Questions about backdrop materials
Oct 4, 2011 08:51:49 #
I bought my first backdrop ($100) from the company that sells the new Vintage look backdrops. Its red and I love it, wish they made a blue one! On the cheaper end but still expensive! Now I need more colors. I need a black and a white. I saw a article on web about how you can use a white background and depending upon how far from the camera and lights it will actually look white and eventually black. Has anybody had any luck making their own backdrops out of store bought fabrics? I've been to JoAnn Fabrics here in Ohio and it seems like some fabrics would absorb light and some would reflect. What about sheets or printed blankets? Does it matter?
I know.. lots of questions but I'm Just looking for some input on the subject!
I know.. lots of questions but I'm Just looking for some input on the subject!
Oct 4, 2011 09:18:21 #
Big Daddy wrote:
I bought my first backdrop ($100) from the company... (show quote)
Kelby TV, an online training business, has a show called "Cheap Shots" with host Larry Becker. He gives great advice on using ordinary materials for photographic use. One of those episodes involved making inexpensive reversible backdrops in black & white. http://www.kelbytv.com.
Oct 4, 2011 09:23:08 #
I bought an inexpensive piece of muslin at JoAnn Fabrics and dyed it pearl gray. It works fine. I suppose you could dye the color of your choosing.
Oct 4, 2011 11:30:09 #
Oct 4, 2011 11:35:31 #
Big Daddy wrote:
I bought my first backdrop ($100) from the company... (show quote)
I have used cheap sheets from Walmart and inexpensive table cloths from wherever (yard sales are good!) as long as they aren't obviously stained. I have dark blue, black, white, off-white, beige, taupe, red, and turquoise, in varying textures. Some people like velvety stuff because it doesn't reflect so much.
This is one of those areas where I think quantity is more important than quality.
You find what you can where you can unless you have big bucks to spend. Improvisation is my middle name!
Oct 4, 2011 11:52:10 #
Thanks fivedawgs!.. I guess its time to start experimenting! I have a nice Leopard Print blanket Im going to try.. I'll see what happens!
Oct 4, 2011 12:27:09 #
Try using a green screen. You can then use any jpeg you have for a backdrop. look at my post to see green screen at work. dgravitt or Looking Good Photography. Use the GreenScreen Wizard Pro, buy it on line.
Dan
Dan
Oct 4, 2011 12:40:21 #
Big Daddy wrote:
Thanks fivedawgs!.. I guess its time to start experimenting! I have a nice Leopard Print blanket Im going to try.. I'll see what happens!
Another thing I've done is photograph backgrounds separately. I keep picture of bales of hay stacked in a wall and weathered rustic barn wood that I use to replace backgrounds. Here's a favorite portrait using a Gaussian blurred hay background.
Wilbur After
Wilbur Before
Oct 5, 2011 00:58:19 #
Are you using a green screen for these or a photo program?
.. nice photo too!
.. nice photo too!
Oct 5, 2011 05:58:16 #
dgravitt wrote:
Try using a green screen. You can then use any jpeg you have for a backdrop. look at my post to see green screen at work. dgravitt or Looking Good Photography. Use the GreenScreen Wizard Pro, buy it on line.
Dan
Dan
I checked out Looking Good Photography, quite impressive, love your work.
Oct 5, 2011 06:31:09 #
I use Home Depot painters canvas and tie dyed them one with straight lines and the other with circles. they turned our very well. everyone says they are back in the "70s". You can also splash all your left over paint on it, very popular for children.
Oct 5, 2011 07:01:03 #
Oct 5, 2011 07:02:13 #
can we say yard sales!!!!! sometimes you can find good props there.
Oct 5, 2011 09:11:33 #
familyphotogiuy wrote:
can we say yard sales!!!!! sometimes you can find good props there.
It looks like we are all bargain hunters! Around here, there's a season for yard sales and we are just about at the end of it. There won't be any more until May. So we are stuck, in the interim with Walmart, Job Lots, etc. Cheap bed linens have the advantage of large size and wide variety of colors, but lack a texture. Table linens frequently offer more interesting textures, but are more expensive. Those I rarely buy used because they inevitably have a stain exactly where I can't have one in the picture.
For a while, I bought saris ... they come in every color you can imagine and a few you can't and you can do a lot of interesting things with them because they are so long, but many (most) are transparent, so you have to use them differently.
There's really an infinite number of ways to approach this. The only one that most of us avoid is paying a lot of money for a backdrop!
Oct 5, 2011 09:19:20 #
fivedawgz wrote:
quote=familyphotogiuy can we say yard sales!!!!! ... (show quote)
Anything for a bargin. I recently bought two plastic table cloths, one black and one white at the dollar store. How can you go wrong for $2. They are the real thin ones but I think they will work hanging as a backdrop. I purchased a cheap plastic coat rack from Walmart and I also use inexpensive throws and hang them on the coat rack with the large chip clips. Works great. When you are retired and on a very, very low budget you tend to get very creative.
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