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01/11/2011 06:07:15 PM · #1 |
In many of the DPC submissions, the photographers have either white or black backdrop to either kill the light, or reflect the light.
Simple question: what material do folks use for this? Just plain white or black cardboard, or something a little more "shiny"/"glossy" for the white, or "velvety" for the black?
Just curious since the backdrops appear to have little to no texture at all. |
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01/11/2011 06:12:46 PM · #2 |
| Depends. For portraits I will either use my muslin backdrop or my 5in1 reflector. The key with black is to keep it either far enough away to prevent light spill or use barn doors or similar products to keep the light off. If you want white I like to either use my octabox as the bg or as someone suggested hang a white sheet and fire a strobe from behind it to give you a solid bright bg. |
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01/11/2011 06:15:47 PM · #3 |
There are a number of ways to achieve this, actually. Standards are white or black seamless paper on a roll/backdrop stand. There are large, ready-made backdrops that are made in the same fashion as windshield sunshades (in a variety of colors/patterns)
For smaller scale items, white/black cards, white plexi, "light tents" and such are available. Simple black or white cloth (or black velvet) can also be used. One trick to eliminate any texture is to keep the backdrop well behind the subject, so that the background is unfocused. White backdrops will need to be evenly lit, while dark backgrounds would need to be unlit (so your main lighting should not fall on the backdrop).
If you go to B&H or Adorama and search for backdrops, backgrounds, muslins, light tent, etc, you will see a variety of options. This google search should also get you started :-) |
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01/11/2011 06:18:53 PM · #4 |
| I bought a black king size flat bed sheet. Really cheap. I made a few holes along the long edge and hang it from those. Does show some fold lines but a quick tweak of the black point sorts that. |
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01/11/2011 06:40:06 PM · #5 |
Thanks for the info:
At B&H they have an inexpensive product called Savage Widetone Seamless Paper:
Savage Widetone
Chromeydome: So when using white, I would assume you'd have to have a side-on light source to avoid shadows falling in your FoV? What I dont understand is why you wouldnt want light to fall on the black background, since no shadows will be present, and it shouldnt reflect any light? |
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01/11/2011 06:40:23 PM · #6 |
| Depends on what you're shooting. I have a white drop cloth, a black sheet and a tan drop cloth which do ok for large items. Small objects I use posterboard of various color or plexiglass. I have two plexiglass, one with a side painted black and the other clear. |
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01/11/2011 06:44:16 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by kleski:
Depends on what you're shooting. I have a white drop cloth, a black sheet and a tan drop cloth which do ok for large items. Small objects I use posterboard of various color or plexiglass. I have two plexiglass, one with a side painted black and the other clear. |
Wouldn't plexiglass be too reflective, especially if flash is involved? |
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01/11/2011 06:58:47 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by gcoulson:
Thanks for the info:
At B&H they have an inexpensive product called Savage Widetone Seamless Paper:
Savage Widetone
Chromeydome: So when using white, I would assume you'd have to have a side-on light source to avoid shadows falling in your FoV? What I dont understand is why you wouldnt want light to fall on the black background, since no shadows will be present, and it shouldnt reflect any light? |
Well, if you have a perfectly black material, you are correct--however, if you can see the material, any texture at all, then it is reflecting some light, which can also then be picked up by the camera (especially with a flash added to the mix). Any lint, wrinkles, , chemical treatment on the fabric, etc, can also reflect some light. So, yes, a black cloth 10 feet back from your subject is less troublesome than if it is 1 foot behind your subject. These are things you have to address as you set up the shot/lighting.
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01/11/2011 07:11:44 PM · #9 |
| There is also a new product out there instead of paper - vinyl rolls, which don't get dirty, and if they do, can be wiped clean. They're a bit more expensive than paper, but last MUCH longer. As for black bg, you can do nice lighting effects with a black background. It doesn't always have to be solid black. |
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01/11/2011 08:18:45 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
There is also a new product out there instead of paper - vinyl rolls, which don't get dirty, and if they do, can be wiped clean. They're a bit more expensive than paper, but last MUCH longer. As for black bg, you can do nice lighting effects with a black background. It doesn't always have to be solid black. |
That is a perfect example shot of how black need not be black and featureless, and also why one would need to be careful if black and featureless is desired :-) |
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01/11/2011 08:25:18 PM · #11 |
FWIW I have a very small spare room, 8x9, which I use for prop storage and as a studio. That I had a painter friend paint in three very unexciting tones: the flattest least-reflective white she could find, 18% grey (aka DPC grey), also very flat/matte, and a flat/matte black for the closet, which is recessed, and does indeed do a good job of swallowing up light, though it is still possible to get some sheen off of it if an angled flash is used. Hence its nickname, the Closet of Doom :-)
On a much smaller scale, I'll occasionally visit fabric stores and raid the seconds/end-of-roll bin for interesting background materials. Also large coloured sheets of fibreboard from a craft store are usually inexpensive and work well.
ETA:  Magnumphotography has huge great swathes of that light-eating black velour commonly used as backdrop material in theatre. It certainly does a great job of eating light.
Message edited by author 2011-01-11 20:29:25. |
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01/11/2011 08:48:10 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by gcoulson:
Originally posted by kleski:
Depends on what you're shooting. I have a white drop cloth, a black sheet and a tan drop cloth which do ok for large items. Small objects I use posterboard of various color or plexiglass. I have two plexiglass, one with a side painted black and the other clear. |
Wouldn't plexiglass be too reflective, especially if flash is involved? |
depends how you use your flash...
 
both done with flash firing |
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01/11/2011 10:38:25 PM · #13 |
Another technique is to use clear plexi and keep the subjesct lit on one plane and lit as you wish below it, separating out the background to either keep it dark or flood it with light.
A store that sells fabric for upholstery will sell fabric in wider than the normal 36" width. I got a piece of black velvet 5 foot by 6 foot for around $25 and it just eats up light.
Either a lot of care in lighting or a bit of cloning will produce a perfect black, but I don't mind the sense of the fabric in most shots, as long as it isn't distracting |
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