Digital Backdrops

[ddt0725]

Anyone ever use anything like this before ...

http://photography.bhinsights.com/content/digital-backdrops-savage.html

I was just reading about it briefly but it sure beats the price of buying various muslin backdrops!

Any thoughts/opinions on using something like this?

Denise

[Sheiky]

Well you need a green/blue screen for it or some photoshop skills and it's pretty much nothing more than just a wallpaper set. There are a lot of wallpapers for free download and you can also use other photo's as backgrounds. And even use the full 18MP of your camera.


It's not really hard to make I think and I think it's worth trying.


It's pretty much like this:





These are all separately shot portraits of me, my brother, little sister and girlfriend. I used photoshop to clear them of their background (which was a blue sky mostly) and I pasted them in front of a "borrowed" photo which I picked from Flickr. Anyway it's pretty much the same idea, but I haven't paid for it.


Jan

[Sheiky]

Oh and of course I should mention that it's very hard to get the lighting to continue on your background, so I'm not entirely sure how well this would work for more serious portraits...

[ddt0725]

Awesome photo, Jan! Yeah, I was just looking at this really quick but you are right about lighting being an issue. I do have a green screen but haven't used it for anything. I also have Elements. Hmmm...I do like your idea though, great way to save money!

Denise

[ddt0725]

Awesome photo, Jan! Yeah, I was just looking at this really quick but you are right about lighting being an issue. I do have a green screen but haven't used it for anything. I also have Elements. Hmmm...I do like your idea though, great way to save money!

Denise

[Sheiky]

Awesome photo, Jan! Yeah, I was just looking at this really quick but you are right about lighting being an issue

Thanks Denise [] Well I must say that in my example the back/foreground differentiation and different lighting isn't a problem. And there will be times where it's also not a problem for you and so you could follow my example. However I think in the majority of times this won't give you a nice effect.


You could also try to use a flash for backgroundlighting and equip it with flash-gels for different colors and stuff. Like I did here on a white wall with blue flash-gel:


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.34.48/13_2D00_Corine-en-Juul-Schmink-128_2D00_Edit.jpg[/img]


Of course this isn't the best of example, but you can see that you can achieve a quite different picture by just a simple touch. With the correct use of a grid or snoot, you can also add some variety in your backgrounds.


Good luck []

[ddt0725]

Thanks for all the suggestions, Jan! I love your second photo as well! I have all I need ...except the model!! My daughter has not been too cooperative as of late so not much portrait taking going on around here lately! []

[Sheiky]

You're welcome Denise! Well my little sister has been more cooperative as well [:P] I guess it's the age, 13, all "grown up"stuff she has to deal with that we don't do these kind of shots anymore. I'll try another time [] Patience and perhaps this time a more serious and nice shot which she could put on her facebook or something...that always works to convince them a bit [:P]


I would also like to try out my ring-flash as a model-flash instead of macro. Wondering what that would look like....


Or of course I could try a shoot with my girlfriend, although I also need to learn her how to take photos now she has her own camera...sigh [:P]