If you were restricted......

D'BuggsD'Buggs Registered Users Posts: 958 Major grins
edited October 30, 2009 in Mind Your Own Business
.... to shooting portraits on 3 BG's of seamless paper, what colours would they be?
And why?

:scratch


Thanks! :thumb

Comments

  • LlywellynLlywellyn Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,186 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2009
    I'd buy only one—white—plus some gels. Why? Because you can make that white background pure white, grey, or full black just by varying your subject's distance from it and limiting the light spill on it. Then with gels on your lights, you can direct them at the white background and make it any color you want. thumb.gif
  • James HJames H Registered Users Posts: 92 Big grins
    edited October 29, 2009
    D'Buggs wrote:
    .... to shooting portraits on 3 BG's of seamless paper, what colours would they be?
    And why?
    1) Gray - because I can turn it white with enough light on the background.
    2) Gray - because I can turn it black with enough light on the subject.
    3) Gray again - because I can turn it almost any color I want with a gel and the aforementioned light on the background.

    I'm sure others will have their favorites, but gray is very useful and flexible.
    --James

    Homepage - James Hill Photography

  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2009
    Black, white and gray - the rest is gelleable...
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • ChatKatChatKat Registered Users Posts: 1,357 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2009
    Black
    I have some canvas and muslin and I always leave up the black, a beige and a blue/gray. I can actually blow out the beige/tan one so it appears white. The Blue Gray one is a fav for corp headshots.

    I have the gels and a white background as well but the color always feels fake. I have a red with some black in it that is a boudoir favorite and I have a new gingerbread color that is really yummy.

    My real favorite backdrop though is the beach....you can't beat the Pacific Ocean at sunset
    Kathy Rappaport
    Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
    http://flashfrozenphotography.com
  • D'BuggsD'Buggs Registered Users Posts: 958 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2009
    Interesting responses.

    My brain cells are leaning towards, pure white for full length body HK, and it can easily be darkened to a midish gray tone.
    Pure black for FL BS (pretty much the same theory as the white).
    And as for the 3rd, I kinda agree w/ ChatKat, in that a lit BG using a gell,,, kinda looks fake and it just isn't the same. I prefer using them as accents.

    I'm torn between Nik's suggestion of W G B (because it's true) or dropping the gray for that of vibrance. Perhaps a med. blue, darkish green or a deepish red..... 99.9% of my immediate upcoming work is families, if that helps. Come the new year, I can add.


    ^%$#. I gotta sort this out by Monday.
    I'm goin absolutely BONKERS over it. :crazy
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 30, 2009
    pure black....I have enuff power to make a blk background white and various shades of grey.....I also have a ton of colored gels so I have a nearly unlimited array of backgrounds available to me......
    Thereason for blk is that blk does not reflect light but actually holds it and I find it easier to color blk than wht.....

    Links to 2 gelled blk backgrounds..........

    Link 1
    Ignore the white speckles all over the photo it was damaged and the only copy I had....I still cannot find the 645 neg it was shot on..............

    Link 2

    this LINK to to the type of gel holder I use.....mine are over 20+ yrs old and were bought from SPIRATONE......one of the best for not so normal stuff but now they are gone.......

    While my photog friends was buying all sorts of theatrical paint and muslin and taking days to properly paint a solid color back ground I could just include a gel or 2 and mix colors and to my clients content........

    After I had my first roll of seamless paper I tossed it less than a week after I got it......first I painted a 108" x 30' muslin black.....then I tossed the seamless....I had hardwood floors and women with high heels and kids with damp shoes were going to cost me more in seamless than I could chage for a portrait sitting......Actually I did not just toss the seamless.....I gave it to a local elementary school for the art classes................
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • D'BuggsD'Buggs Registered Users Posts: 958 Major grins
    edited October 30, 2009
    Art, how hot were your lights that you used in those examples?
    I've lit up mid-toned stuff but don't ever recall trying to accent black before headscratch.gif - White IS tough and I haven't had much luck with that (Read: PITA).

    Fully understand the limitations of seamless; just trying to get over a bit of a hurdle here.

    BTW, thanks.... I came on here thinking I made a decision and NOW I find myself still looking for one. rolleyes1.gif

    Thanks for commenting!


    PS - I've got a black muslin. I'll see if I can't fit in time tomorrow, and lit er' up. thumb.gif
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