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05/07/2007 04:42:39 PM · #1 |
I just bought a backdrop stand now I need to buy some backdrops. What do you prefer, muslin or paper? What is chroma key? Do you recommend any particular stores online? Thank you.
Alecia |
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05/07/2007 04:45:24 PM · #2 |
| My personal reccomendation would be to get something plain and simple, like white/black/grey, stay well away from those 'clouded backdrops' i think they look so tacky. |
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05/07/2007 04:59:15 PM · #3 |
I like to use paper. It's a lot easier to use than muslin. It never needs washing or ironing. Paper also gives you a look that's hard, if not impossible, to achieve any other way.
I have rolls of black and white that I bought from Profoto in Portland. The rolls I have are 9' wide x 12 yards and cost me about $50 per roll. This works fine for most stuff, but a few times I wished I had the 12' wide paper. You can buy rolls 12' wide x 50 yards, but they're big, heavy, and expen$ive.
B&H Photo sells all types of seamless paper, but shipping costs for the larger rolls would be very expensive. You'll pay a bit more for a roll of paper at a walk-in store, but it should still be cheaper than having one shipped to you.
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05/07/2007 05:04:48 PM · #4 |
Mick,
how fast do you go through the paper?? does it rip and tear easily?
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05/07/2007 05:08:50 PM · #5 |
| I like paper as well. In my experience it lasts a while - and I have dancers jumping on mine all the time |
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05/07/2007 07:07:17 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by dassilem:
Mick,
how fast do you go through the paper?? does it rip and tear easily? |
I use the same 9x12 paper Mick does from Prophoto, its thick and does not tear easily. It is a great value for $50 bucks. They cut it in half for you too if you don't need 9 feet wide.
As far as how long it lasts, it depends on what you shoot. The white will show dirt more.
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05/07/2007 07:17:06 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by dassilem:
Mick,
how fast do you go through the paper?? does it rip and tear easily? |
With black or grey or other darker colors, if you are careful, you can reuse sections for a while.
White can get dirty, but depending again on how careful you are and how proficient you are at cloning in PS, it can last a while too.
Paper, IMO is a better option than muslins for a clean look. I hate ironing and you never can get all the wrinkles out of muslins.
As far as your original question goes, chromakey is just a specific color green or blue used mostly for video and movie green-screening. It does make it easier to replace backgrounds in photoshop, but so does any solid evely lit background.
For Full Body shots, I suggest at least 8' wide background paper.
For white and other colors I believe, you can get vinyl backdrops. Talk to  idnic. I know she has a white vinyl background that she's happy with.
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05/07/2007 07:53:10 PM · #8 |
I love my muslin, but I'm getting to really like paper. I bought from Wooden Nickle they had decent prices. Their number is 1800-325-5179 they will send you a free catalog. Their website is www.wnalbums.com
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05/07/2007 08:03:20 PM · #9 |
Silverlake Muslins ALL THE WAY! They are a bit pricey, but well worth the money! :)
They have a great Forum over there as well. And if you are a member of the forums, you can get in on the monthly group buys. The people of the forum vote for 3 10x20 drops every month and then Silverlake puts 3 of them on sale at a DEEP discount. Like $150 compared to almost $300!
I have 5 or 6 of their drops and I am itching for a few more. You should check it out! They are really great over there and the drops are gorgeous!
Ooh, you can actually see some of them in my portfolio. I use them all the time! :)
ETA - I actually have one that I am trying to sell. It's a mismatch, and it's black/cream/maroon... It's too dark for me. It's a 10x20 and I am selling it for $120 shipped. :)
Message edited by author 2007-05-07 20:07:05.
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05/07/2007 08:05:41 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Paper, IMO is a better option than muslins for a clean look. I hate ironing and you never can get all the wrinkles out of muslins.
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Not totally true. I have had mine hanging for months now, and Mine are pretty wrinkle free. Nice thing is though, wrinkles can help muslin have that unique look to them. And silly... you don't iron muslins (well, good quality ones anyways) you steam them! :D
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05/07/2007 08:28:12 PM · #11 |
As the others have mentioned, the paper is thick and doesn't tear easily. However, it does get dirty from people walking on it. If you're careful, you can use a damp sponge or wad of damp paper towels to wipe off dusty footprints and such. When a section gets too dirty, you simply cut that part off and pull out more from the roll. I have my paper rolls mounted on wall brackets, 9' up from the floor. I use about 18' at one time, with 9' to cover the wall and 9' more on the floor. I use a gentle curve for the transition from wall to floor so people only walk on the last few feet. I ask people to wipe their feet before stepping onto the paper, but I still have to cut that section off occasionally. In fact, it's almost time to replace my white paper.
BTW, humidity can make your paper wrinkle, so you may want to store it in a temperature-controlled room. I keep mine in the garage (studio), which isn̢۪t temperature-controlled, and I̢۪ve seen it wrinkle when the air is damp. There̢۪s no place in our home that I̢۪d want to use for storing rolls of paper so I̢۪ve been looking for some type of hermetically sealed tube to keep it in.
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05/08/2007 10:57:09 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by Mick:
As the others have mentioned, the paper is thick and doesn't tear easily. However, it does get dirty from people walking on it. If you're careful, you can use a damp sponge or wad of damp paper towels to wipe off dusty footprints and such. When a section gets too dirty, you simply cut that part off and pull out more from the roll. I have my paper rolls mounted on wall brackets, 9' up from the floor. I use about 18' at one time, with 9' to cover the wall and 9' more on the floor. I use a gentle curve for the transition from wall to floor so people only walk on the last few feet. I ask people to wipe their feet before stepping onto the paper, but I still have to cut that section off occasionally. In fact, it's almost time to replace my white paper. |
A tip that won't completely eliminate the problem, but will help some is:
Cover the soles of the models shoes (or clients) with clear packing tape. It really does work. ;-) |
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10/02/2007 09:27:30 PM · #13 |
Hate to bring back an old thread but I am looking at buying some paper backgrounds and was wondering if the Chroma-Key was rerally worth it. I guess you can replace any solid color background pretty easily right? I am looking at buying a black paper roll and a white paper roll. Maybe two scenic muslins.
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10/02/2007 09:47:25 PM · #14 |
Alecia, head on over to Pictureline. They sell paper backgrounds. It's really pretty cheap. About $30 for a roll. I bought three, black, white and light blue. I have some Muslins as well and like them too. But I don't care for the ones at Pictureline too much. Try www.amvona.com instead.
Message edited by author 2007-10-02 21:49:28.
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10/02/2007 09:48:46 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by rex:
Hate to bring back an old thread but I am looking at buying some paper backgrounds and was wondering if the Chroma-Key was rerally worth it. I guess you can replace any solid color background pretty easily right? I am looking at buying a black paper roll and a white paper roll. Maybe two scenic muslins. |
I've just never seen a really good "background replacement" job done (regardless of method) when there is hair in the image. It'll look good at low resolution, but I've never seen any high quality big prints from it.
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10/02/2007 10:22:50 PM · #16 |
| I think I saw a tutorial on Sophisticated Selections on the radiant vista. I don't have much trouble believing that when the original image is shot with a neutral background that this could yield good results. I tried it myself when I first saw it and concluded that it was more trouble than it was worth at the time, so haven't played with it much. Extracting from a real scene is murder with the hair. Almost easier just to redraw it. |
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10/02/2007 10:32:04 PM · #17 |
I have THIS and I love it.
I also have paper, which is very convenient as well, if you want to do full body shots, or when you are getting the floor in the shot.
:)
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10/02/2007 10:44:27 PM · #18 |
| I have a roll of white paper from B&H and I love it! I prefer the very simple look of paper over muslins with patterns in it and paper looks so smooth in the photos. I can get several uses out of each section before I have to cut it, and sometimes I even flip it over and used the other side once one side gets dirty. B&H has tons of colors, I keep meaning to try out a few others. |
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10/02/2007 11:23:58 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Wenders11:
...sometimes I even flip it over and used the other side once one side gets dirty... |
OMG, I thought I was the only one who did this! Must be the flinty Yank in me. :)
Thanks for the smile. |
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