Choosing a backdrop - pointers?

[peety3]

I've got a small home studio (aka game room), and want to add a backdrop for holiday family pictures. One side wall is painted neutral gray, but we'd like to hang a backdrop on the back wall, giving us a pair of walls to shoot with (the back wall will give us more working distance). I'm thinking of a 12'x24' backdrop, so it'll flow to the floor and give us a seamless expanse to work with.


Any suggestions on brands, colors, etc. for both backdrop and backdrop stand? We did about 13 families last winter, and will probably do 15-25 families this winter. We don't expect to take the stand "on the road" with us, but do want to be able to fold it up and take somewhere for an occasional remote shoot.

[Cory]

I looked around at B&H once for backdrop potentials...


These are three I picked out of the Christmas variations...


Traditional "home" type of feel: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=workaround.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=616187&is=R EG


Post Card/Bulk Letter to friends/family: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=workaround.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=610137&is=R EG


Portraits: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=workaround.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=610059&is=R EG

[HiFiGuy1]

peety3,


If you click on the B&H nav bar above any of those images, there are lots more to choose from, too. There is one with defocused colored lights like the white ones in the last link Cory posted, too.


What do you charge for this service? I may be interested in doing something this year myself. I have just the room for it. [;)]

[Daniel Browning]

Any suggestions on brands, colors, etc.?


How about greenscreen? Then you can have any background you want with the click of a button.

[Scott]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]Hi Peety3
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]I use Muslin backdrops which are a light weight material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] They are 6 x 3 meters so at a guess 8 x 18 feet roughly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] I really do like them and use them as a portable back drop with ease and frequency. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]When I shoot away from home I use strong clips to attach them to anything. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]As far as a stand is concerned I have used a 20 foot length of down pipe (storm water drain) PVC with a few brackets, doesn&rsquo;t look to bad, easy to use and most of it is covered from the back drop anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]I have just started to use the white back drop and still perfecting it, this image is a bit blown out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] My clients and myself are very happy with the results and there is a HUGE range to choose from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] I can get a website from where I am (<st1:country-region><st1:place>Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>) but believe you would have an even greater range over there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Hope this helps and let me know if I can assist you further.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]</o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]Scott
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"]/resized-image.ashx/__size/500x700/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.26.38/Black.JPG


/resized-image.ashx/__size/500x700/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.26.38/White.JPG








/resized-image.ashx/__size/500x700/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.26.38/Mottled.JPG

[Mark Elberson]

Any suggestions on brands, colors, etc.?


How about greenscreen? Then you can have any background you want with the click of a button.
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>



I was going to ask about that...with Photoshop, is there any true need to have more than one or maybetwo backdrops?

[peety3]

What do you charge for this service? I may be interested in doing something this year myself. I have just the room for it. /emoticons/emotion-5.gif
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





We don't charge a thing, though if asked we usually mention our Amazon wish lists and such. I know it's counterproductive to all of the pro photogs out there, but we choose not to charge so that we can continue to insure our cameras through an extension of our existing home/car/life insurance. If we charged, we'd have to get other insurance, raising our costs and immediately eating into the margins of our new-found revenue stream.

[Alan]

Any suggestions on brands, colors, etc.?


How about greenscreen? Then you can have any background you want with the click of a button.
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>







I was going to ask about that...with Photoshop, is there any true need to have more than one or maybetwo backdrops?
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





I would suggest to avoid this green backdrop. You'll be fighting the tint that will inevitably be falling on faces, shirts, shoes, etc.


If you're starting off with backdrops, black would be my first choice. A good black, not an "almost" black. Get a good lint remover, to remove those pesky white flecks of junk that will cling to it.


I would check with eBay. Amvona carries a number of outstanding backdrops, and you can pick up a number of them cheaply.