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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> How to make good backdrops?
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 05/24/2006 06:25:24 AM · #1
I'm interested in how you make a good backdrop basically, and what lighting techniques for the amateur who perhaps can't afford slave flashes, and softboxes, etc.

Two great examples of what i'm trying to achieve are;

Artoole's prickly pear


and Rikki's rhythm and motion


Thanks for your help everyone.
:)
 05/24/2006 08:58:35 AM · #2
Actually just about anything makes a good back drop. I get mine at Walmart for a $1 a yard. I don't have any high falooting studios either. I just tape it to my wall when ready, and have my subject a decent distance from it if there do happen to be imperfections in the fabric. I also try and buy fabric that doesn't wrinkle so I can roll it up like a ball when finished, instead of leaving it hanging somewhere.

My lighting is just a desk lamp or two in which I can adjust them by moving stem on the lamp. Those run about $8 at walmart as well. You just have to adjust your white balance though, cause most lighting I use has a yellow tone to it without the adjusting. Unless you are going to make it a b/w or sepia, then it doesn't matter. Sometimes you can adjust how the lighting shows in PP'ing too.

Also, for small objects, a light tent on ebay is EXTREMELY inexpensive. I have a 16" by 16" professional light tent now. It was in auction for a penny! I ended up paying $3.24 for it + shipping. In the end, cost less than $15 with shipping and the kit itself normally retails for $100! I was thrilled with it, and was also when I received it. It even folds up flat and round to carry with you anywhere. Comes with two backdrops that go inside - black and a white. BUT, you can use any kind of poster board too if you like in any color. This would work VERY well for pics like Artoole's, but not sure about Rikki's. I'm not sure what Rikki's is..LOL. I haven't checked it out yet. But for objects of even a bigger size, they can be done in the 16" by 16". Just put "softbox" into ebay's search and you should see many options. CHEAP and very useful photography tools. For lighting, I just got some energy saving light bulbs at about 115watts, and then two clip on lamps that go on either side of the box. Works GREAT!

Good luck!
 05/24/2006 09:10:46 AM · #3
Originally posted by Kerm:
I'm interested in how you make a good backdrop basically, and what lighting techniques for the amateur who perhaps can't afford slave flashes, and softboxes, etc.

Two great examples of what i'm trying to achieve are;

Artoole's prickly pear

:)


I will post on thisone as my wife doesnt usually read or post to threads. The backdrop for her prickly pear shot was a 50cent piece of pink posterboard from walmart. The lighting came from the biggest light source around - the sun - and the best diffuser around - a very cloudy day. She set it up on our back porch and took the shot midday. Worked out way better than our light setup indoors. Total investment on the shot (without considering camera and software) about $4. the pins and pear cost more than the rest of the set up.
 05/24/2006 09:13:16 AM · #4
Thank you so much for the very helpful reply.

I will look into the light tents and soft boxes.
So you hang fabric or card in the background and have your object on another piece of the fabric a bit away from the backdrop? A few feet infront of it for example?

Thanks so much for your help espy.

If anyone else has anything to add PLEASE do, i want to learn as much as possible!
:D

*Edit* Were you referring to something like this espy?

Message edited by author 2006-05-24 09:14:46.
 05/24/2006 09:17:31 AM · #5
Originally posted by Kerm:
Thank you so much for the very helpful reply.

I will look into the light tents and soft boxes.
So you hang fabric or card in the background and have your object on another piece of the fabric a bit away from the backdrop? A few feet infront of it for example?

Thanks so much for your help espy.

If anyone else has anything to add PLEASE do, i want to learn as much as possible!
:D


Well for small objects you really want the board under the subject and then sweeping up in a curve behind it. This eliminates any lines from folds showing. So you curve the poster board, like bowing it, and have your subject in front of that bow. For portraits, which I rarely do, but even just larger objects, I tape fabric to my wall, then place the subject on a table (or sitting down if it's a person), and not too close to the fabric to avoid shadows (if the fabric is light) and to get a good dof on the subject.

You're welcome!! Hopet it helps a bit!
05/25/2006 06:48:22 AM · #6
I have found that two backdrops almost always work:
White Paper, and Black Canvas.
For white paper, I use inkjet sheets, which are available in A4 size. These have good whiteness, and although glossy, they do not reflect much of the diffused light. If I require bigger size, I use white Artsheet available in Chart-paper size (Approx. A1 size).
For Black background, I use Black Canvas cloth. It reflects very little light, so that you get a perfect black.
Other common backdrops are wooden planks, Satin cloth, Textured/ handmade paper, Granite, Sunmica Tabletop, Computer screen, Your hands, Your torso, a beautiful painting on the wall, and perheps anything you name it!
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