

well its a living room size that i have access to , but if i go on the road it will be more peoples houses i suppose, i was thinking more in the lines of family portraits, the stuff the other guys are showing me might be a bit small for me

monkeysnapper

monkeysnapper wrote: »

well its a living room size that i have access to , but if i go on the road it will be more peoples houses i suppose, i was thinking more in the lines of family portraits, the stuff the other guys are showing me might be a bit small for me

I don't think you'd have much difficulty doing a family portrait with a 7 foot wide backdrop, to be honest.

7 foot wide should fit three adults side-by-side (tightly squeezed in, but you'd be squeezing them in close, anyway). Most family portraits will be, what.. at most 6 people? maybe 7? Unlikely they'll all be adults and kids will take up feck all room as you can just stick them on the floor in front, or on someone's lap.

I'd imagine you'd easily shoot 5 adults (two seated and three standing, or vice versa) with a 7 foot wide backdrop?

Ballyman

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think you'd have much difficulty doing a family portrait with a 7 foot wide backdrop, to be honest.

I'd imagine you'd easily shoot 5 adults (two seated and three standing, or vice versa) with a 7 foot wide backdrop?

Its a lot more difficult than you might think!!

If you are using a 7 foot HiLite then it makes it so much easier as you can stand the family about a foot or two from the background as it's lit from the inside and eliminates shadows.

However using a fabric background you need to have the family at least 8 feet from the background to eliminate shadows on the fabric from the lights used. If you are lighting the background then you also will need at least 8 feet to reduce spill.

Now when your subject is 8 feet from the background the background starts to look very very small. It will look even smaller using a wide angle lens so unless you are using a 70-200 or some other kind of long lens to compress the subject into the background you are going to have a lot of difficulty.

Best of luck using a 70-200 in someone's house I'm not saying it's impossible but it is very very difficult to have everything lit properly in such a small space.

Ballyman

Ballyman wrote: »

Its a lot more difficult than you might think!!

If you are using a 7 foot HiLite then it makes it so much easier as you can stand the family about a foot or two from the background as it's lit from the inside and eliminates shadows.

However using a fabric background you need to have the family at least 8 feet from the background to eliminate shadows on the fabric from the lights used. If you are lighting the background then you also will need at least 8 feet to reduce spill.

Now when your subject is 8 feet from the background the background starts to look very very small. It will look even smaller using a wide angle lens so unless you are using a 70-200 or some other kind of long lens to compress the subject into the background you are going to have a lot of difficulty.

Best of luck using a 70-200 in someone's house I'm not saying it's impossible but it is very very difficult to have everything lit properly in such a small space.

Well the post I was quoting, I think he was saying he reckons that the Hilite, being 7 foot, would be too small. My post was based with the Hilite in mind.

I've never used a traditional backdrop before, to be honest, but if you need to have people 8 foot from the backdrop to evenly light it then;

1. You could manipulate the backdrop lighting better, surely? Wouldn't a barn door on one side of your lights mean you could put the people about two/three feet from the backdrop?

2. It wouldn't be usable. The person would need to have a huge house to be able to stand 8 foot in front of a backdrop, and allow about the same again for a photographer to take the photo?


Maybe I read your post wrongly?

Ballyman

Deleted User wrote: »

Well the post I was quoting, I think he was saying he reckons that the Hilite, being 7 foot, would be too small. My post was based with the Hilite in mind.

I've never used a traditional backdrop before, to be honest

Maybe I read your post wrongly?

No, you didn't read it wrong. Have a go at it yourself with a few barn doors and let me know how you get on.

Ballyman

Ballyman wrote: »

No, you didn't read it wrong. Have a go at it yourself with a few barn doors and let me know how you get on.

I just said I don't use traditional backdrops.

I know plenty of video people that do though, and never have issues (and are usually relatively close to the backdrop). 8 foot just seems a bit much, to me. I can think of no normal house that setup would be usable in.

hoganpoly

Good video here on the benifits of the Hi- lite in confined spaces..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW2oG-KiOxA

Ballyman

Deleted User wrote: »

I just said I don't use traditional backdrops.

8 foot just seems a bit much, to me.

You're probably right but as you've never used a backdrop then maybe you might be a teensy weensy bit wrong??

Have a read of this though, it might help you over the line in believing.

Deleted User wrote: »

I can think of no normal house that setup would be usable in.

Correct.
It can be done obviously but it will take a lot of time and effort as well as a LOT of photoshopping afterwards. And thats just for one pic. Try doing it for lots and let me tell you that ballache kicks in extremely quickly.

Moral of the story is Get A HiLite

Ballyman

Ballyman wrote: »

You're probably right but as you've never used a backdrop then maybe you might be a teensy weensy bit wrong??

Have a read of this though, it might help you over the line in believing.



Correct.
It can be done obviously but it will take a lot of time and effort as well as a LOT of photoshopping afterwards. And thats just for one pic. Try doing it for lots and let me tell you that ballache kicks in extremely quickly.

Moral of the story is Get A HiLite

Well I wasn't trying to state factual information, but more trying to perhaps figure out why it is that you can't just use a barn door.

I don't think I'll ever be in a situation where I'll need a traditional backdrop myself anyway, to be honest.


Wasn't that same HiLite advert listed before?